How To Clean Bathtub with Baking Soda?

A sparkling clean bathtub can make your bathroom feel fresh and inviting. But over time, soap scum, hard water stains, mildew, and grime can build up, leaving your tub looking dingy. Harsh chemical cleaners may get rid of the dirt, but they often contain toxic ingredients and can be expensive. For an effective, non-toxic, and budget-friendly way to clean your bathtub, look no further than baking soda!

Why Use Baking Soda to Clean Your Bathtub?

Baking soda is a versatile cleaner and deodorizer that can tackle tough bathtub grime without the need for harsh chemicals. Here are some key reasons why it’s a great choice for cleaning tubs:

• Gentle and Non-Toxic: Baking soda is an all-natural product that is safe to use on most bathtub surfaces. It won’t irritate skin or eyes like bleach or other caustic cleaners.
• Removes Stubborn Grime: While gentle, baking soda is abrasive enough to scrub away dirt, soap scum, mildew stains, hard water deposits, and other grime. The grittiness of baking soda helps it power through buildup.
• Deodorizes: As baking soda cleans, it also naturally neutralizes odors and leaves your tub smelling fresh. No need for heavy perfumes or fragrances.
• Lifts Stains: Baking soda alone can help lift some stains from your tub. For really tough stains, pairing baking soda with vinegar creates a fizzy reaction that helps break down stubborn gunk.
• Budget-Friendly: At only a few dollars per box, baking soda is far cheaper than most cleaners. A little goes a long way for cleaning. Check out these homemade bathtub cleaners.

With baking soda’s cleaning power and low cost, it’s no wonder it’s a staple for tub cleaning. Let’s look at how to use it for the best results.

Read this guide if you want To Clean A Dirty Bathtub Fast.

Gather Your Supplies

Cleaning your tub with baking soda doesn’t require much in the way of supplies. You’ll want to have these items on hand:

• Baking soda
• Spray bottle filled with white vinegar
• Old toothbrush or scrub brush
• Small bucket
• Old towels

Baking soda acts as a cleaning agent. The vinegar helps amplify its grime-fighting power, especially when tackling tougher stains. A brush does the scrubbing to work the baking soda into the stained areas. Towels absorb excess water and baking soda residue.

Test for Stubborn Stains

Before scrubbing your entire tub, check for any extremely stubborn, set-in stains. Some may need a more concentrated baking soda paste to tackle it, while general scrubbing will suffice for others.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• What types of stains are present? Rust, mildew, soap scum?
• How long have the stains been there? The longer they’ve been set, the tougher they’ll be to remove.
• Are stains isolated or over large areas? A few small stains may need focused scrubbing.

If you’re dealing with stains that have been there a while or are particularly challenging, like rust or mildew, a baking soda paste is likely your best bet.

Make a Baking Soda Paste

For heavy duty cleaning power, mix baking soda with just enough water to form a spreadable paste. Here’s how:

1. In a small bucket or bowl, mix 1 part baking soda with 1 part water. The ratio doesn’t need to be exact.
2. Stir together with a spoon or brush until a thick paste forms. Add a touch more baking soda or water as needed.
3. Spread the baking soda paste onto the stained areas of your tub using an old toothbrush or soft brush.
4. Let the paste sit for 5-10 minutes so it can help break down built-up grime.
5. Scrub the area in circles with your brush. Rinse thoroughly.
6. Check if the stain has lightened or lifted. If not, repeat the process until it fades.

This concentrated paste really gets down to set-in stains. Once scrubbed, follow up by cleaning the entire tub surface.

Wait, here is a video guide, if you’re boredom with reading.

Scrub the Tub

For an all-over baking soda tub cleaning, grab your box of baking soda and a spray bottle filled with distilled white vinegar. Here are the simple steps:

1. Sprinkle baking soda: Liberally sprinkle baking soda over the bottom and sides of your tub. Make sure the entire surface is covered.
2. Spritz vinegar: Lightly spritz the baking soda with vinegar. This will cause a fizzing reaction that helps lift grime.
3. Scrub: Use your scrub brush to work the foamy cleaner over the tub surface. Apply light pressure and scrub in circles. Focus on stained areas.
4. Let fizz: Let the baking soda and vinegar solution sit and fizz for 5 minutes before rinsing. This gives the ingredients time to work their cleaning magic.
5. Rinse tub: Rinse the tub thoroughly with hot water to remove all baking soda and residue.

The baking soda scrub should leave your tub looking fresh and free of stubborn grime and stains. No other cleaner is needed!

Rinse the tub thoroughly.

It’s important to rinse very well after cleaning your tub with baking soda. This removes all excess baking soda that could leave a gritty residue. Vinegar can also leave a lingering sour smell if not rinsed properly.

Follow these tips for rinsing:

• Rinse with very hot, clean water. Hotter water helps dissolve and rinse away cleaner residue.
• Use a detachable showerhead if possible to direct water into all areas.
• Scrub walls and bottom with a scrub brush while rinsing.
• Plug tub before rinsing so all water and residue drain out completely.
• Use a clean towel to wipe down tub walls and fixtures after draining.

Proper rinsing prevents residue buildup over time. And it keeps your freshly cleaned tub looking, feeling, and smelling great.

How Often to Clean Bathtub?

To prevent major grime buildup, aim to deep clean your tub every 1-2 months with a baking soda scrub. Quick wipedowns in between will also help. And here are the Bathtub Cleaning Hacks for a Sparkling Tub.

Here are some tips on cleaning frequency:

• Do a thorough baking soda scrub every 1-2 months. This helps remove soap scum, mineral deposits, and mildew that accumulate over time.
• Rinse the tub after each use. This simple habit prevents residue from sticking.
• Wipe down the tub walls weekly. Use a squeegee or towel to dry walls and prevent soap scum buildup.
• Scrub stains as needed. Don’t let stains set in and get harder to remove.
• Disinfect monthly or as needed. Use a tub-safe disinfectant to kill germs between deep cleans.
• Replace shower curtains/liners every 6-12 months. Even with cleaning, they harbor grime over time.

Regular baking soda scrubs coupled with quick touch-up cleans will keep your tub sparkling.

Enjoy a Fresh, Clean Bathtub!

With a box of baking soda and a little elbow grease, you can easily keep your bathtub clean and free of grime. Baking soda’s natural cleansing and deodorizing abilities make it a budget-friendly, non-toxic way to tackle soap scum, hard water stains, mildew, and other buildup.

By making a concentrated paste and doing periodic scrubs, you can keep your tub looking freshly cleaned. Proper rinsing also helps maintain a clean tub between scrubs. No need for harsh chemicals. Just the simple cleaning power of baking soda.

With a fresh, clean bathtub with scrubbing, you can relax and enjoy a soothing soak. Baking soda helps restore the tub to a pristine condition without costly cleaners or damaging fumes. Give your tub the deep cleaning it deserves with this simple, green method.

FAQs

Related articles:

• How to Clean Your Bathtub Without Bending Over?