Nobody wants a tub or shower covered with unsightly, and often unhygienic stains, but without a little effort and consideration, this is all too often the case.
Once a tub or shower has started to develop stains, it can be tricky to get rid of them, especially if the problem is neglected for weeks, or months – the longer a stain sits on a surface, the deeper it penetrates, and the worse it quickly becomes to look. So, while the techniques listed below may well be effective at removing hardwater and soap scum stains from your tub and/or shower if caught early enough, a lot more elbow grease may be required if the problem has been left for a long time, and the stains have become persistent. Just take care not to use a wire sponge or any other highly abrasive material when cleaning and removing stains, as this may damage the surface.
Let’s look at some simple solutions for mold, mildew, hard water, and rust stains; some of the most common types of stains typically found in bathrooms:
- Mold and mildew
There’s no need to panic if you see mold or mildew beginning to appear in your bathroom, but you must deal with the problem swiftly if you’re to eliminate it. Using a combination of white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide, cover the affected areas with the mixture, leave it to sit for a short while (up to an hour should suffice), and then rinse clean. If you’ve caught the problem early enough, this method should be effective.
- Hard water stains
Using a 50/50 blend of white vinegar and water, spray the stains caused by hard water with the solution, leave it to work for around 20 minutes, and then simply wipe clean with a damp cloth. If the stains don’t disappear first time, you may have to repeat the process.
- Rust stains
Unfortunately, rust stains can be particularly troublesome to eliminate, and to get rid of them in their entirety, it’s imperative that you clean them as soon as you spot them developing. You can use a paste made from baking soda and lemon juice to try and get rid of the rust, but be sure to test the solution on a small area of the surface before going ahead, as lemon juice has a tendency to discolor certain materials.
If a rust stain has been left to develop over time, however, you may need to use a harsher, more abrasive product such as a commercial rust cleaner. As with any type of cleaning solution, check that it is safe to be used on the type of material your shower suite is made from.
How to avoid your tub and shower becoming stained
With a little foresight and patience, you can easily prevent your bathroom suite from becoming covered in stains, and here are two very simple ways to do exactly that:
- Clean regularly – wipe the shower stall down with a squeegee after every use; this can prevent water and soap (and any other cosmetic products used in the shower) from lingering and causing stains. You can also give the tub a quick wipe down after every use.
- Apply a water repellent product – helping to repel water and keep it away from any glass surfaces in your shower, a water repellent applied every so often, can help prevent standing water from causing stains. Alternatively, if your budget will stretch to it, you could have water-repellent glass fitted in your bathroom.
If you struggle to keep your bathroom clean, and are plagued with stains every which way you look, it might be time to admit defeat and call in the pros. A home cleaning company could come in and blitz the bathroom to eliminate all traces of stains, before returning on a regular (ideally weekly, or at the very least, fortnightly) basis to ensure the stains never have a chance to come back.
