You already know how to deep clean your bedroom, kitchen, and your bathroom—but this one’s dedicated to the one space that should be your holy grail of relaxation: the bathtub. Unfortunately, it’s also the place where you rinse off the grime of the day—and even if you’re extra-careful, some of that grime is bound to stick around. If just thinking about all the things that are probably living in and on your bathtub gives you the chills, fear not: We’re about to walk you through the best way to deep clean your bathtub without much time or elbow grease.
Gather Your Supplies
As always, in addition to getting your arsenal of cleaning solutions and tools like rubber gloves ready, be sure to have an extra few towels on hand just in case anything goes awry. You’ll need Bathroom Cleaner, a small cleaning brush, a grout brush, and a few cloth towels. (Make sure your tools are the right job for your specific bathtub. For example, while our Bathroom Cleaner works on any surface that’s water-safe, you’d never want to use scrubbers with any metal parts on an acrylic tub.)
Empty Everything To A Neutral Location
Take everything out of the bathtub, including anything that might be hiding on shelves or a shower rack. You can’t truly deep clean the tub when there’s still stuff in the tub. Wipe down everything you’ve removed, including any toys, brushes, bottles, or other bathroom-safe products. If it’s time for a new razor, toss the old one. If you have one, turn the fan or ventilation system.
Get To Work
If you think there's a clog in your bathtub drain or it's been a while since the drain has been cleaned, pour a half-cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by a half-cup of white distilled vinegar. Let it sit for a couple of minutes to work out the clog, and then flush it with hot water. Don’t bother with commercial drain cleaners, which can produce gas at volumes that may erode your pipes. If you need to snake the drain, now’s the time.
If your grout is mildewed, stained, or otherwise dirty, break out the grout brush. Working from top to bottom, spray the area generously (our Bathroom Cleaner works well for this!) and work it through with the grout brush. Fully rinse away any tile cleaner residue, then repeat the process as needed.
Lastly, generously apply Bathroom Cleaner (or our All-Purpose Cleaner) to the Interior of your bathtub. Let it sit for five minutes as it powers through the grime, then wipe down the tub from top to bottom. Rinse this area thoroughly and repeat if necessary. If you have residual soap scum, take a soft-bristle toothbrush, a nail brush, or a Tawashi Dish Brush to the area and scrub away any stains. Finish by giving it one last wipe-down for good measure. Make sure you rinse your shower head, too.
While most people should deep-clean their tub quarterly, make it a monthly habit if you’re a more frequent bath-taker. To keep it clean each time you take a bath or shower, rinse the tub's surface and wipe off excess moisture right when you get out to help prevent mildew, soap scum, and grime from building up on the surface. Right before you take your next bath, quickly give it a quick wipe down with Bathroom Cleaner: Unlike harsh supermarket cleaners, you don’t have to worry about chemical residue leaching into your skin while you enjoy a warm soak!
Now all you have to do is find the right book to curl up with during bathtime!
xx MLK
