I have all fiberglass showers and tubs in my house. Unfortunately, I have hard water and this makes a lot of mineral and soap scum buildup all over the shower. Does anybody know of a product that I can spray or wipe on, leave it on for a few minutes, then just wipe away the soap scum, etc? Right now I use ajax and other general purpose household cleaners and I have to sit there and scrub and scrub and scrub for a long time until I get the soap scum off, and I still can't even get it all off then, this stuff is very persistant!!!
also, is there something I should spray on the shower/tub after I use it everytime to prevent the soap scum from building up?
thanks
I know of no solution other than elbow grease for removing the scum - I use a mr. clean magic eraser with my elbow grease. Once removed, wiping the walls or using a squeegee after each shower is going to go a long way toward keeping the stall clean. Products desigined to be sprayed in the shower to keep it clean do tend to work as well.
The key to keeping shower scum and mineral deposits at a minimum is to wipe shower after each use with squeegie or chamois. Some claim that using a daily shower mist product after each shower does a good job and saves extra work when it comes to the recommended weekly shower cleaning.
Abrasives tend to scratch and roughen up gel coat on fiberglass, making surface more attractive to mineral deposits and scum. Products like Ajax are not recommended for fiberglass. Use only nonabrasive cleaners.
There are many cleaning products available in the cleaning aisles that are good scum and mineral deposit removers if given the time to dissolve them. Most do not give their cleaning products time to do their job. Repeat applications may be necessary for severe buildup. Spraying and immediately wiping tends not to be effective where there are scum and minerals.
A popular product mentioned in forums for mineral deposit removal is CLR (calcium, lime, and rust remover). A couple powdered cleansers that are safe for fiberglass and excellent rust, mineral, and scum removers are BarKeeper's Friend Zud. Allow cleaner water paste to set to dissolve minerals and scum. Rub off with damp cloth. Repeat applications may be necessary for severe buildup. For a little extra action that will not harm fiberglass, is the pink white ScotchBrite pad to facilitate removal.
Once you get the showers and tubs clean, wax with auto wax to provide sheeting action to minimize water drops that adhere to shower walls. Avoid wax on tub and shower floors because they will be slippery and possibly cause a fall.
Water drops that cling to shower walls dry, leaving a ledge of mineral deposits. Each time you shower additional drops will find their way to the mineral deposit and cling there. With every shower, the mineral ledge grows larger, attracting more drops, minerals, and scum. Thus, it is important to provide sheeting action and wipe showers down after each use. Then, with the weekly cleaning and maintaining the wax, mineral deposits and scum tend not to be a problem or compound cleaning problems. For water with large amounts of minerals, a water filter/softener system is recommended.
The best way to remove mineral build ups is to use a acidic pH cleaner. CLR should work great. Read the back very carefully. In serveral applications it either reccomends a short dwell time...or a immediate removal after applying
Nobody knows this-but *I* do-and have contacted the company that makes this product, telling them they have the nations number 1 soap scum remover and they don't even know it! It is Easy Off Fume Free Max oven cleaner. It will outclean any soap scum remover. In time and uniformity! Even better than the number one acidic based cleaners on the market! I know because I do side by side testing of every product and have done this for years, when ever any new product comes out on the market.
I should be worth millions (several thousand anyway) because of this discovery.
This is why it works so effectively:
1: It comes out of the can as a foam and stays put even on the vertical or upside down surfaces!
2. You can leave it on over an entire weekend. (Like if you were cleaning in a rental and forgot it on the tub, let's say). When you clean the tub then, say on Monday, the soap scum has already technically been 'lifted' into the now dried out powdery residue!
3. It reacts with soap scum. It does not work based on acid or lye (lye is what REGULAR* oven cleaner (in the yellow can) has as it's base ingredient. DO NOT USE *IT*!!!
The Fume Free Max in the BLUE can (not the yellow can) has as an ingredient, monoethynolomene (something like that), and don't ask me exactly HOW it works. It just does!
Just spray it on and leave it for 1/2-1 hour or whatever and do some of your other cleaning in the house. Then come back and you will be surprised how you don't have to use much elbow grease. This is the only product I know of that in effectiveness and speed get off even the most CAKED on soap scum off of college rental house tubs, the fastest and bestest!!!! (Although there is another product I will mention soon)
You want to tilt the can first and do the bottom of the tub first, while the can is the most full. Then do the bottom sides of the tub. Then the tub surround.
It will clean glass, chrome, aluminum...it REALLY makes the chrome shine! You can use it to clean your sinks, walls-EVERYTHING!
It's like this is a secret that nobody knows about and it absolutely blows me away! The company says it is a marketing issue and probably like to invent knew products just so people fill up their closets/under sinks with a whole array of products.
Now, this oven cleaner will only clean grease, dirt, oils and soap scum...but not the lime. BUT- I have found in my many, many years of experience in the cleaning field that there is a phenomonen that occurs in most tubs. Even though there is lime, it must mostly get imbedded in the soap scum! Because how else do you explain that by just using the oven cleaner, the fiberglass, or cast iron, or steel tub comes clean?
But-if you do find lime, then use an acidic based cleaner like vinegar work!, or use new Easy Off Bam. That stuff was the only cleaner that removed dog feces imbeded in asphalt floor tiles in a basement!
The reason I don't like EasyOff Bam on shower soap scum is that even though it is a gel, it stil runs and streaks. And in between the clean streaks, it does not clean as well, overall, as the oven cleaner. I actually had to redo a tub with the ovcen cleaner after I first experimented with the Bam product first.
Now, the oven cleaner is expensive at about $3.44 a can at one of the home centers. And aerosol cans do not give you the volume you get with a pump spray bottle.
So, for heavily soap scum laden tubs, I use the oven cleaner to expedite, to save me money by the time I save.
But another good product is Tilex soap scum remover. It has to say soap scum remover on the bottle!!, as Tilex also sells mildew remover and other products! So, I have both on hand and have used both on tubs, depending on what my time constraints are, etc.
...................................
Disclaimer: I have years of experience using said product with no ill effects. But I recommend you use product at your own risk and test try it first, as many products say to, on least conspicous areas.
Read cleaning product labels carefully. Many products will ruin brass and chrome fixtures.
I will try the oven cleaner suggestion above because I too am always looking for the best cleaner but my best suggestion at this point is a product called Kaboom followed up with a steam cleaner application.
Kaboom is available at my neighborhood supermarket but I also have purchased it from Home Depot. I used it before with good results on our fiberglass shower. There was a dirty little ring on the floor of the shower around the drain that I hated the most and couldn't get off with Oxyclean or bleach. I tried Kaboom at the suggestion of another forum and was successful but didni't like the fact that I still had to use a fair amount of elbow grease.
We also have a water dispenser on the front of our fridge. The little shelf and surrounding area where you set your glass to be filled is black plastic. The white /gray scale or whatever it is has always looked terrible and really shows up against the black. The Kaboom cleaned it a little but didn't really help that much. Then recently, I used the Kaboom again on the black plastic but I had my steam cleaner out cleaning the rest of the fridge. When I was about to wipe up the Kaboom after letting it sit for a while, I used the steam cleaner first. Boy Howdy! The black plastic looks almost like new (except for the marks left from my previous scrubbing with inferior products.)
Conclusion: I'm thinking that the Kaboom is a good thing to put on the scale or hardwater scum and let it sit (for a short while, per label instructions) then steam it and then wipe (with a microfibre cloth, my favorite anyhow.)
I'm also thinking that the steam cleaner may be a good tool to work with almost any cleaner after you've let the cleaner soak in. The steam may really do a good job of rinsing the scum/dirt out of whatever surface you are trying to clean.
P.s. the walls of my fiberglass shower are staying fairly clean since I wiped them down with WD40 (except for the floor, don't want any slips). I'm thinking the WD40 might work a little like Rain X on car-windshields (which I've also heard can be good on shower walls). I think the WD-40 must be preventing new scum from forming because my shower has never looked better and it has been about a month since I cleaned and wiped it down with the WD-40. The WD-40 is easy to apply similar to the oven cleaner above. It stays in place, no dripping but you do have to rub a bit.
a shower that smells like WD40, yuuucccckkkk..
Originally Posted by squale
a shower that smells like WD40, yuuucccckkkk..
SUPER YUCK!!!!
why would you even do that??? doesn't it leave a stinky oily residue? what if you rub up against it?? blech! waxing the cleaned shower, like 12pole suggested, would be the way to go, or using one of those after-shower sprays.
my husband just used a tiny spritz of WD-40 on a stubborn old bathroom faucet he was trying to remove and it reeked in there for DAYS. i can't even imagine the gagging stench that would be produced from spraying an entire shower with that stuff.
i've always used The Works for scum (melts right through it with no scrubbing), but it's got some pretty harsh fumes (they go away that day though). next time, i'm gonna give the Fume Free Easy Off a try......
will the fume free easy off hurt the fiberglass, or metal/stainless shower fixtures? I am sure it doesn't say anything on the bottle about using on the shower since it's an over cleaner..
according to ecman1's post above, no. it doesn't hurt the metal shelving racks inside my oven, so i'd think not. but test it on a small area first if you're unsure. as twelvepole said, it could harm some brass chrome areas.
I don't even remember the smell being that bad especially if I compare it to the smell of bleach which I can't tolerate at all. Even a Pinesol smell is more difficult to tolerate than WD-40, IMO. Each to his own.
Guess I was so glad to find something that returned the fiberglass to looking brand new. My husband didn't say anything either about the smell. But even if it did have a bad smell (to someone else) for a couple of days, looking at the results made it worth it since the application has been good for a month and counting.
Perhaps lemon oil would do the same thing. I've heard of using that also but the dripless spray on the WD40 can really makes it easy. The main point is to make the surface of the fiberglass less porous (I'm speculating) and thus give the scum less of a surface area to cling to.
The Kaboom smell is pretty potent, smells like it may not be very good for the environment (also speculating) so if the WD40 keeps me from having to use powerful cleaners more often, I think that is a win-win for me. I wonder if Lemon Pledge might work?
p.s. editing to comment that I forgot to respond about the oily residue - there definitely wasn't one. There is a rough texture to the fiberglass so maybe that helps hide any residue or maybe our fiberglass need the treatment and the oil was absorbed but it basically was just a nice finish and looked brand new. (I learned about the lemon oil being used on bathroom tile from a hotel mail so don't think wd-40 is all that different as far as what it does.)
i think the WAX would do the same thing probably stay on even longer. or that Rain-X stuff for car windshields. or the stuff they make to spray on shower walls after showering. all keep the walls slick so the gunk won't stick.
be careful with wd40, I heard it can eat away rubber, etc... so I am not sure what it might do to fiberglass over time
Remember to get easy Off Fume Free Max in the blue can!!!! Not the yellow can regular heavy duty lye cleaner!!!
It makes the chrome shine. I have never used it on brass though. I haven't wrecked one thing with it. In fact I use it to clean lots of stuff now, as I have gotten over the fear.
Kaboom is one of those acid based cleaners and dissolves lime scale. So does new Easy Off Bam. So does household vinegar! But all these require time to work. You aren't going to be able to apply ANY of these and hope to wipe off caked-on rings. You should apply it like you would in making a poltice and wet it in toweling and wrap it around what you want to have soak with it, so it don't dry out. But these acid cleaners WILL, and do (believe me, unfortunately - tarnish chrome!!! And they will streak and turn stainless steel from a mirror shiny silver to a dull gray!! Do NOT allow this to run down onto/into stainless steel. My blue can oven cleaner won't hurt it though. I don't even use that yellow can stuff anymore for anything.
Regarding thre WD-40: Sure the results aren't the placebo effect? Here is why; I have conducted side by side testing between it and silicone spray on outside locks. I have found the silicone spray to retain it's slipperiness after many rains. But the WD-40 did not!
Yes, I also have heard that applications where most people use WD-40, silicone spray is actually much better. But in this case, given the difference in how the fiberglass looked before I applied the Wd-40 and after, I have a sense that the fiberglass actually needed the oily part of the WD-40 (which the silicon spray doesn't have.).
It is hard to describe but you know when you look at an old fiberglass tub or fiberglass swimming pool where it might be clean of any dirt or grunge but it still has a whitish cast to it, kind of like it might have dried out a little? Well, the Wd-40 restores it somehow, I can only say it looks close to brand new. I'm thinking the fiberglass may actually need the oil. I don't have anything to back my conjecture up with though, just guessing.
Something kind of on a different subject but related, I had some plastic eyeglass frames that I liked very much but had worn for many years. One day, the bottom part of the frame (under where a lens fits in) just had a clean break for no reason as far as I could tell. There had been no pressure or anything. The guy at the place where I bought new eyeglasses said this happened with plastic frames, over time, they just dried out and there would be a break somewhere.
So...I'm thinking over time, the fiberglass may in fact dry out, especially if you're using harsh chemicals to clean it. And the dryness actually causes the fiberglass to get dirtier quicker because it doesn't repel dirt as well as it does when it is new.
Maybe this is obvious to everyone else but if you could see the before and after of the WD-40, at least in MY shower, it would be easier to explain. Since the spray is so fine, WD-40 is also good because you can control how much you put on very easily.
Now that I've written all this, I'm thinking there is probably some kind of spray treatment just for fiberglass just for this purpose, LOL (but I bet it is more expensive). -- (I'm too tired to google for this right now.)
how long does a typical fiberglass tub/'shower last for until it starts to look all old and whitish?
Fiberglass if properly maintained should stay looking good for years. The gel coating on shower pan or tub bottom usually shows signs of etching and wear before shower or tub walls. Typically, 15-20 years is the life expectancy of a fiberglass unit. Note that higher quality tub and shower units tend have a thicker gel coat.
Found this info below about fiberglass boats. I've cut out the part that you could conceivably apply to fiberglass showers. I thought the part about rubbing compound needed under the wax was interesting - sounds like WD-40 might be a candidate? I may go to a Boat store and see what they sell for rubbing compounds for fiberglass. If it is slip proof, I would feel much better about using it than I do WD-40.
Also, squale, our shower isn't very old, only 4 years old. It WAS whitish but I think that was from the chemical cleaners I had tried in my efforts to remove the scum. Not sure how long it takes for fiberglass to naturally age but with the extra impact of harsh chemicals, I think it takes less than 4 years.
But as I've indicated, it looks to me that I've found an easy way to refurbish my fiberglass, but still plan to check with the boat store.
from: http://www.boats.com/content/default...contentid=1305
The topsides of a boat are the area between the waterline and the rail, and they take a tremendous beating from the effects of spray, sun, and even the occasional brush with a pier. Fiberglass boats have the color molded into the surface gelcoat, but you'll need to polish the topsides at least yearly to keep it bright and shiny. Without care, the color layer can oxidize, causing white hulls to turn dull and colored hulls to take on a hazy cast. To keep the fiberglass in like-new condition, you should wax it regularly, using a wax formulated for marine use since automotive waxes don't have the fillers needed to seal the pores in the gel coat. If you wax the hull regularly, you'll never need to worry about any oxidation, but you'd be the exception. Most of us have to use a mild rubbing compound first to remove the haze and then finish up with a good marine wax to restore the shine. You can do it by hand, but you'll be a lot happier if you buy or rent an automotive buffer with several different pads. Keep the buffer moving so it doesn't heat up the fiberglass and watch out for edges or corners where you can accidentally buff through the color coat.
Deck
ANother idea that I use- dryer fabric sheets. You wet the sheet, rub it over the walls, and rinse. It not only removes the soap scum, but the fabric softener in it repels the water beads, thus preventing scum buildup. I use it about once every two weeks, and it seems to keep the scum level down.
Blessings,
Debbie
Some gel coats on fiberglass showers is thicker than others. Always proceed with the least abrasive method possible for cleaning before bring out the big guns. Baking soda and water paste is probably the least abrasive cleaner available in a home. Abrasive cleaners and abrasive scrubbies tend to wear away gel coat, scratch, and dull finish, thus compounding cleaning problems. Proceed with caution if using rubbing compound on fiberglass showers as rubbing compound tends to reduce gel coat. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to shower maintenance. Wiping daily after each use and weekly cleaning tend to reduce cleaning problems associated with scum and mineral deposits. If mineral deposits are severe and a chronic problem in the home, then a water softener/filter system may be necessary.
Well, guys, I am definitely DEFINITELY still sold on WD-40. I last posted here in November about using it (with a lot of elbow grease) in my fiberglass shower. The shower was fairly new but had accumulated stains from hair coloring and soap scum that I was struggling to clean. I found a cleaner but it seemed that the fiberglass got stained quickly again. Hated the weekly cleanings that were not just a swish and a wipe. And even when clean, the fiberglass had a whitish cast from the chemicals.
Well, my shower still looks pretty darn good. I still encourage anyone who wants to spiff up their fiberglass shower to give it a try. Haven't had to use Kaboom or any strong chemical since I first applied WD-40. I don't mind scrubbing here or there but I was having to make a career out of keeping that fiberglass clean and nice looking. Not anymore.
Also, in the meantime, on another forum, someone indicated that RAINX as mentioned by someone in this thread is definitely not to be used indoors. It is toxic. Apparently RAINX has a specific product (called something else) which they recommend for indoors.
NOTE: I'm not recommending WD-40 for the bottom of the shower. Maybe someone could slip before it soaked in.
Another note: There doesn't appear to be any wearing of the fiberglass surface of the shower by any chemical in WD-40. I suspect that Kaboom might actually cause more surface damage and now that I'm using WD-40, I don't have to use Kaboom. (Sill use Oxyclean on some of the fiberglass seams but only about once a month, every week is not required.)
I used Easy-Off Max (blue can) on a regular tub (porcelain? enamel?), including the tiles and soap dish. Works GREAT and couldn't be any easier: Spray on, turn on the exhaust fan, close the door and go away for an hour.
So thank you, ecman1.
Janet
ive tried the oven cleaner to no avail then a thought occured to me when cleaning the glass stovetop try some of the cleaners on the market for cleaning smooth top stovetops i used weiman cook top glass cook top cleaner the results are amazing a bit of elbow grease but it absolutely removed residue that ive been unable to remove for a long time leaving my shower super shiny and very smooth to the touch just thought i would pass this on to people with hard, iron rich water
try it and let me know if you have any success it also returned the luster to my glass shower door
i have found the easiest and cheapest way to clean soap scum is to buy a LARGE bottle of very inexpensive shampoo.
this cuts the scum so easy. cheap bubble bath will do it too.
u could probably mix a heavy solution of this for a spray bottle, but, i simply put a shallow amount of hot water in tub and add shampoo. then simply use ur normal cleaning cloths and dip and wash, dip and wash. (get scented shampoo and leaves nice scent in bathroom as well.) rinse and ur done.
Glad I found this thread! Had to clean a fiberglass shower stall at my daughter's newly rented unit that probably hadn't been done in 10 years. The soap scum was horrible. Using the tips here - soaked w/ Easy Off Fume Free Max oven cleaner then used damp dryer sheets to remove. It took two passes to clean this neglected stall. This process saved *lots* of work. I then used my orbital buffer and applied a coat of auto sealant to the unit.
Thanks to the OPs for tese tips!
Holy cow! I have been struggling with finding a way to get my bathtub looking clean again and have to agree that the Easy Off Fume Free Max + removing with damp dryer sheets worked like an absolute charm. Hardly any scrubbing necessary...just a touch of pressure when removing. I will probably wear rubber gloves next time as a precaution, but thoroughly impressed with how well that worked. Thank you all for writing about it here...you saved me heaps of time!
The easy off max in the blue can WORKED for my soap scum!!!! (make sure you watch your calk tho). I had tried LOTS AND LOTS OF THINGS!! and I sprayed the easy off on, let it set 30 min then used a soft bristled brush and it came RIGHT OFF!!!!! Easy as PIE!!!... Thanks for the info!!!!
Rena
I've been trying to refurbish shower surrounds and tubs in apartments and homes for many years and tried at least 30 different products, all claiming to remove soap scum and built up deposits from hard water. None worked to my satisfaction until I tried the Easy Off Fume Free Max (blue can foaming). It's truly the first product that has worked well for me. My usual routine is to use a polishing compound, then the Easy Off Fume Free Max (which also makes it easy to remove any slinging from the polishing compound), wash the tub and surround and then apply an automotive wax and buff. The polishing compound also cleans up the faucet and hardware in a jiffy. Thanks for the answer to a problem that's plagued me for years.Beer 4U2
Here is my new method. I have been struggling for years with hard water and rust. Start by using a plastic stiff bristle brush with handle.
Mix a little laundry detergent and hot water in a bucket. Dip the brush in and scrub off the soap scum. This just takes a few minutes. Then squeegee dry. Buy some Rustaid Outdoor from Ace Hardware or where ever you can get it. Costs about $10.00 and it lasts along time. Also buy some really cheap scrub sponges like the 3M brand but not the 3M brand. The scrubbing side of 3M brand is too abrasive. After Scrubbing off the soap scum get a medium size mixing bowl and keep it in the bathroom. Pour about two cups of Rustaid in the mixing bowl and wipe on the whole shower with the sponge. You will watch the rust almost instantly disappear.
Any tough spots may need a second application. I scrub down the shower after with the abrasive side of the sponge or the bristle brush. ( this step may not be necessary.) I you do test a small spot for scratches, but I haven't had any problems. That's why I recommend the cheapest sponges you can get. After that rinse the shower with clean water and squeegee dry. Very little fumes from cleaner. Don't use a spray bottle.
I think you will be amazed.
Originally Posted by TFCinVA
I've been trying to refurbish shower surrounds and tubs in apartments and homes for many years and tried at least 30 different products, all claiming to remove soap scum and built up deposits from hard water. None worked to my satisfaction until I tried the Easy Off Fume Free Max (blue can foaming). It's truly the first product that has worked well for me. My usual routine is to use a polishing compound, then the Easy Off Fume Free Max (which also makes it easy to remove any slinging from the polishing compound), wash the tub and surround and then apply an automotive wax and buff. The polishing compound also cleans up the faucet and hardware in a jiffy. Thanks for the answer to a problem that's plagued me for years.Beer 4U2
My fiberglass tub has been an embarssment for years in my house. I am going to try the above method, but have a question. Did you find that the automotive wax and buff to be too slippery on the floor of the tub?
Do you have a 'slippery' problem with using the automotive wax on the floor of the tub with this method?
i would not advise waxing the floor..i havent tried the above method.....but when you wax a car it is very smooth and slick...same thing may happen to the painted surface of the tub...a good scrubbie and comet usually takes care of the floor...if the deposits build up too fast...test you water to see if there is a filter that can help matters
I tried the Easy Off Fume Free on my fiberglass tub - it worked so BEAUTIFULLY! I think this is the greatest cleaner, and I'm so glad that I took your suggestion!
Speaking of suggestions...I have jets in the tub that keep getting black and mildewy- any ideas get and keep them clean, too? Thanks again!
I have a fiberglass surround, with the same issues - hard water stains, soap scum buildup. Have used vinegar, rain-x,dryer sheets, and spray bathroom cleaners with good initial results, but not lasting. I was out of my regular cleaner today, and did not want to clean myself up for a run to the store, so started looking at products I had on hand. Well, what do you know, Oxyclean can also be used on soapscum and hardwater stains! Tried it, and it made cleaning , especially the sopascum, a breeze!
If I get ina situation where I'll need to bring out the big guns, I'll definitely try the oven cleaner all of you rave about!
Why was ecman banned? His suggestion of using EZ off (blue can) was brilliant! I was going to replace my shower it was so impossible to clean.
One can later and very little elbow grease and it looks beautiful. Now it matches my very pretty pink and white bathroom with see through shower curtain.
Thank you ECman!!
Im glad his suggestion worked out for you. That member showed counterproductive behavior in another thread or forum on the site..which was disruptive.
I must admit I was a skeptic and was not sure this would work but I just applied the easy off max (blue can) ( I even actually had a can under my sink) to my plastic Bathtub and it worked, my bathtub has never been so clean.
This is the best advice I have ever received from the internet!
I can't believe I spent money on other cleaners.
I'm trying the Easy-Off Blue as we speak. Hopefully it works as well as others have stated.
I've been having the best luck with The Works cleaner but still a lot of scrubbing involved.
I'll post back later with results.
OMG!! Just tried the easy-off blue - worked AWESOME!!!!!!
soooooooooo gratefule I came across this!
Tags: remove, soap, scum, hard, water, stains, fiberglass, shower, soap scum, oven cleaner, Fume Free, elbow grease, Easy Fume Free, mineral deposits
