Asked on Oct 26, 2017

How to remove stain on refinished bathtub

Dixie
by Dixie
i placed a new rubber mat with suction cups on my sparkling white refinished tub. Two days later, I lifted the mat to give the tub its weekly cleaning. I found the pattern of the mat on the tub in a light brown color and NOTHING I have tried so far has removed the stains. Because the tub has been refinished, I am not supposed to use anything scratchy on the tub surface, and I never have. The refinishing company is no help. Here are the things I have tried:

1. Peroxide soak overnight, rub with soft sponge.
2. Vinegar and baking soda applied with soft sponge.
3. Straight chlorine bleach soak with white towel to retain the Bleach. Left on 2 days.

Can you help me, please? THANK YOU’

Enlarge the picture to clearly see the stains from the bath mat. Picture taken AFTER the three attempts to clean listed in my post.
  15 answers
  • Cathy Cathy on Oct 26, 2017

    What about a white tooth paste? Rub it on pretty thick, leave it sit overnight & use a nylon sink scrubby the next day or even an old toothbrush! GOOD LUCK!!!!!

    • Dixie Dixie on Nov 02, 2017

      Stain-removing toothpaste left on overnight lightened it a tiny bit... or maybe that is wishful thinking.


      Thank you for your suggestion!

  • Is this a porcelain tub? What did the tub refinishers say? What I am thinking is that you had the tub reglazed, and even though safe to use, it still was not fully cured and the mat stained the finish. Here is a link, see if the lemon method works. Please keep us posted as now I am curious to find out what works. I have had a lot of tubs and sinks reglazed, but have never had this problem . . .yet.

    • See 3 previous
    • Ramma Ramma on Nov 25, 2018

      I've been told Not to use citrus on my reglazed tub. I have stains as well from bathing (almost an imprint of my body) - and I'm already clean going in. If it were from oils, I would think a good cleanser would help but nothing has.



  • Karen Tokarse Karen Tokarse on Oct 26, 2017

    I had the same problem. I used this product called The Works and it totally lived up to its name. Failing that, I would use Heavy Duty Easy Off.

  • William William on Oct 26, 2017

    Easy Off No Fume Oven Cleaner in the BLUE can. Spray it on and let it sit till it liquefies. Rinse. Works on enamel, porcelain, and fiberglass.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Oct 27, 2017

    If all else fails, - Put the mat back and forget the stain is there........

  • Susan Akin Susan Akin on Oct 27, 2017

    Bar Keepers Friend spray ( I have found it at Menards) and a magic Erasers! Just spray the Bar Keepers Friend on the stain, and wipe away with the magic eraser!

  • Kal28761104 Kal28761104 on Oct 27, 2017

    If all else fails, and the tub is white you can go over to hardware store like Home Depot and get a can of white appliance paint in a spray can. Spray very very lightly from way up above and then leave it alone .it will dry shiny and will take abuse like a stove or refrigerator would. The paint cost about four dollars and you can see what happens

  • Christina Christina on Jan 25, 2018

    I just had the same thing happen to me! I had our bathtub reglazed, and 3 weeks after it was reglazed I put a rubber mat in the tub. (So I know it had nothing to do with the paint not being set or finished. The whole area where the mat was sitting turned yellow! I'm horrified and nothing I've tried has worked either. Dixie have you found a solution yet??

  • TubHurtin TubHurtin on Jun 05, 2018

    My tub turned yellow as well? I didn’t place a mat or anything on it! It was reglazed about a month ago, and a small splotch of what I thought was dirt slowly expanded throughout the whole tub and turned the shiny white into a dull matte yellow. Nothing I’ve done gets rid of this discoloration/brings back the shine. Does this mean it was refinished poorly? To make it worse, I used a toner shampoo in my hair that now caused some parts of the tub to be stained blue. Toothpaste, rubbing alcohol, dish soap, nail polish remover, buffing cream etc won’t get rid of the faint blue. So now it’s an awful buttercream tub with blue bits?! I want to die

    • See 1 previous
    • Jacques Jacques on Jun 24, 2020

      Were you ever able to remove the purple stains. We have the purple shampoo and by the time we finish showering and don't wipe it away while showering it soaks in. I have my tub guy coming back on Friday to attempt to remove the stains. We have a cast iron tub from the 60s. The resurfacing came out beautiful but damn to hell that damn shampoo stains it. Additionally, when we dry our bath mat on the tub it stains it with that color.

  • Jake Kelly Jake Kelly on Sep 01, 2018

    Help please...I used barkeepers friend in my bathtub now it's all stained a yucky brown. I scrubbed it to a perfect white and I woke up this morning and its brown now.,I've tried vim and old Dutch and neither worked, my kids will nite shower in there until it's white again...what did I do? How do I fix that

  • Ramma Ramma on Nov 25, 2018

    OMG. I've had my tub reglazed and then reglazed again once. I have brownish marks from where I lay in the bath. I've tried everything, Comet (they say nothing abrasive but had to try) seemed to dull it a bit. I do NOT want them to come out again. The chemicals they use to glaze are so toxic smelling. The company couldn't even remove it that is why I had it reglazed once again. I can't imagine why my skin would discolor the tub while taking a bath - thought it might be my skin lotion. I was going to buy a mat but after reading the above, I'm glad I didn't.

  • Jenny Jenny on Jul 27, 2020

    I tried everything and bleach wouldn’t touch it. After it started peeling from using abrasives I had used because I was tired of my nicely glazed tub looking so bad, I finally tried the Magic Erase and IT WORKED!! I wish I would of learned this before the peeling began. Now my tub looks soo much better other than the one spot.

  • Michelle Leslie Michelle Leslie on Oct 09, 2020

    Hi Dixie, this video tutorial should help - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5DeFMz9Pc0