Stained bathtub

[H.B. Jim]

I moved into an appartment, and the bathtub is stained. It's an old tub, and the shine is long since gone, but I'd like to get it as clean as I can. Since the enamel finish on it is pretty much gone, I can't seem to get the grayish stains off the floor of the tub... it has a persistent ring around it too. I've tried bleach and I've tried Ajax (combined with vigorous scrubbing), but nothing seems to make these old dirt stains go away. There's no rust at all, just dirt stains...

Does anyone have any good ideas that I can try to save my old enamel-void tub?

[jamie]

If the enamel is so worn, you might be seeing the metal through the scrub-thinned enamel, rather than stains, especially on the bottom. Have you looked into refinishing it?

[Nancy Gates]

That's important advice, Jamie, in view of the fact that many pre-1984 tubs leach lead. Could gray washcloths that won't come clean, difficulty comprehending, and irrational outbursts be signs of this? Does "Bubbalicious" sound like a name for somebody who drinks bath water?

Don't worry, she won't read this!

[H.B. Jim]