Cleaning an enamel bath

Eileen Ryan
by Eileen Ryan
My old enamel bath has very bad limescale stains and I can't clean it, it looks really awful, any ideas please?
  31 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Oct 13, 2015
    Well there are products available in the US but since I do not know what stores you have I will tell you what will work. It is called CLR which stands for calcium/rust and lime remover.
  • Kitty Webb Kitty Webb on Oct 13, 2015
    take towels lay them in your tub.useC.L.R i used the dollar tree brand so 3 bottles 3$ get the towels flat pour on clr let soak overnight next morning wipe out the tub!!! it might not all come up.but keep it up it will.I also rolled the towels in the corners to keep them up on the sides..
  • Funnygirl Funnygirl on Oct 13, 2015
    Would try to locate Borax.It is a powder cleaner.Comes in a box.Can be found in the states in the laundry cleaning isle.Hangs out with the dyes and basic cleaners.A big box costs about 2 dollars.great cleaner with a good scrub brush and a small amount of water.Quite strong.Careful with your eyes,wear gloves,keep children away.Does a great job of all stains
  • Tanya Tanya on Oct 14, 2015
    I was shocked when this actually worked on my tub. It's cheap, no strong powerful smells either. Get pencil and paper ready, ok? Here ya go: 50% original BLUE dawn and 50% white vinegar. I use a spray bottle and cut one of those green scratch pads in half. Spray on and scrub off, then rinse. If it doesn't work for you it didn't cost but pennies per bottle. And you didn't have to inhale and choke on those nasty harsh fumes from store bought product. I'm still not completely convinced I'm not gonna grow a third eye from breathing all that stink. Good luck.
  • Alice Mitchel Alice Mitchel on Oct 14, 2015
    I think hard scrubing won't help. You have to do a deep cleaning for your bath. You can buy bleach ( the only cleaning detergent that i prefer to buy) or you can use a home-made cleaning products. You can search around the web. There are many articles on this topic. Like this one http://www.tipjunkie.com/tutorial/diy-deep-cleaning-for-your-bathroom/. Good luck.
  • Sharon Sharon on Oct 14, 2015
    astonish oven and hob cleaner will clean your bath like new its also great rubbed onto grass tomotoo stains on clothes and washed like normal pvc chairs come up like new to as do pvc window frames
  • Jonnie Hammon Jonnie Hammon on Oct 14, 2015
    Use a hand held steamer. Steam for sixty seconds, then dip scrubber in dawn, and vinegar solution, and scrub, steaming more if needed. Rinse with vinegar, and lemon solution. It should all come right off.
  • Pis2225486 Pis2225486 on Oct 14, 2015
    To get rid of mineral stains in my electric tea kettle, I boil cream of tartar in it... works beautifully. You might try to boil water with some and let it sit on the stains... because you aren't boiling it in the tub, you might have to repeat the process a few times... Good Luck!
  • Ella Ella on Oct 14, 2015
    I had some stained grout that nothing would clean until I mixed peroxide with baking soda ,left on overnight ,perfect!!
  • Colleen Diaco-Evans Colleen Diaco-Evans on Oct 14, 2015
    My old tub was painted by previous owner. I removed the paint to find ugly stains. I filled the tub with very small amount of water and poured in a can of Beekeepers Friend to make a paste. Using a very fine sanding sponge, I keep going in circles all over tub. Now it's a beautiful old tub I love to take my bath in.
  • Liza Liza on Oct 14, 2015
    Straight vinergar
  • It the tub is enamel and the stains quite resistant, ventilate the area well and use oven cleaner.
  • Lily Lily on Oct 14, 2015
    I used a paste made up of some vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. Scrub gently
  • Susan Susan on Oct 14, 2015
    Zud
    • Susan Susan on Oct 17, 2015
      THe old tubs respond to Zud, you will use it once a week. Easy and fast.
  • Annie Annie on Oct 14, 2015
    I filled my tub just past the area with the crud. Added citric acid, which can be found in the canning section at grocery stores, and let sit overnight. When I drained the tub the next morning, it was gone! No scrubbing and shiny to boot! I had scrubbed it with Bar Keeper's Friend, soaked it with vinegar, and even tried to chip it away so I am thrilled this worked.
  • Marilee H Marilee H on Oct 14, 2015
    Try Barkeeper's Friend,but let it sit for a while after a first scrubbing, then rescrub.
  • Colleen Diaco-Evans Colleen Diaco-Evans on Oct 14, 2015
    Yes...I really hate autocorrect. Lol
  • Me Me on Oct 14, 2015
    fill with water to beyond the nasty part and use TANG. or POLIDENT tablets. Let soak overnight.
  • JOHNNY JOHNNY on Oct 14, 2015
    TRY THIS... PLACE IN A PLASTIC CONTAINER SOME WHITE VINEGAR THEN INTO THE MICROWAVE FOR 3 MINUTES, CAREFUULLY POUR INTO A SPRAY BOTTEL AND AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF DISH SOAP, SHAKE AND SPRAY ON TUB, LET STAND. FOR 4-8 HRS, THEN USING A POT SCRUBBING SPONGE W/ ABRASIVE SIDE DOWN SCRUB. THIS MAY TAKE REPEATED TIMES DEPENDING ON DEGREE OF CALCILIUM / MINERAL BUILD UP. THIS ALSO WORKS ON CLEANING THE TUB/ SHOWER AREA & SLIDING DOORS. THE WAY THIS WORKS IS THE HOT VINAGER IS IN SOLUTION W/ SOAP WHEN HOT, AS IT COOLS IT SEPERATES, SOAP GOES TO OP, VINAGER BOTTOM TO SURFACE, THE SOAP INCASE'S THE VINAGER, LIKE PUTTING SREAN WRAP OVER IT, ALSO REDUCING THE SMELL. IF DONE REGUALER SAVES A LOT OF CLEANING TIME IN TUB / SHOWER
  • LD LD on Oct 14, 2015
    Here's a link which will be helpful. http://tipnut.com/limescale/
  • Amy Edwards Amy Edwards on Oct 14, 2015
    There is a product call "the Works" and it takes, calcium, lime rust stains away. I have a well and our water is awful. I spray this one leave it for a few minutes and it already begins to remove all the above stains
  • Ann Hokrein Ann Hokrein on Oct 14, 2015
    You will probably have to use a hydrocloric acid based bathroom cleaner. The works is ok, but it is phosphoric acid, and dont usually remove stains that have been there a long time. You need a stain and scale remover, not just a cleaner.
  • Mary Susan Meyer Mary Susan Meyer on Oct 14, 2015
    A mixture of Baking Soda, Hydrogen Peroxide ( just regular off the shelf type) and a bit of Dawn dish soap. Make a paste out of these 3 ingredients and rub on leave sit for a time and with a little elbow grease and a nylon scrubber it should come off.
  • HouseLogic.com HouseLogic.com on Oct 16, 2015
    You may need to scrub harder. Here's how you can use your power drill to clean your tub: http://goo.gl/89Bwd7
  • Sheila Jones Sheila Jones on Oct 16, 2015
    muriatic acid will get it clean, but please read the instructions vary carefully , this stuff will eat your skin and lungs up tpo keep a fan going!
  • Tara Kotry Tara Kotry on Oct 19, 2015
    CLR bathroom cleaner works great
  • Johnchip Johnchip on Oct 19, 2015
    Have it refinished, not that expensive and wonderful result. Choose a colour.
  • Duv310660 Duv310660 on Oct 19, 2015
    If its just limescale, saturate a cloth (I use a mister) and situate over the lime. Mist to keep wet. If it's not gone in 15 mins OR if soap scum is involved, get yourself some "BarKeeper's Friend". You will not be sorry! It's inexpensive and has resolved all my hard water issues!
  • Sherrie Sherrie on Oct 22, 2015
    Muratic acid...or try The Works Toliet bowl cleaner it has a weaker so,union of acid in it. We also use this on a lot of rentals and it takes it off like a charm. Let it sit and run water in the bottom of the tub so it doesn't arc the drain. I use a sprayer and spray it on, let it set and if it doesn't remove all of it do it again. Scrub well. And rinse well.
    • See 2 previous
    • Sherrie Sherrie on Oct 24, 2015
      No it is what we use to clean when we get to a house that the tub has rust stains, we also use a weaker acid to do it. I do anywhere from 3 to 4 rentals a day, they want the rust out of those tubs. And this gets it out. The way we clean rentals and move outs takes a lot of work and proven cleaning methods also a lot of the methods we use are last resort methods. We are also called in when other cleaning companies can't get things clean. They have to either replace it or use us to clean it. It works. we use acid to clean off hardened grout, to clean grout and re-seal it. I have been in this business 35 years. The way we clean works it wouldn't be the way you clean everyday things but it is the way you clean for certain things, and it is the way you clean when people don't clean for several years.
  • Marie Marie on Jun 26, 2023

    We had terrible old water staining and tried various things, but to no avail. Am so chuffed and amazed at how good the enamel bath came up using a mix of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and barkeepers friend. Used a stiff plastic brush tool in my drill, and it took approximately 1 hour to do - but the results speak for themselves - see photos of before and after!!!


    comment photo
    comment photo
    comment photo