Soap, limescale and the skin’s natural oils gradually form a grey film on your bath which, if it isn’t removed in time, ends up turning yellow. Knowing how to clean a bath isn’t about scrubbing harder, but about using the right thing for each stain and each material. Here’s the weekly routine, the trick for cleaning a bath with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar, what to do when it’s very dirty and what you should never put on it.
- Before you start: the material
- The weekly routine
- With bicarbonate of soda and vinegar
- A very dirty or yellow bath
- How to remove limescale
- What you should never use
- Frequently asked questions
Before you start: what is your bath made of?
Most household baths are acrylic or enamelled steel; in older flats you’ll also find enamelled cast iron ones. If in doubt, hold a magnet to it: it sticks to steel and iron, but not to acrylic. An acrylic bath is also lighter and feels warm to the touch.
| Material | What to use | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Acrylic | Washing-up liquid, bicarbonate of soda, vinegar | Scourers, abrasive powders, acetone |
| Enamelled steel or iron | Bicarbonate of soda, vinegar for no more than half an hour | Hydrochloric acid, metal scourers |
| Whirlpool bath | The same as acrylic, plus cleaning the pipework as the manufacturer instructs | Products that foam a lot in the pipework |
How to clean a bath step by step: the weekly routine
If the bath is used every day, going over it once a week is enough to stop anything building up. It takes about ten minutes:
- Clear: remove bottles, sponges and the non-slip mat.
- Warm: rinse the whole surface with hot water to soften the dirt.
- Degrease: a few drops of washing-up liquid in hot water and the soft side of the sponge. Pay extra attention to the line where the water sits and around the plughole.
- Rinse with the shower, from top to bottom.
- Dry with a microfibre cloth. This is the step that prevents the most limescale.
Cleaning a bath with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar
This is the most useful home method for getting your bath white without harsh products:
- With the bath damp, sprinkle bicarbonate of soda over the bottom and sides.
- Spray white vinegar on top. It will foam: that’s normal.
- Leave for about 15 minutes.
- Scrub in circles with the soft sponge and rinse well.
Bicarbonate of soda acts as a very mild abrasive that doesn’t scratch; for encrusted limescale, vinegar on its own is better. For a specific stain, make a paste with bicarbonate of soda and a little water, leave it for half an hour and scrub.
How to clean a very dirty or yellow bath
If it hasn’t had a deep clean for a while, tackle it in stages:
- Grey soap film: mix washing-up liquid and bicarbonate of soda into a cream, spread it on, wait 20 minutes and scrub.
- Yellow stains: a paste of bicarbonate of soda and hydrogen peroxide from the pharmacy. Leave it on for half an hour and rinse.
- Sodium percarbonate: wearing gloves, dissolve a couple of spoonfuls in hot water, fill the bath to a depth of a few centimetres and leave for an hour. Test it first on an area that doesn’t show.
- Rust stains near the plughole: lemon and salt, without leaving it on the enamel for long.
An honest warning: when a very old acrylic bath turns yellow because the material itself has worn, no home remedy will bring back its original white.
How to remove limescale from a bath
Soak kitchen roll in warm vinegar and stick it onto the areas with limescale: around the tap, on the plughole and on the water level marks. Leave it for between 30 and 60 minutes, scrub and rinse. On enamelled baths, don’t go beyond half an hour, so as not to dull the shine.
If the tap has gone white as well, follow our guide to removing limescale from taps; for the grout, the one on how to clean tile grout, and if you have a glass screen, the one on how to clean a shower screen.
What you should never use on a bath
- Green or metal scourers: they scratch, and dirt clings to the scratches more and more.
- Hydrochloric acid or spirits of salts: it attacks the enamel, the taps and the grout.
- Bleach mixed with ammonia or with acids such as vinegar or hydrochloric acid: it gives off toxic gases. Rinse well between one product and another, and ventilate the room.
- Acetone and solvents on acrylic baths: they damage them.
Tips to keep your bath white for longer
- Run a squeegee or a microfibre cloth over it after every bath.
- Ventilate the bathroom every day to prevent mould in the bathroom.
- Keep bottles on a shelf, not on the edge of the bath: they leave rings.
- Fit a strainer over the plughole, especially if you bathe your dog at home, and empty it every week.
With these habits, the deep clean becomes a once-a-month job. And if you’re giving your home a refresh, you’ll find practical ideas for everyday life in the home section of Velia Select.
Frequently asked questions
How often should you clean a bath?
If it’s used every day, a quick clean once a week and a deep clean once a month. Drying it after each use greatly extends the time between cleans.
Can you use bleach to clean a bath?
Occasionally, diluted in water and rinsed off well, yes. Never mix it with other products or apply it neat to an acrylic bath.
How can you clean a bath without bending down?
Use a long-handled brush with a soft head and a spray bottle with the cleaning mixture. Then rinse with the hand-held shower, with no need to kneel.
How do I know whether my bath is acrylic or enamelled?
Hold a magnet to it: if it sticks, it’s enamelled steel or iron; if not, it’s almost certainly acrylic. An acrylic bath also sounds more hollow when you tap it.