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Cleaning and Maintaining Your New Tub and Shower

Whether you’ve remodeled your entire bathroom or just recently had a new bathtub and wall surround installed, it probably feels like you’re living in a whole new house. Although bathrooms are never the focal point of the home, they have a surprisingly big impact on it. If the bathroom is too small and outdated, it’s frustrating. But if it’s large and designed exactly how you like it, on the other hand, you feel relaxed and at ease. Even if only the bathtub is stained and outdated, it can bring the whole room down.

So, now that you’ve finally gotten a brand-new tub/shower and wall surround, you can relax. If you don’t take proper care of it, though, it will quickly end up in a similar state to the one before it, making you feel frustrated and dissatisfied with the bathroom that now feels like new. By cleaning it well, doing regular maintenance, and taking precautions to prevent it from getting worn out too quickly, though, you can ensure that your new tub will stay looking new and keep clean for longer.

Step 1 – Cleaning

Even if you recently had your bathtub installed, it’s a good idea to go through and give it a good cleaning. Even after just a few uses, you might be surprised at how dirty it can get and how much soap scum can build up. Instead of waiting until later, though, when it’s noticeably dirty and you can’t stand the sight of it anymore, you can give it a good clean now and keep it looking better for longer.

First, you’ll need to remove everything from the bathtub so that you can access all of the tub and the wall surround without anything getting in the way.

After you’ve taken everything out, it’s time to get dirty so that things can get clean. Before you start scrubbing, though, clean out the drain. Even if you’ve had a new tub installed, odds are you’re connected to the same pipe and drain that was there before. That means that hair could be stuck in it, slowing the drainage, and soap scum and mildew could be building up, giving off a funny smell. You should start by snaking the drain to ensure that any and all hair and objects are removed and that the water can drain easily. After that, try pouring some baking soda, vinegar, and, (a few moments later), boiling hot water down the drain to help get rid of any gunk build up.

Once you’ve taken care of the drain, it’s time to start scrubbing the rest of the tub. With your new tub and wall surround, you likely won’t have to worry about grout which will save you a ton of time, but there’s still going to be some effort required. You’ll need to gather up your supplies and get ready to go at it until it’s perfectly clean. If you’re not sure about the best way to go about cleaning your tub, try one of these methods:

Method 1 – Dish soap and broom

This method sounds really strange, but people have tried it, love it, and swear by it. What you’ll need is a clean broom, (you may want to consider buying one new from the dollar store and dedicating it to tub cleaning), and some Dawn dish soap. Squirt the dish soap all over the bottom and sides of the tub, then use the broom to start scrubbing and moving the soap around. Then, using a bucket, you can rinse the tub until the soap is completely gone, and voila.

Method 2 – Standard tub brush and cleaner

There are plenty of tub cleaners out there that work, so if you have a favorite, then you can always just grab it, apply it according to directions, and then scrub away with a standard brush. When you’re done you can rinse and enjoy the results.

Method 3 – Natural, homemade cleaner

If you’re not comfortable using cleaners sold at the store, you can always try making your own. Vinegar isn’t just a great ingredient for salad dressings, it’s a great cleaner too. Mixing a little bit of vinegar to equal parts warm water, you can spray it onto your tub, then let it sit and wipe any excess moisture away. If you’re worried the vinegar won’t do enough on its own, try adding some Dawn to help cut through any grease and soap scum.

Step 2 – Maintaining and Preventing

Once your bathtub is totally clean, it needs to be used. Between showers and bubble baths as well as foot soaks and pet baths, the tub can get dirty quickly, even if it doesn’t look like it is. You don’t have to do a deep clean and scrub every time you want to use your bathtub, though. There are a few different ways that you can help maintain its cleanliness in between uses, helping it feel and look as good as new.

One of the best ways to maintain your tub is to rinse it with soap and water. Another great way is to ensure that you rinse the tub after every single use—that will help get any leftover soap down the drain so that you can avoid soap scum build up. Another way to keep it clean is to spray it with a vinegar and water solution—as mentioned above, it’s a great natural cleaner and it can help you keep your tub spic and span for longer periods of time.

A new tub and shower can make your entire home feel like new. If you don’t take proper care of it, though, you may find yourself feeling just as frustrated as before you had the new one installed. By giving it a good clean once a week or every couple of weeks and going to measures to maintain it and prevent build up between uses, you’ll keep your new tub and shower looking as good as the day it was installed.

If you have any questions about tub and shower options or which one is best for you, contact us now.

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