How To Remove Hard Water Stains From Your Plastic Bathtub

Hard water, rain, and other minerals contained in your water supply can leave behind ugly, yellowish stains on your plastic bathtub. These stains are known as hard water stains, and they’re impossible to remove with bleach or any other household cleaning product. That’s because they usually occur below the surface of the tub where you can’t reach them. Instead, you have to attack them from the outside in by cleaning away excess minerals and oils that prevent you from seeing the stains clearly. Read on for everything you need to know about removing these unsightly yellow spots from a plastic bathtub.

How To Remove Hard Water Stains From Plastic Bathtub

1. Wash the plastic bathtub with a bleach-free and phosphate-free product.
2. Dampen a soft cloth with warm water and apply it to the stained area for five minutes. This helps loosen hard water stains and soften them so you can scrub them off easily without damaging your tub.
3. Use a sponge to remove excess water from the surface of the tub, then apply an all-purpose cleaner to it and wash it again with another soft cloth for five minutes.
4. Clean the surface of your tub using an ammonia scrub or mild soap solution. You can also use a glass cleaner or something similar to get rid of any mineral residue that’s left behind on the surface of your bathtub after washing it with an all-purpose cleaner.
5. Let your tub dry completely before you use it again, then repeat steps 3 – 5 every time you use it until the stains are gone completely or until they’re too faded to notice anymore (which may take several applications).
6. When you’re done, wipe down your plastic bathtub thoroughly with rubbing alcohol (or another alcohol) before storing it away for good! It should be spot free!
7. If you’re not 100% successful in removing the stains, then you can try taking the bathtub apart and cleaning it with some degreaser and a soft cloth (or sponge).
8. If the stains still persist, then you might need to replace your plastic tub. You can find an affordable plastic tub here or here.
9. If you don’t want to replace your tub, then try using a tub cleaner on it like this one from Amazon or this one from Walmart.

Regular Cleaning To Remove Hard Water Stains

• Use a clean and dry rag to scrub the surface of the tub with a mild, non-abrasive soap.
• Use a damp cloth to wipe away excess soap residue.
• Rinse the tub with warm water and let it air dry.
• Repeat Steps 1 through 3 as necessary until you no longer see any hard water stains on your plastic bathtub. The more often you repeat this treatment, the better results you’ll get. If you’re still seeing yellow spots after several applications, try using a different type of cloth or scrubbing agent for your cleaning routine. You can also try using an abrasive cleaner instead of soap if that doesn’t work for you (but be careful! This will damage the finish on your tub).
• Clean the tub with mild, non-abrasive soap once a week to prevent hard water stains from appearing on your plastic bathtub.

Baking Soda To Remove Hard Water Stains

1. Scrub the bathtub with baking soda. Since hard water stains are actually a form of mineral deposits, you’ll want to remove those deposits before you can get rid of the stains themselves. Sprinkle some baking soda into your bathtub and then use a scrub brush to work it into the surface of the tub. This will help loosen up any mineral deposits that are already in place, making them easier to remove later on.
2. Soak a sponge with vinegar and scrub away mineral deposits. Pour vinegar onto a clean sponge and use it to scrub at the surface of your tub, removing any remaining baking soda and loosening mineral deposits from the surface of your plastic tub.
3. Scrub again with baking soda if necessary. If there are still some stubborn areas on your plastic bathtub that won’t come clean, sprinkle some more baking soda onto them and scrub again with a brush or sponge until they disappear.
4. Rinse the tub and wipe it down with a clean cloth. Once the mineral deposits are gone, use a clean cloth to wipe down your plastic bathtub and rinse away any residue that remains.
5. Wash the bathtub regularly to prevent stains from coming back. While you can remove hard water stains from plastic with vinegar, you’ll have to keep up regular maintenance in order to prevent them from coming back again. If you have hard water in your area, you may want to consider filtering it before using it in your home or investing in a water softener or other device that will help prevent these unsightly spots from forming on your tub again.
6. Scrape away hard water stains with a razor blade. If your bathtub is really in bad shape and you can’t get it clean with any of the above methods, it may be time to replace it. Start by scraping off as much of the hard water scale as you can using a razor blade. Then follow up by scrubbing the surface with baking soda and vinegar as described above.
7. Scrub away remaining mineral deposits. Once you’ve scraped away as much of the scale as possible, use a sponge and some vinegar to remove what remains on the surface of your plastic bathtub.

The Safest Way To Remove Hard Water Stains From Your Tub

• Clean the surface with a sponge and dishwashing liquid. Soak the sponge in warm water and add a little bit of dishwashing liquid. Scrub the surface of your plastic tub with the soapy sponge until it’s clean.
• Rinse the surface with vinegar and water. Mix vinegar (1 cup) and warm water (1/2 cup) together in a spray bottle. Spray this solution over the entire surface of your plastic tub, making sure to get all areas where hard water stains are present. Let this mixture sit for about 30 minutes, then use a scrubbing brush to remove any tough stains still visible on your tub’s surface.
• Mop up excess moisture using paper towels or an absorbent towel. Blot away any extra moisture left behind by the vinegar solution using paper towels or an absorbent towel to prevent mildew from forming on your tub’s surface over time–a common problem that happens when there’s too much moisture left behind on surfaces like these.
• Clean up any remaining residue with baking soda and water, then rinse well with warm water again to remove all traces of baking soda from your bathtub’s surface (it can leave a white film behind if you don’t rinse it off thoroughly). Mix 1/4 cup baking soda into 1 gallon of warm water in a bucket, then mop this solution onto the affected area of your tub using a scrubbing brush or old toothbrush (you can also use a sponge, but you’ll need to rinse it more often). Let this mixture sit for about 30 minutes, then scrub the surface again with the brush and rinse well with warm water.
• Apply a sealant to protect your plastic tub against future hard water stains. After you’ve cleaned your plastic bathtub thoroughly, protect it from future hard water stains by applying a sealant that blocks mineral deposits on its surface. You can find a wide selection of these sealants in hardware stores and home improvement stores–just be sure to choose one specifically designed for plastic tubs.

Conclusion

Hard water stains are a common problem in the bathroom. That’s because hard water minerals love to stick around water, especially in your bathtub or shower. You can remove these stains with baking soda or dry shaving cream. Make sure you clean your bathtub regularly to prevent hard water stains from forming in the first place.