Cleaning a claw foot tub

Tracy Peterson
by Tracy Peterson
Does anyone have suggestions on what to use to get this yellow out of my claw foot tub? I have seriously tried everything!!!
  30 answers
  • Mary Mullen Mary Mullen on Jan 07, 2015
    Bar Keepers Friend. It's like Ajax but the container is Gold. Works well!
  • Rosemary Cornett Rosemary Cornett on Jan 08, 2015
    Lysol tub and tolet bowl cleaner. It is in the black bottle and is for rust and hard water stains. Good luck.
  • Marilyn Descours Marilyn Descours on Jan 08, 2015
    The only think I've found to work (and I've tried EVERYTHING!!!) is Norton walls and 220 grit. It gets rid of hard water stains and rust stains and doesn't scratch. After the initial cleaning, about 4 months ago, I haven had to use it again.
  • Jo Lee Burns Jo Lee Burns on Jan 08, 2015
    Go to dollar store and buy some "The Works" rust and stain remover, it's in a green bottle, spray and leave on a few hours then scrub with hot vinegar and dawn mixed together. should do the trick.
  • Teri Teri on Jan 08, 2015
    did you try CLR?
  • DW 40 will remove it
  • T Mac T Mac on Jan 08, 2015
    Iron out, comes in a spray or powder. Get the spray as it's less harmful than the powder. Spray it on, wait a few minutes an wipe an rinse. Great for water (especially well water) that has iron in it.
  • Melissa Lewis Melissa Lewis on Jan 08, 2015
    My go to is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It takes some patience and some major elbow grease, but it's the only thing I clean my tub with now. Also, if non of these works, you can paint your tub. I saw a tutorial either on here or Pinterest, I can't remember which. Good luck!
    • Lindsay Lindsay on Jan 09, 2015
      @Melissa Lewis I was going to say "Mr. Clean Magic Eraser" as well!! WORKS LIKE MAGIC!- I have had much luck (in my past life as a prof. house cleaner) with porcelain and magic erasers. Good Luck!
  • CS CS on Jan 08, 2015
    I don't have a suggestion for a cleaning product, but if it is a vintage tub, remember that under the porcelain is cast iron. It looks to me like perhaps the porcelain is wearing away and the yellow is actually the iron starting to rust.
  • I second Bar Keepers Friend! I've seen it work many times and used it on my grandpas claw foot!
  • Sherry Sherry on Jan 08, 2015
    the suggestion that it could be the porcelain wearing away could be right. Here is what I have done on an impossible stained shower floor........NO FUME oven cleaner. Spray on, give a little time to work, then scrub with a scotch brite pad. I did this a couple of treatments & stain gone
  • MikkiGirl MikkiGirl on Jan 08, 2015
    Bar Keepers Friend!
  • Cynthia Nye Cynthia Nye on Jan 08, 2015
    Perhaps baking soda and lemon juice paste?
  • Linda Barrett Dirksen Linda Barrett Dirksen on Jan 08, 2015
    Blue can of Easy Off oven cleaner is a miracle worker, didn't believe it until I finally tried it after using every product on the shelf! Spray it on, wait about 2 hours, wipe off, then rinse. Almost odor free. Gloves are good but not essential. I hope you'll be thrilled!
  • Rozanne M Rozanne M on Jan 08, 2015
    Try a Pumice Scouring Stick which can be purchased at home centers, about $5. This can be used on bath tubs, sinks, toilet bowls to remove stains. Follow the directions making sure the stone and tub are both wet to avoid scratching the surface.
  • Karen Cardosa Karen Cardosa on Jan 08, 2015
    The "Works" works and it's inexpensive!
  • Becky Becky on Jan 08, 2015
    I have used something called "Iron Out". Make sure your bathroom is well ventilated when you use it.
  • Barbie Furth Barbie Furth on Jan 08, 2015
    Well, what if it really is the cast iron rusting? My tub has lots of stains & I have occasionally caught a whiff of rust. I would hate to be tubbing and fall through to the floor.
  • CS CS on Jan 09, 2015
    If it is rust, and is just on the surface, you may be able to have the tub reglazed.
  • Tracy Peterson Tracy Peterson on Jan 09, 2015
    Thank you everyone!!! I'm going to make this my weekend project! I will post what worked! :)
  • Robin Macdonald Hill Robin Macdonald Hill on Jan 09, 2015
    I watch a lot of Addicted to Rehab on HGTV w/ Nicole Curtis and she uses vinegar to clean all her claw foot tubs. She swears by it! good luck
  • Belinda Todd Belinda Todd on Jan 10, 2015
    Comet or bar keepers friend
  • Joette Praamsma Joette Praamsma on Jan 10, 2015
    Definitely the powder kind of BarKeeper's Friend found by the Comet cleanser. It really gets rid of rust stains everywhere.
  • Tracy Peterson Tracy Peterson on Jan 11, 2015
    Update...... Have tried the works, oven cleaner, norwex descaler, with me eraser and norwex pad. Did not do anything. Trying barkeeper today and vinegar. :)
  • Lst759536 Lst759536 on Jan 11, 2015
    Bar keepers friend powder on a wet rag. Spread this pasty like all around it.. You might have to srub a little, but usually does the job. I even use it to clean the glass on my shower. Comes out great.. Stainless steel sinks come out amazing and shiny also..
  • Cherie Cherie on Jan 30, 2015
    Your tub may have been painted. You might want to try paint remover in an inconspicuous spot just to see. Bar Keepers works great so it that doesn't work, I'd see about getting it repainted.
  • Marion Nesbitt Marion Nesbitt on Jan 31, 2015
    Lived in an area where there was lots of iron in the water than stained everything. Abrasives didn't work on the tub or shower walls. Have probably changed the chemical ingredients now, but used Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner on it and it bleached the stain right out - like a miracle happening in front of my eyes! . I just made sure I rinsed it off fairly quickly.
  • Lyn Therese Lyn Therese on Aug 30, 2015
    Make sure you wear rubber gloves first.....put some toilet cleaner in a glass bowl. ***Make sure you don't get the cleaner on the faucets or any other surface but the tub itself. It will ruin the finish...Cover with plastic bags or rags. Take a rag and wet it with water than put it in the bowl with cleaner, lightly wring out rag and wipe area of tub with the cleaner. I use "The Works" toilet cleaner sparingly and than do a big rinse off quickly. Run the water in the tub to flush pipes of cleaner. Than I use a tub cleaner to remove any residue left and this should clean that tub right up. I live where there is a lot of rust in the water. My tub gets like this all the time. I found that the only thing that works is the toilet cleaner. Daily up keep should keep the tub easier to clean. Good luck.
  • Tracy Jennings Tracy Jennings on Nov 17, 2016
    A pumice stone cleaned all my 1960's stains on sinks and tubs.