To clean a fiberglass tub with a textured bottom, mix together water and baking soda. Next, grab a scrub brush and dip it in the mixture. You can scrub the surface of your tub until the dirt and grime start to disappear.
Fiberglass tubs with textured bottoms make your bathroom look more appealing with their sleek surfaces. In addition, the textured bottom prevents slippages that could lead to a severe injury in the shower.
The only serious drawback is that they accumulate stains and tend to be challenging to clean if you don’t know what you are doing. The surface of your textured bottom will also accrue dirt from your body and soap that did not wash away into the drain.
The Best Method to Clean Fiberglass Tub with Textured Bottom
If you have ever wondered how to clean those stains and excess pieces of dirt from your tub, you can keep reading because you are on the right page.
What You’ll Need
- Hot water
- Any household cleaning liquid (baking soda, vinegar, and oven cleaner are other options)
- Scrub brush (hand brooms and foam sponges are alternative options)
- Towel
Instructions
Step 1. Break Up the Grime
The first step is to get the grime loose by turning the shower on to the hottest setting.
Leave it going for approximately 10 minutes until it starts to work. The scalding hot water will make it easier for you to clean soap scum or dirt hanging around the textured bottom.
Step 2: Apply a Household Cleaner
I usually use a primary household cleaning liquid that gets rid of dirt with minimal effort.
However, if you run out, there are other choices to consider. Please keep in mind that no matter what you use to clean your tub, it will take longer if it is filthy.
Step 3: Start Scrubbing
Scrubbers made of wool and aluminum will leave scratches and remove the coating responsible for protecting your shower pan’s visual appearance. Damages like this cannot be fixed and will require you to buy a new tub.
Experimentation is crucial, so you may have to repeat the scrubbing process several times to see what works for you. If you have the time, allow the liquid recommendations we gave you in step 2 to sit out longer than usual to see if you get a better result.
Step 4: Rinse and Repeat the Process
Now comes the easy part. Your goal is to make sure that you have entirely rinsed all of the soap and there is not a single trace left. All the cleaning solutions I mentioned in this guide should not sit on your tub for more than an hour or two.
They can permanently damage the surface of your fiberglass, and it will lose that shiny look that makes it stand out.
You should not have any issues as long as you let the shower run with steaming hot water coming out. This hot water will get all that soap and scum out for you.
Let the water run as instructed until it has done what you need it to do. You will know you are finished when you can no longer see soap bubbles anywhere.
Test your tub by running your hands on it to ensure it does not feel slippery. I find that a moist towel helps get rid of leftover soap. If this does not work, you will need to repeat steps one to four again.
Step 5: Avoid Future Buildup
Being proactive is the key if you want to keep your shower spotless. One solid piece of advice is to give your fiberglass tub a quick wipe down after every shower. It takes an extra minute, but it is worth it to see your shower pan looking good.
Do not leave your bathroom after your shower until you are sure that the soap suds are rinsed or wiped down. I use my foot to test it out to see if it feels sludgy.
Alternative Cleaning Methods
Here are some alternative cleaning methods you can try if you do not have much success with the one mentioned initially.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is the first alternative you can try and is well known since most individuals have this in their residences. When mixed with water, it is a godsend when using it to remove soap scum.
In addition, it’s not dangerous to clean with, absorbs odors, and does not have a scent.
To make a pasty solution:
- You need to mix the baking soda up with water in a container or a bowl.
- The solution must feel thick and gooey like cement so it can fit in every cranny of your tub.
- Apply a generous amount and then return in 1 to 2 hours.
- When you head back to your bathroom after the allotted time, you will see the baking soda has loosened up the grime. All you have to do now is turn on the shower head and watch the soap scum and dirt wash away.
- Lastly, if you had a stain before applying the baking soda paste, it should now no longer be there, leaving the tub a pristine color of white.
White Vinegar
The second alternative to using a household cleaner is white vinegar.
It is a good choice, especially if your tub’s drain gives out a foul odor that you want to eliminate. The big difference between vinegar and baking soda is that vinegar has its own smell that takes a while to clear up.
The solution is to reduce the smell of vinegar with water to decrease the potency of its scent. Here are the instructions to follow for this method:
- Ensure that you shut your tub’s drain, so you do not lose the water/vinegar mixture instantly.
- Feel free to include some baking soda to give it extra strength.
- When pouring the mixture, apply it carefully and be sure you do not miss any spots.
- The last phase would be to spread baking powder with your fingers all over the tub, and you will start to see bubbles.
- Let this happen for approximately 5 minutes, and then you can rinse the tub with steaming hot water.
Oven Cleaner
Most people are shocked when they hear that you can use oven cleaners to wash the textured bottom of a fiberglass tub. It is a powerful stain remover that works without you needing to scrub your tub.
- After applying the oven cleaner liquid, let it sit for an hour.
- Wipe the tub down with a towel.
- The next step is to turn on the shower, and it will flush down the drain whatever is left.
Oven cleaners give off fumes that can be toxic, so the best idea is to open a window to air out the bathroom. If you have an electrical outlet, using a fan is even better.
To avoid this part of the process, you can buy fume-free oven cleaners to save time.
Alternative Scrubbing Methods
Toilet Brush
The toilet brush is an affordable scrubber option, and you don’t need to worry about damages. It has plastic bristles that do not scrape the color off the surface of your shower tub.
They are also great because you can reach and clean areas of the textured bottom that a towel could never do.
Broom
A broom will do the same job as a toilet brush, but it’s great to have options if one breaks. Buy a broom with shorter bristles because large bristles are too big for the small surface of your fiberglass tub.
Use your broom only for this purpose and keep a separate one for cleaning your floor. It will have too much soap scum on it and is not ideal anymore for sweeping your floors.
Foam Sponges
Foam sponges are a solid option for scrubbing baking powder and oven cleaner solutions on your shower tub. However, a more convenient option would be to buy special sponges with soap infused into them.
Dip the sponge in water, and you will start to see suds instantly when you start scrubbing.
Scrubbing with a foam sponge will mean you have to put some strength into it to get out all the grime you possibly can. Also, you will need a new sponge every time you clean your shower pan because it will tear it apart after using it once.
You might need more than one on a single day if there is a lot of dirt to clean.
FAQs On How To Clean Fiberglass With Textured Bottom
Can Vinegar Leave Damages on Fiberglass Tubs?
No, vinegar is a natural cleaning solution with toxic chemicals in it. However, this does not mean that you can leave it longer on your tub than recommended in this guide.
Can You Clean Fiberglass Tubs with a Magic Eraser?
Yes, some experts consider it to be the best strategy if used with oven cleaner liquid.
