Our metal bathtub with white enamel finish has gotten scratched along the bottom over the years. The boys have been washing their rock collection in it. It was rough on the bottom to begin with (non slip) but it is now worn.
1. Any ideas on what to use to give it a really good clean?
2. Any ideas on how I can restore it? Is it a diy or do I need a professional? Finally, if I get a professional, what questions do I ask?
Just a side comment:
Rocks, seashells, hermit crabs, and the like, should only be bathed in an Official Rock/Shell/Small Pet Bathtub (aka, a plastic dishwashing tub reserved for that purpose)!!
A few years ago we had our tub refinished by a professional. The process, no matter what kind, is pretty stinky and I don't recommend doing it yourself.
1. Ask what sort of finish will be put on it.
2. Ask about the process (are they completely removing the old finish or just covering it up?).
3. Ask about aftercare for the tub: we can't use anything more abrasive than a nylon scrubber on ours as well as gentle cleansers.
4. Ask about how they plan on ventilating the area and how long it will take.
5. Also ask for references and do your research.
6. **Oh, also ask if it is suitable for 'standing water'... some treatments don't hold up well to bath/full basin (for sinks) use, so read reviews diligently. Our guy used a treatment that is meant for pools and hot tubs, so it is a solid bond when filled with water.
I found our guy on Angie's List; he was great at giving a lot of good information and was a seasoned pro. We are very happy with the finished product.
As for a really good clean with your current tub situation? Bon Ami and elbow grease.
for a really good clean i use dawn dish soap mixed 50-50 with white vinegar. spray it on and let it sit for about an hour then wipe with a scrubby cloth and rinse well (the soap will leave it slippery if not rinsed off well.) works wonders without scrubbing. then contact a professional for the refinishing if you are not too sure about tackling the process yourself. others have given information on that part of your question.
if the dawn and vinegar fails to make it clean as you want try baking soda and peroxide made into a paste, this mix removed black grout stains from the surface of my tub
I can't remember what the product was called, but we tried doing it ourselves and it was disastrous - and my husband is handy. It worked but smelled awful and didn't look very good. In the end, we ended up replacing the whole tub
My friend had her old bathtub (very nice old fashioned tub) redone I think using same method we did, but a professional came and did it. Hers has lasted more than 10 years and they've had no problems.
That's all I can tell you - I would get someone who specializes in this over doing it yourself (just based on our experience).
There are professionals out there who do repairs.
When we built our house, 2 of our tubs got small chips during the building process. I do not know what type of repairman was called but our builder did repair the tubs and you still can't tell 17 years later that there was ever an issue.
It probably needs to be refinished.
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/refinish-your-cast-ir...
Get the kids a tubtrug for washing their rocks.
I have several in varying sizes and shapes and they are useful every which way around.
The small shallow one is great to soak your feet in and I have a large shallow one in the car to hold groceries or dirty shoes, etc.
Have it reglazed and then do t let them wash rocks in it. Or wait until they are a bit older to do it.
