Cleaning the bath tub

I have a bath tub that is in need of some TLC. As a matter of fact the bath tub and the sink!

They are in my parents house and they are getting ready to sell! The bathroom has been in the house since the early 50`s so the porciline(sp) is from when they put a heafty coat to make it last!

So here is my question. I tried using some 3M rubbing compound on a terry pad and cleaned and area by hand.... It took some work but the before and after was just incredible! Is there something stronger than 3m rubbing compund? Do you think it would be a good idea to use my PC with a cutting pad or a wool bonnet?

After the compound I went over the section with some SSR1 and followed that with PP and when My Dad saw the difference he thought it was incredible!

(although after the coat of PP I don`t know that I would want to set foot in the Tub) Chances would be pretty good you could slip and fall!)

Focusedonsound,
In my opnion, you didn`t need to use any compound on it at all. Porcilin cleans up sweet with some soft scrub and vinegar. For heavy stains or discolorization, I just posted on another thread for cleaning fiberglass. An acid cleaner with Hydroflueric Acid will work like a miracle and it is so friggin easy to use. Spray it on, wait a few minutes, and rinse it off.

Of course none of this works for removing scratches and making it smooth. I`m not sure if that was what you were trying to do or just make it look super white and clean.

Its actually BLUE !!!

Its probably the most ugly thing i have seen (if I get a chance Ill take some pics!

Yes it is scratched up pretty good in some areas! So i would like to get better than it is!

But Will this acid you speak of cut through soap scum ect?

Are there going to be lots of fumes? Where can I pick some up?

Yes, hydroflueric acid will disolve just about anything, including soap scum, algae, calcium, rust, brake dust, lime, salt, and mildew. If you have a local detail supplier, that`l be your best bet. Since it is a haz material, it is expensive to ship. And yes, the fumes are nasty.

Hydroflueric acid by itself is some pretty nasty stuff. I get it in a solution made for detailing and its much safer.

An acid cleaner will do the trick. A few years ago I worked nights as a janitor (yea, great way to impress the ladies!) and we used a foamy acid cleaner on shower stalls. The fumes were aweful but the stuff really ate away at soap scum and scale buildups.

If you decide to use it, wear rubber gloves.

Matt

Kaboom bathroom cleaner is acid based. My favorite bathroom cleaner is Clorox Clean-up.

Eric

3M makes a line of scotch bright pads that are designed for prep sanding. They come in two colors, one is a brownish red, the other is a grey. The grey one works awesome for cleaning my tub and sink. These are available at any paint supply house as well as Home Depot. I use it wet with a little Comet of Ajax -- works great!!

FYI -- my tub is a cast iron (just like yours it sounds) bought at a industrial salavage yard 3 yrs ago with a date cast on the bottom of 1943.

Another option is to find a gallon of Meg`s Citri Gel. Spray the tub down with CG and let CG dwell for a while, then spay away with hot water. Repeat on troublesome spots, but scrub before rinsing.

Eric