A Guide to Maintaining Your Refinished Bathtub

Every room in your home should be a place you love — including your bathroom. Bathtub refinishing is a great way to elevate your bathroom and give you a beautiful design you love. With proper maintenance, your refinished bathtub can look beautiful and brand new for years to come. Use our guide to learn how to properly maintain and clean a reglazed bathtub for the best results.

Tips for Maintaining Your Refinished Bathtub

Refinishing a bathtub brings new life into a bathroom, but how do you maintain a refinished bathtub to keep it looking brand new? Luckily, we’ve got you covered with the best tips for keeping your refinished bathtub looking brand new for longer.

Develop a Cleaning Schedule and Routine

The best way to keep your refinished bathtub looking great is by keeping it clean. A regular cleaning schedule can help prevent body oil, soap and stain buildup. Cleaning will also help prevent mold and mildew growth. It’s recommended to clean your shower after each use. However, the depth of the clean is up to you. A deep clean may not always be realistic after each use, so you can commit to a quick rinse instead to help maintain your refinished bathtub.

A full clean around once a week is ideal for keeping your bathtub looking its best, but you can adjust your cleaning schedule based on how often your shower is used. Frequent use may require more than one cleaning session per week, while lesser-used showers may be able to go longer between deep cleans.

Use Proper Ventilation

Your bathroom is sure to come in contact with moisture. While this is unavoidable, it’s vital to properly prepare to deal with moisture since moisture absorption can damage your newly refinished bathtub. The best way to combat moisture is to use proper ventilation in the bathroom. Frequently check that your bathroom vents are open and operating correctly.

Avoid Using Bathmats

The suction cups on bathmats are known to damage or ruin a tub’s finish. In addition to physical damage, bathmats can also foster mold and mildew growth. With the threat of various germs and physical damage to your bathtub’s glazing, it’s best to avoid suction cup bathmats altogether. The use of bathmats may also void any warranty on your tub, depending on your contractor or supplier.

If a bathmat is necessary, opt for a suction cup-free bathmat. Only place the bathmat in the tub when you need to use it, and immediately remove it when you’re done. After use, hang the bathmat up to dry. If slipping is a major concern, opt for a nonslip surface for your tub so you can safely enjoy your bathtub without worrying about potential damage from bathmats.

Avoid Leaving Products on the Surface for Extended Periods

You’ve likely noticed it before, but when you leave shampoo bottles, soap, shaving bottles or other bathroom products in the same area, they leave grime outlines or stains on your shower surface. Regular cleaning or rinsing of the bathtub after each use can help prevent this, but you need to make a special effort to move these products in order to thoroughly clean the area. Another option is to store these products somewhere other than the bathtub’s surface.

Make the Tub a Pet-Free Zone

While you may share everything with your pets, your newly refinished bathtub should remain a pet-free zone. Your pet’s nails can scratch the surface of your tub, leaving serious damage behind. Pets may also leave droppings or excessive amounts of hair that can also impact the look of your bathtub. Additionally, pet hair will likely clog your drain, leaving you with slow-draining or pooled water.

Ideally, pets should be washed outdoors or in a dedicated pet bath. However, if that’s not possible or an emergency comes up, it could be benefitical to place a towel or two along the bathtub’s surface to help protect your tub from scratches, but not a guranteed fix.

Avoid Harsh Cleaning Agents

Harsh cleaning agents are too abrasive for refinished tubs and can diminish the beautiful look of your bathtub. Avoid any products containing ammonia or bleach in powder, liquid or cream forms. Instead, use a gentle cleaning solution to clean your bathtub, such as:

• Fabuloso: Fabuloso has a strong cleaning power without the use of bleach. This solution works on a variety of surfaces and is budget-friendly, which means you can get many uses out of this product. Additionally, unlike other harsher cleaning agents, Fabuloso will not turn white tubs yellow.
• Scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner: This cleaning agent leaves your tub clean and bright without the need for harsh scrubbing. The scrubbing bubbles foam expands to thoroughly yet gently clean the tub’s surface.
• Dish soap: Just as your dish soap cuts through grease on your dishes, it can clean away any body oils in your bathtub. Using dish soap is a simple and easy way to keep your refinished bathtub looking brand new.

Gently Clean

While the cleaning agent you use is important, the way you go about cleaning your tub is also essential. Harsh scrubbing can lead to scratches and other damage on your newly refinished tub’s surface. Avoid using rough cleaning tools like rough sponges, steel wool soap pads, brite pads, or nylon or wire brushes. Instead, use microfiber cloths to gently clean. These cloths will not scratch the surface, and they can hold more dirt than other types of cloths or sponges, so you’ll get a great clean as well.

How to Clean a Refinished Bathtub

Cleaning your refinished tub is clearly an important step to maintaining your bathtub’s appearance. Whether you need to know how to remove stains from a reglazed tub or you’re looking for the best cleaning routine, use these easy step-by-step instructions to help you properly clean your refinished bathtub:

1. Rinse: Start by rinsing the tub’s entire surface with warm water to remove any excess soap or hair.
2. Apply cleaner: Generously apply a gentle cleaner to the tub, ensuring all surfaces are covered. Some cleaners, like dish soap, may require a soft sponge to help spread the product.
3. Let it sit: Allow the cleaner to sit for about five minutes to give the product enough time to cut through soap and oils and properly disinfect the area, or for however long the manufacter recommends.
4. Gently scrub: Use a microfiber cloth or sponge without an abrasive side to thoroughly scrub the entire tub.
5. Rinse: Rinse the tub again to remove the cleaner. Carefully ensure all cleaner is removed, as allowing the cleaner to dry onto the tub’s surface can ruin its appearance. Remaining cleaner can also make the surface slippery.
6. Dry: Use a soft cloth or towel to quickly absorb any remaining water.

Revitalize Your Bathroom With Custom Tub and Tile Resurfacing

Why waste time in a subpar bathtub when you could enjoy a beautifully refinished tub from Custom Tub and Tile Resurfacing? Our team is dedicated to providing homeowners with a tub they love, and we’re ready to provide the same services for you. Don’t wait any longer for your dream bathroom — reach out to our team or request a free estimate today.