Kitchen and Bath
How Do I Clean a Bathtub with Clorox Bleach?
The Problem:
Your bathtub is your relaxing hideaway. It’s the place you go to escape and relax. The thought of nasty germs, mold, and mildew lurking in your sanctuary is enough to ruin your at home spa day.
An easy way to remove stains from the bottom of your tub, without breaking your back scrubbing like Cinderella, is to use Clorox bleach to loosen the grime.
Of course, as with any cleaning product, always test in an inconspicuous area before cleaning and wear appropriate protective gear. Consult the manufacturer’s label for specific instructions.
The Solution in 8 Easy Steps:
Step 1: Personal safety is a MUST. Make sure there is ample ventilation in the space. Bleach mixture can make it difficult to breathe for those with certain health conditions. Whenever bleach is involved, think about the type of clothing that you are wearing. Even when we are super careful, bleach can splash unexpectedly. Wearing something that you won’t mind getting a bleach splatter on is the first step to cleaning with bleach. Click here for a great resource that explains how to work with bleach.
Step 2: Mix the bleach in a bucket. Consult the Clorox Bleach bottle, or visit the Clorox website here, for specific mixing instructions. Generally speaking, we use ½ cup to 1 cup of bleach per gallon for cleaning tubs. This is a strong mixture, when you consider that an entire load of clothes in the washing machine also uses a ½ cup to 1 cup of bleach.
Step 3: Test in an inconspicuous place. While most material found in bathtubs will be fine being cleaned with bleach, there are some fixtures that can be damaged by bleach, such as chrome. Check the manufacturer recommendations for the cleaning (if you have that info; unless you personally remodeled the bathroom, you probably have no idea who manufactured the fixtures). The safest thing to do is test first.
Step 4: Apply the bleach mixture to the tub. With a gloved hand, dip a towel into the bleach mixture. Wring out enough of the mixture so you are not dripping all over the floor, but wet enough to coat the tub.
Step 5: Allow the bleach to do the hard work! Continue to wet the sides and bottom of the tub with the bleach mixture. Allow the bleach to dwell on the surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Do not allow the bleach to dry during this time.
Step 6: Scrub, as necessary. If necessary, scrub the tub with your bleach soaked towel or, if available, use a non-scratching scrubber, such as a Scrub Daddy.
Step 7: Rinse. Thoroughly rinse the tub with clean water. If your tub does not have a hand held spray attachment, fill a bucket with clear water; then, gently pour clear water along the edges of the tub to rinse away the bleach.
Step 8: Dry and Buff with a clean, dry towel. To get professional results, dry your tub. Then, buff again. This extra step prevents unsightly water spots from developing on the tub and surrounding fixtures.
Pro Tips:
Your bathtub is your relaxing hideaway. It’s the place you go to escape and relax. The thought of nasty germs, mold, and mildew lurking in your sanctuary is enough to ruin your at home spa day.
An easy way to remove stains from the bottom of your tub, without breaking your back scrubbing like Cinderella, is to use Clorox bleach to loosen the grime.
Of course, as with any cleaning product, always test in an inconspicuous area before cleaning and wear appropriate protective gear. Consult the manufacturer’s label for specific instructions.
The Solution in 8 Easy Steps:
Step 1: Personal safety is a MUST. Make sure there is ample ventilation in the space. Bleach mixture can make it difficult to breathe for those with certain health conditions. Whenever bleach is involved, think about the type of clothing that you are wearing. Even when we are super careful, bleach can splash unexpectedly. Wearing something that you won’t mind getting a bleach splatter on is the first step to cleaning with bleach. Click here for a great resource that explains how to work with bleach.
Step 2: Mix the bleach in a bucket. Consult the Clorox Bleach bottle, or visit the Clorox website here, for specific mixing instructions. Generally speaking, we use ½ cup to 1 cup of bleach per gallon for cleaning tubs. This is a strong mixture, when you consider that an entire load of clothes in the washing machine also uses a ½ cup to 1 cup of bleach.
Step 3: Test in an inconspicuous place. While most material found in bathtubs will be fine being cleaned with bleach, there are some fixtures that can be damaged by bleach, such as chrome. Check the manufacturer recommendations for the cleaning (if you have that info; unless you personally remodeled the bathroom, you probably have no idea who manufactured the fixtures). The safest thing to do is test first.
Step 4: Apply the bleach mixture to the tub. With a gloved hand, dip a towel into the bleach mixture. Wring out enough of the mixture so you are not dripping all over the floor, but wet enough to coat the tub.
Step 5: Allow the bleach to do the hard work! Continue to wet the sides and bottom of the tub with the bleach mixture. Allow the bleach to dwell on the surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Do not allow the bleach to dry during this time.
Step 6: Scrub, as necessary. If necessary, scrub the tub with your bleach soaked towel or, if available, use a non-scratching scrubber, such as a Scrub Daddy.
Step 7: Rinse. Thoroughly rinse the tub with clean water. If your tub does not have a hand held spray attachment, fill a bucket with clear water; then, gently pour clear water along the edges of the tub to rinse away the bleach.
Step 8: Dry and Buff with a clean, dry towel. To get professional results, dry your tub. Then, buff again. This extra step prevents unsightly water spots from developing on the tub and surrounding fixtures.
Pro Tips:
- Do not mix bleach with any other cleaning products, especially ammonia. Bleach is known to create dangerous, and even deadly, gases when mixed with ammonia and ammonia based products.
- For stubborn stains, stop the drain. Fill the tub with enough water to cover the bottom of the tub. Then add 1 to 2 cups of bleach. Let sit for approximately ten minutes. Allow the bleach mixture to drain. Wipe bottom of tub to remove dirt residue. Rinse. Repeat as necessary.
- Protect your eyes! When cleaning with bleach, I HIGHLY recommend wearing eye protection. I once got a drop (that’s ONE single drop) of a bleach and water solution in my eye. The pain was intense. Thankfully, a quick trip to the emergency room (where they rinsed my eye for 20 minutes straight) saved my eyesight. The entire ordeal could have been avoided if I wore a simple pair of goggles.
- Never, ever, mix bleach with any cleaning solution. Bleach has a history of reacting poorly with other cleaning products, often leading to creating deadly gases. Avoid this problem entirely by never mixing anything with bleach but plain water.