The Bathtub

[dodojojo]

Seriously, is there a way to clean and maintain the bathtub without backbreaking work?  The shape of the tub plus the wall tiles just makes cleaning so awkward and painful.  I am ashamed to admit I don't clean as much as I should since I hate this chore so bloody much.  How do you scrub the filmy grime on the sides of the tub and the grub in all that grout without straining your back, shoulder and elbows?

My caveat is that I have cats so I avoid using harsh cleaners.  I just cleaned it (thus prompting this frustrated post) with vinegar and baking powder.  A couple times a year, I'll close the door for an hour or so and spray bleach.  I then use an inordinate amount of water to ensure all the bleach is washed away.

I use medium and big brushes.  Am I using the wrong tools?  This is the one chore which really prompts thoughts of hiring a cleaner/service.

[ioseftavi]

Stop letting it build up.  Make some of this, and use it every day.  Skip the essential oils if you don't have them, they're just for smell.

[nereo]

my guess is that your tub is so hard to clean because you have some heavy deposits on the walls of your tub.  This can come from your water (mineral deposits) or from bath products (bath-bombs and many bath gels are notorious for leaving oily films behind.  "organic' never meant 'easy-to-clean')
My first inclination would be to solve your water issue if you can. 

if you ahve deposits from heavy water ("ring-around-the-tub") you need something that will dissolve those.  CLR is the typical product (but there's no doubt a homopathic version).  If it's deposits from your bath products it's almost certainly oil based, so a citrus cleaner would be my suggestion.
Bleach is a disinfectant but is chemically 'sticky' and is a very poor cleaner/de-greaser. 

[dodojojo]

Stop letting it build up.  Make some of this, and use it every day.  Skip the essential oils if you don't have them, they're just for smell.

I'm a fan of daily maintenance, I'm always on my mom about doing it for her grimy shower.  But with cats, I can't spray the tub and leave it.  The litter box is in the bathroom so I can't bar them from the room.  One cat in particular loves to hang out in the tub.  The other loves to sit in the sink.

It would awesome if there was a Roomba for bathtubs!  It's the bending, arching, reaching, scrubbing, etc that really makes it so unpleasant.

[julez916]

For the tub itself, I usually use a little bit of cheap shampoo mixed with baking soda. It works pretty well, but it doesn't do so well on the grout. Haven't found a really solid non-toxic solution for that kind of deep clean yet, we just try not to let it build up.

[dodojojo]

my guess is that your tub is so hard to clean because you have some heavy deposits on the walls of your tub.  This can come from your water (mineral deposits) or from bath products (bath-bombs and many bath gels are notorious for leaving oily films behind.  "organic' never meant 'easy-to-clean')
My first inclination would be to solve your water issue if you can. 

if you ahve deposits from heavy water ("ring-around-the-tub") you need something that will dissolve those.  CLR is the typical product (but there's no doubt a homopathic version).  If it's deposits from your bath products it's almost certainly oil based, so a citrus cleaner would be my suggestion.
Bleach is a disinfectant but is chemically 'sticky' and is a very poor cleaner/de-greaser.

Yep, very hard water situation here.  I rent so I'm not sure what can be done.  I also use regular soap and I know that leaves behind filmy residue.  I could make life easier by using body wash/cleanser type soaps....but I prefer using good old fashion soap.

You know what would work?  A buffer type tool.  One that gently buffs the tub and tiles.  I can hold it ergonomically with a appropriate size handle and the buffer would swivel to move along  the sides and curves of the tub.  For those mechanically-inclined, feel free to run with this!

[Frankies Girl]

I definitely wouldn't use bleach. Vinegar is a good safe cleaner, but I do still use other products and my cats are smart enough to stay out of the tub when being cleaned.

What about getting a dedicated scrub mop for the tub? The long handle means you don't have to be bending down and up constantly and would give you much better leverage for basic cleaning.

I clean while I'm in the shower/bath (I like both). I have one of those poof/scrubby mesh things for soaping up, and while I have conditioner in my hair, I use the poof all over the walls (if I'm showering) or all along the tub sides (bath). This cuts down on build-up. I do a deep clean about every 3-4 months otherwise using a real scrub brush and ajax powder or barkeeper's friend. I also use an old plastic baggie white vinegar and a rubberband to hold it on there to clean the shower head; just submerge the showerhead into the vinegar and rubberband it into place and go do something else for an hour. It takes care of the hard water buildup/grime usually.

I'm going to have to try that everyday cleaner spray as my husband has started using my bathroom lately and its gone from clean and shiny to soap-scumy. Sigh.

[dodojojo]

I also use an old plastic baggie white vinegar and a rubberband to hold it on there to clean the shower head; just submerge the showerhead into the vinegar and rubberband it into place and go do something else for an hour.

I do this already because I can't figure out how to twist the shower head off.  I kept the baggie solution on the downlow because I didn't want to admit I couldn't take the shower head off ;D

I'm going to see if your wash as you go method is a viable option.  Think it will be great in the summer but not sure if I want to do it during the winter.  I may waste loads of hot water.

Look at what I've discovered!

http://lifehacker.com/scrub-your-bathtub-and-shower-in-minutes-with-a-cordles-1459751196

Is it anti-mustachian buying a drill to use it as a scrubber ;D

[Goldielocks]

Stop letting it build up.  Make some of this, and use it every day.  Skip the essential oils if you don't have them, they're just for smell.

I'm a fan of daily maintenance, I'm always on my mom about doing it for her grimy shower.  But with cats, I can't spray the tub and leave it.  The litter box is in the bathroom so I can't bar them from the room.  One cat in particular loves to hang out in the tub.  The other loves to sit in the sink.

It would awesome if there was a Roomba for bathtubs!  It's the bending, arching, reaching, scrubbing, etc that really makes it so unpleasant.

because you asked..

http://assistivetech.net/search/productDisplay.php?product_id=882   long handle scrubber..  no bending, scrubby agressive pads work well, if you can get it clean, then keep it up weekly with this.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Quickie-HomePro-Tub-n-Tile-Power-Scrubber/21191048  Roomba version!  LOL with long handle.  There are really good ones with shorter handles, if you have tough hard water / soap deposits, too.

[dodojojo]

Thanks Goldie.  I'm really glad I started this thread--it's opened up a whole new world of power scrubbing for me.  The power scrubber is available for $45 on Amazon and the longer handle is tempting.  On the other hand if I go with a drill--I'll have a multi-purpose tool.

In any case, I'm actually looking forward to the next bathtub cleaning session!  I think going this route will help with other cleaning chores I loathe and avoid--the oven, stovetop and the tile floor.