Are you currently pleased with the work of your refinishers in restoring your bathtub to look like new? While their work on the bathtub is done, your part is yet to start since refinished bathtubs still require proper maintenance to ensure that they will stay pristine for as long as possible. In this guide, we’ll cover different methods on how to make sure that your refinished bathtub is well-maintained, so that it feels like it’s brand new after many years of use.
Harsh Substance-Free Cleaning!
First off, cleaning your refinished tub is a must, but you must not opt for the usage of harsh cleaning chemicals. The harsh chemicals can act like a corrosive element to your bathtub’s finish and may reduce its expected lifespan, or if not, stain the surface of your bathtub, making it look unsightly or at worse, you’d end up calling tub reglazing services sooner than expected.
As a result, whether the finish is chipping away or the stains are showing up, this forces you to inevitably call on your refinishers again and spend money to restore the bathtub’s finish. So, your best choice for cleaning your tub is to use a mild dish soap with a touch of warm or lukewarm water, as that’s enough to remove dirt or stains.
An additional note – while shampoos and body washes aren’t considered as bathtub cleaning materials, these hygiene essentials can leave behind stains if they are on the harsher side for bathtub surfaces.
Staining? No Problem!
As stated earlier, the usage of harsh chemicals can leave behind stains or traces of corrosion on your bathtub’s finish. Should the stains on the tub become too visible for the eye, fortunately, there is an easy solution to that – all you need is baking soda and a Magic Eraser.
What you need to do is to prepare a simple solution of baking soda and water, and gently scrub the tub with the use of a magic eraser. Thoroughly rinse the affected surfaces, and you should be able to remove the stains in no time without unintentionally damaging your bathtub’s finish.
Scrub Gently
Whenever you’re cleaning your refinished bathtub, aside from utilizing mild soaps and the like, you would want to use a gentle scrubber to ensure that you can get rid of stains and dirt without damaging the finish. Avoid using steel wool or cleaning materials with abrasive surfaces, as those can scrape and chip away at the refinished surface.
Instead, settle for a microfiber cloth or a sponge since you can scrub the surface of your refinished tub without unintentionally chipping away the finish. Cleaning materials that aren’t rough ensure that you are cleaning the tub’s finish without leaving permanent scratches on it.
Cleanse and dry your Tub after use.
Assuming that you have access to warm water, it’s best advised to give your refinished bathtub a bit of warm water treatment after use. A simple yet quick warm water rinse over the surface of your bathtub ensures that no hair or soap scum is left behind on the surface of the bathtub finish. After all, the last thing you want to see is foreign elements that are slowly chipping away at the lifespan of your tub’s surface.
Make sure to also thoroughly dry your tub, even after rinsing, because you do not want to see water spots or excess water buildup on the finish of your bathtub. The reason for that is the moisture that accumulates in those areas serves as the perfect spot for mildew or molds to grow at and you don’t want to see mold infesting your tub’s finish.
Checks Leaks at your Earliest
It’s best advised that if you have a growing suspicion that your bathtub is suffering from a leak in the plumbing, you must try to handle that situation at its earliest. Aside from preventing extensive damage to the pipes linked to your bathtub, you are also preventing excess water buildup. As mentioned earlier, excess water and moisture are an invitation for mildew and mold infestation, which can ruin the quality of your bathtub’s finished surface.
Heavy Impacts – A Big “No-No” to your Tub
When maintaining your bathtub, try to get any heavy objects involved. The reason for that is that heavy impacts can or will damage the finish of your bathtub. At best, it could contribute to scratches and minor chipping, but at worst, it could chip away huge portions and even damage your bathtub directly.
Choose the Right Bathtub Mat
If you can’t help but add a bathtub mat to your setup, then by all means – go ahead! However, you must ensure that the bathtub mat is first, it doesn’t have a suction backing, and second, you must be willing to clean the bathtub mat regularly.
The logic behind this is that bathtub mats, especially ones with a suction backing, are one of the favored places for molds and mildew to grow and spread in your bathroom since they can trap and accumulate moisture or water. Also, the grip could scrape against the finish surface, therefore deteriorating it faster, and if left unwatched, that mold or mildew infestation will carry over to your bathtub once it spreads further.
Habitual Inspections aside from Regular Cleaning
Post-use cleaning and drying aside, make it a habit to check your bathtub’s condition from time to time, whether weekly or bi-weekly, depending on your available frequency. The logic here is that you’d want to detect damage and other issues as early as possible and immediately remedy them before they get worse.
Otherwise, if the issue isn’t doable by “Do It Yourself” means, then that’s when you patch in the professionals such as tub reglazers to help you with repairs and restoring the bathtub’s finish.
The Bottomline?
To sum up what we’ve covered, a refinished tub still requires a lot of attention by the owner, post-refinishing. That’s because the slightest neglect means that the expected lifespan of the bathtub finish might be shorter than usual. As a result, this may require refinishing again sooner than later.
By incorporating the practices we’ve covered in this article, it’s assured that your tub’s finish could last for more than a decade before you can call in professionals to reapply the finish and make it look like it’s brand new all over again.
