quote:

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Originally posted by lem:

And the sliding glass door to the tub looks frosted, but it's not. I have probably tried about everything at Wal*mart.

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I don't know about the rust, but I do have a thought about the glass door. I think that perhaps the two might be related? I know that the people who owned my house before me used a lot of caustic cleaners that probably weren't intended for glass (some soap scum cleaners are not glass friendly, although I don't remember brands or names this late in the game), and the chemicals etched our glass non-frosted sliding doors, making them look frosted.

Something that you might try is a dryer sheet, if you have one. I've used dryer sheets in the past to clean soap scum off of shower doors, but you have to damp the door first. If it's gentle enough to use on your clothes, it's gentle enough to use on glass. The used ones work the best since they've already been wrinkled a bit and it kind of gives the dryer sheet a more 'scrubby' texture.

I hope that helps!
 

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Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
 
I would try a vinegar wash on the door, it sounds mineral to me. Use one part white vinegar to 2 parts warm water in a spray bottle. Wipe with newspaper.

I've had good luck with Barkeeper's Friend on bathtubs. It's non-abrasive and won't damage the tub but cleans excellently well.
 

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Posted by DSH (Member # 741) on :
 
I've discovered that a Magic Eraser (or any cheap knock-off) works well for removing light to moderate hard water stains and soap scum... and no harsh chemicals required!

Never tried it on heavy stains, but it might be worth a try.
 

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Posted by DarkKnight (Member # 7536) on :
 
I saw this on TV the other day and it boggled my mind a bit but it really worked on a horrific looking tub. They took a grapefruit, cut it in half, sprinkled it with salt and scrubbed the tub with it. For really rough spots they scrubbed it lightly and let it sit for awhile. After a bit they washed it again with a nylon scrubber, I think, and it came amazingly clean.
The grapefruit has a lot of acid and the salt acts as a mild abrasive that shouldn't hurt the tub.

[ March 17, 2009, 10:21 AM: Message edited by: DarkKnight ]
 

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Posted by Traceria (Member # 11820) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by ketchupqueen:
I've had good luck with Barkeeper's Friend on bathtubs. It's non-abrasive and won't damage the tub but cleans excellently well.

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Oh! Beat me to it! Same thought came to mind for the tub itself.
 

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Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by DSH:
I've discovered that a Magic Eraser (or any cheap knock-off) works well for removing light to moderate hard water stains and soap scum... and no harsh chemicals required!

Never tried it on heavy stains, but it might be worth a try.

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quote:

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Originally posted by DarkKnight:
They took a grapefruit, cut it in half, sprinkled it with salt and scrubbed the tub with it. For really rough spots they scrubbed it lightly and let it sit for awhile. After a bit they washed it again with a nylon scrubber, I think, and it came amazingly clean.
The grapefruit has a lot of acid and the salt acts as a mild abrasive that shouldn't hurt the tub.

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I caught you! You watch How Clean is Your House on BBC! I love Kim and Aggie!
 

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Posted by DarkKnight (Member # 7536) on :
 
I did watch it yesterday! I couldn't remember the name of the show. The blonde lady is very funny
 

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Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
 
Something with citric acid in it, like DK said.
 

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Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
 
I like Zud for getting any sort of dark stains off bathtubs, toilets, or sinks. It is amazing how well it works. For tough stains I wet it and make a paste that I leave to sit for a while before wetting and scrubbing off.

You might want to look into the Black and Decker Scumbuster or something of the sort. Multiplies your elbow grease factor greatly.

[ March 17, 2009, 05:50 PM: Message edited by: Tatiana ]
 

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Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :
 
Update:

Area: I had lots of rust stains and also an orange something on the top of the tub and tiles above the tub that Clorox and other foam cleaners didn't dint.

I also had the scum you could barely scratch off with your fingers in the tub. The glass doors are for later.

Solution:

I tried the whole grapefruit and salt thing with disappointing results on the top of the tub and the grim in the tub. Maybe I didn't scrub long enough or let it sit long enough, but...disappointing.

I tried the Magic Eraser on the rust. WOW. Scrub scrub gone. Scrub scrub gone. However, I only had four pads and they were going fast.

I next tried Barkeeper's Friend. It took slightly more work but was as effective and certainly more economical. In minutes the top of the tube, the above tiles, and the grout between the tiles were sparkly!

Barkeepers didn't clean the grim in the tub that well. I tried some of my other generic cleaners to no avail. I grabbed the Magic Eraser again and WHAM! Sparkly!

I have never had an easier time cleaning a tub, and I have never had a more difficult tub to clean.

Why have I spent all these years with Clorox, Arm and Hammer Scrub Free (yeah right), and Comet Spray Gel?

Thank you Hatrack. I am replacing my cleaning solutions!
 

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Posted by Tammy (Member # 4119) on :
 
I'm so happy your tub is clean, Lem.

I love the Magic Eraser! I buy the generic ones everytime I shop.

Has anyone noticed a difference in the name brand versus the generic?
 

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Posted by andi330 (Member # 8572) on :
 
I think they clean about the same but I notice that the generic tend to fall apart a little faster.
 

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Posted by DSH (Member # 741) on :
 
Some generic erasers come with a sponge backing which allowes you to get more use out of each pad than you (well, I) get from an un-backed pad.

Generic and name brand seem to both work the same for me.
 

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Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
 
Just note that Magic Erasers are abrasive cleaners, so they can damage some surfaces.

For instance, my kids used a permanent marker on some maple cabinets that had a satin finish. The Magic Eraser took it off, but considerably dulled the finish. It was better than leaving the marker there but the cabinets no longer looked the same. (I used a restorative wood finish product - I forget which - to make them look nicer again.)
 

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Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
 
I find that the generic ones work as well but are harder on my hands and don't last as long.

So I wear gloves and buy them at the dollar store where it's $1 for a 2 or sometimes a 4 pack.
 

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Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by scifibum:
Just note that Magic Erasers are abrasive cleaners, so they can damage some surfaces.

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quote:

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Originally posted by andi330:
I think they clean about the same but I notice that the generic tend to fall apart a little faster.

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