How to Clean Your Luxury Bathtub

One of my clients recently remodeled her bathroom and installed her dream bath tub – a fancy shmancy jacuzzi tub with 10 perfectly-placed jets. Her house is small and this is the only tub in it, so it’s a big deal for her. And of course, she had concerns about how to keep it clean and healthy since water can sometimes be left standing in the pipes after use.

Surface Cleaning

Many of the nicer new tubs are made from acrylic or fiberglass, which is great to look at, but scratches easily.

You’ll want to be sure to read the label on any surface cleaners to make sure they’re non-abrasive and approved for use on acrylic. Likewise, no scratchy pads can be used. You’ll need to have a stash of soft rags and clean sponges available, and you’ll want to clean the tub often (about once each week) so that there’s never any difficult-to-remove build-up to make cleaning those surfaces a challenge.

Jets

Jets can be cleaned with a rag dipped in bleach after your weekly surface cleaning or whenever you start to see any sort of build-up on them.

Internal Pipes and Parts

To keep your tub lines free from bacteria and soap scum, do the following once each month if you’re a regular tub user (if you’re more of an occasional user, you can probably get away with once a quarter). If you don’t use a professional cleaning service, it’s best to pick a date (say the 1st of each month) and plan to do it then.

• Fill the tub with hot water (you can do this after your bath but before you drain it to conserve water) to at least a couple of inches above the highest jets.
• Add 1/2 Cup bleach and 1/8 Cup powdered, low-sud dishwashing detergent such as powdered Cascade.
• Run the jets (but no air) with the mixture in the tub for 10 – 15 minutes; drain tub.
• Refill with fresh cold water.
• Run the jets again for 10 – 15 minutes to clear the pipes of your cleanser; drain tub.
• Do a quick surface clean with your favorite non-abrasive surface cleanser.

It’s always a good idea to read your owner’s manual first since some tubs are made a little differently and the manual should recommend products, list products to avoid, and give you specific details on the best way to clean the lines (having the air off is common, but some manufacturers want the air on full).

Do you have a luxury tub? What methods have you used to keep it running smoothly and keep it clean?

Sources: ehow.com and thefuntimesguide.com