Over time, the snow-white bath ceases to be so, and the irreversibility of this process makes one seriously think about the search for means of restoring its former beauty. Recommendations on how to whiten a bath at home below will help with this problem, but first a little about the causes of unwanted formations.
Causes of plaque
The most harmful pollution appears due to the evaporation of soapy water, its settling on the walls of the bath and subsequent drying. They are relatively easy to wash with an ordinary sponge and hot water. If you add any cleaning agent to this, the process can be made easier and faster.
Brown streaks are formed from the presence of rust particles in the water, which in microscopic quantities wash out from the inner surface of water pipes. Most of the city communications were built under the Soviet regime and are made of metal, which tends to oxidize with all the ensuing consequences. The effect is especially noticeable if you let the water stand for some time.
Damaged surfaces usually acquire a gray shade. Improper care and operation cause the appearance of microcracks and small scratches on the glossy coating. Dirt from damaged areas is quite difficult to remove, but appears on them immediately after use.
How to whiten the bathroom
Pollution removal methods directly depend on the type of coating. Enamel is mainly used for cast iron and steel products. The difference in its thickness – on most cast-iron baths, the layer is noticeably larger. In the manufacture of modern sanitary ware, acrylic is increasingly used, the care of which also has its own characteristics. Let’s consider in more detail how to tidy up different types of baths, and what tools will be needed for this.
Cast iron or steel baths with enamel coating
Metal products covered with enamel are cleaned in approximately the same way, and the recommendations for whitening a cast-iron bath will also be true for steel sanitary ware.
- Soda, vinegar, bleach . We prepare a paste-like composition from four tablespoons of soda and warm water. Wet the bath with a sprayer and apply the prepared mixture for 15 minutes. Prepare the following remedy from vinegar and bleach, mixing them in equal amounts (approximately 50 g of each will be needed). Pour the solution into a container with a sprayer and apply it to the surface treated with the first mixture. Wait for half an hour and wash off with a sponge or rag.
- Baking soda and laundry soap. These affordable means are particularly effective not only for baths, but also for cleaning any enameled surfaces. Grate the soap or grind it in another way, then mix it with the same amount of soda ash (about 1 tablespoon). We add water so that the mixture acquires the consistency of liquid porridge, apply it to the moistened yellowed surface. We wait at least an hour, after which we wash off with water. For severe pollution, the mixture can be strengthened with a few drops of ammonia and the exposure time can be increased to 2-3 hours.
- Aqueous alcohol and peroxide . Medicines from the first aid kit will help whiten a darkened bath at home. We mix them in a ratio of 1:3, for example, 100 g of ammonia and 30 g of peroxide. Apply the prepared mixture to the contaminated areas, wait half an hour, wash off with a cloth or sponge.
- Wine vinegar and salt . To clean the bathtub from yellowness or old rust, dissolve a tablespoon of salt in a glass of vinegar (100 g). Heat the resulting mixture to the maximum temperature (but do not boil) and apply to the contamination. After half an hour, the plaque is easily washed off with warm water and a sponge.
- Bleach . This tool can be used both as a preventive measure and to remove plaque. Prevention is periodic (1-2 times a week) wiping or washing with liquid bleach. Powdered is suitable if it is previously diluted to a paste-like state. To make the bath white, apply the prepared slurry to the darkened areas, leave for 20 minutes, and then wash off in the usual way.
- Vinegar and soda. On the areas covered with rust, we put napkins soaked in vinegar and leave for a couple of hours, all this time it is necessary to ensure that the napkins remain moistened. We remove the napkins and treat the area with any alkaline composition, the most available is a solution of baking soda. Finally, rinse with water.
In some, especially difficult situations, it does not make sense to clean an old cast iron or steel bathtub with significant contamination. Since the cause of the unattractive appearance in such cases is the worn coating. The most acceptable solution will be restoration using an additional layer of acrylic or enamel.
Plumbing with acrylic coating
Cleaning an acrylic bathtub is somewhat different from enamel surfaces, which are more resistant to mechanical and chemical influences. First of all, it is necessary to exclude the use of aggressive detergents, including industrial acids, not to mention various solvents. The use of washing powder contributes to the fading of acrylic. It acquires a gray or slightly yellowish shade, which is especially noticeable next to the shiny surface of new sanitary ware.
- Citric acid and apple cider vinegar . Dilute a tablespoon of citric acid in 200 g of water and mix with the same amount of vinegar (7-11%). The prepared solution is applied to the contamination. Old brown rust may require bleaching with wet wipes or long-soaking towels. In any case, wait at least an hour, then rinse with water. If the desired result was not achieved the first time, repeat the procedure. After finishing, the acidity should be normalized by wiping the surface with any alkaline composition, after which it should be washed with a small amount of water.
- An alternative method using vinegar . To return the whiteness to the acrylic surface, fill the bathtub with water, covering the contaminated areas and add vinegar in a ratio of 1:20 for 11% of the product. We leave it overnight, after which we wash it off with warm water.
Minor contamination from the acrylic surface is easily removed with a regular dishwashing detergent, in addition to it, you can use any gentle gel-like mixtures. If you do this regularly, you will not have to remove traces of rust.