We are going to fit a new bathroom suite next year. However, in the meantime, I wanted to try and clean the bottom of our existing enamel bath.
I have tried various cleaners, but none make any difference. I suspect that I would need to try a powerful type acid cleaner.
Are there any commercial cleaners (perhaps available from a builders merchants) that might do the trick.
Thanks, Graham
Have you tried "Barkeeper's friend" available in most DIY stores & supermarkets. I am told it is almost magical and cleans almost anything (read the label though).
If you're in a hardwater area, use Lime Lite on it to remove any limescale deposits.
HTH
Ian
Dry the bath with a towel and get a dry cloth with toothpaste on it and rub the marks with it. Toothpaste is a very mild abrasive and it works wonders on enamel and glass surfaces. I think it also contains a small amount of a bleach type substance which helps to remove stubborn stains.
Just cleaned the limescale[1] off our old cast iron bath quite effectively with a wet J cloth dampened with brick cleaner: hydrochloric acid. Rubber gloves are good to wear when doing this :-)
Be very careful with chrome though: it's amazing how quickly HCl can turn Cr black
[1] tidemark where bath doesn't drain properly because it's not level: unfortunately it must have been vimmed there in the past and the enamel is going through so the bath's in line for a wacking and replacement .. when I get that Round Tuit :-)
And eat through the enamel on modern baths... K-rock jel works for me.
This reminds me - on my enamel baths the enamel has been "eaten" where the bath is supported on metal legs underneath, with the metal under the enamel slightly corroded. Is there any simple way of treating this?
Assuming this is possible, does one need special enamel for "touching up" enamel baths?
Once this problem starts it's difficult to get rid of as it needs specialist treatment and I've never heard of a DIY solution for it. There are companies that can resurface the bath with chemical treatments, but as to their long term effectiveness, I couldn't say.
A web search for the phrase "Bath Resurface" brings up a lot of hits, so this might help you further.
Thanks, I'll try that.
I wonder what the cause is - some kind of electrical reaction? - and if there is something the plumber should or could have done (20 years ago!) to avoid the problem?
There isn't really anything that I know of to prevent this from happening, other than a sacrificial anode fitted to the base of the bath. Boats have them fitted to slow down the process of corrosion to the metal parts, but if it where a common thing in baths I'm sure the makers would have fitted them as par for the course. It used to be that the bolts holding the feet on to the bath where tinned in lead solder before fitting, but whether this helped enormously or not I don't really know. Seemingly it must have in certain situations, but it is one of those wonders that really can't be proven unless tried out. :-))
Our Victorian cast iron bath is on its original cast iron legs with no such device - but no moisture comes into contact with the outside of the bath or the legs. There needs to be moisture for an electrolytic action - and different metals. If the legs are the same metal as the bath it shouldn't happen.
Mary
Tried it. Made no difference. Bath smells minty though.
Graham
What's that? Where can you get it?
Graham
Bare in mind that enamel is not as indestructable as it might at first appear. In particular, a number of the descaling acids can destroy the polished surface, leaving it rough and far more suceptable to getting dirty.
I'll second that, having, in desperation, tried lavatory descaler on my old enamel bath. Left quite perceptable grooves in the enamel which 6 months later are only starting to lose their edge.
However it is now *white" rather than the dirty grey with blue and yellow streaks below the taps that it was.
I blame washing machines ... when the weeks laundry was done in the bath I suspect the bath was much cleaner!
DN
You could still wash your clothes in the bath ...
Mary
"Mary Fisher" wrote | > I blame washing machines ... when the weeks laundry was done | > in the bath I suspect the bath was much cleaner! | You could still wash your clothes in the bath ...
I use clothes washing liquid for cleaning the bath anyway. It's also quite good on cooker grease.
Owain
It is. I tend to use washing powder at home, liquid only when camping. The powder is excellent for grese too. It also cleans paintbrushes - don't know about rollers :-)
Mary
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