Ask Mrs. Clean: House Cleaning, Stain Removal and Organizing Tips

[Mikey Z]

Hi,

I have some bathtub mat stains on my tub. Will pumice stone help? My tub,
I believe, is acrylic. I was going put some baking soda and lemon juice on it,
let it sit for a while, and then lightly scrub with the pumice stone.
Any suggestions on how to clean the grout lines in my shower?
Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Michael

[mrscleannw]

Hello Michael and Welcome to Mrs. Clean’s Forum!
Looks like you are getting ambitious and working on a little spring cleaning. We have some suggestions in response to your questions.

First, make sure what kind of tub you have. There are basically 3 types and each requires a bit of a different cleaning technique. Acrylic is kind of plastic-like. You can tell if your tub is acrylic by knocking on the inside. If it has a plastic-like sound to it, it is most likely acrylic.
If you do, in fact, have an acrylic tub I would recommend starting with something a little less abrasive and work your way up. You do not want to scratch the tub’s surface or the tub will stain easier and those stains will be harder to remove.

The baking soda and lemon juice is fine to use, just not the pumice stone. Use non abrasive cleaners because acrylic is easily scratched. Soft Scrub is another option that provides stain removal in a non-abrasive form. Also, be sure to use a soft sponge not an abrasive pad when scrubbing.

Gel-Gloss ® is a great product for not only stain removal, but polishing acrylic showers and tubs. This is a white, milky cleaner/polish similar to automotive wax. With a little rubbing, it will remove most stains and discoloration. It dries to a light powdery residue, and then you buff the surface with a clean cloth. Gel-Gloss leaves a smooth, sealed surface that resists water spotting and stains by causing water to bead up and run off. If hard water stains are not present, dirt and mildew will not build up, and the tub stays clean. Here's more information on bathtub cleaning at housecleaningcentral.com

Tips for grout cleaning: To clean mildewed grout in tub and shower enclosures you will want to scrub with a solution of one part liquid chlorine bleach to five parts water. Use a bristle brush and agitate. Let sit for 5 minutes and rinse thoroughly. More detailed information on grout cleaning here-

If you prefer not to scrub, you can try a product like Kleen Strip Green or you can rent a steam cleaner that uses high temperature water vapors combined with pressure to clean the area. The benefit of this method is that it sanitizes and cleans the area and also removes allergens for allergy suffers.
Good luck with your cleaning and let us know how it all turned out.
Mrs. Clean

[Mikey Z]

Thanks for the response. I'll try out some of the ideas.