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Written by Grove Collaborative

Clean Team: How to clean a bathtub

Last Updated: October 6, 2020


It may seem straightforward, but getting your tub gleaming with minimal effort involves a few tricks of the trade. Here’s how to rid your bathtub of germs and stains with natural products.

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Ready to tackle the dirtiest spots in your home? Grove Collaborative has you covered with Clean Team. Each week, we’ll do a deep dive into how to clean a different place or item in your home. No spot is too small — and we’ll tell you how to conquer them all, naturally.

Why should you clean your bathtub?

The bathroom is one of the most-used rooms in your home. And as also the most humid room in your home, the bathroom is a breeding ground for bacteria, including E. coli, which can travel in microscopic droplets from the toilet to surfaces six feet away. Keeping your bathtub clean will help you keep your family healthy.

How often should you clean the bathtub?

How often you clean your bathroom depends on how often you use it. If your bathtub is part of an integrated shower, make cleaning it part of your weekly routine. If you have a stand-alone bathtub, cleaning it every two weeks will do.

Daily cleaning tasks

After you bathe or shower, rinse away any soap or shampoo drips from the sides of the bathtub.

Weekly cleaning tasks

Deep-clean your bathtub along with the rest of your bathroom fixtures, including the toilet and sink.

Monthly cleaning tasks

Clean the shower curtain and the shower curtain liner.

Things you’ll need to clean the bathtub

Sustainability tip

Go plastic-free with your cleaners

Keep more plastic out of landfills by using reusable glass spray bottles, and use cleaning concentrates to refill them. Grove Collaborative's new Beyond Plastic line of cleaning concentrates and glass spray bottles are 100% plastic-free and save more than 12 tons of plastic from landfills in just one year.

How to clean a bathtub: Step-by-step instructions

Step one: Apply cleaners

Put on gloves and spray down the bathtub with your favorite tub and tile cleaner. Make sure to get the bottom, walls, and top, including any surrounding tile. Add a sprinkle of Bon Ami or another powdered cleanser to the bottom of the tub — especially around the drain, where stains can develop. Let both products sit for five minutes before scrubbing.



Step two: Scrub it down

Use a scrub brush or abrasive sponges to scrub the bathtub and surrounding tile. Pay special attention to any areas where mold or mildew may have accumulated, such as in the grout lines and corners.



Step three: Wash it off

Thoroughly rinse the tub and tile to remove all dirt and cleanser residue. If you have a shower attached, you can simply turn on the shower and spray down any cleaner. If you don't, use a bucket filled with water to splash off the cleaners.



Step four: Dry

Dry the bathtub completely using a microfiber cloth to help prevent unsightly water marks and streaks, especially if you have a glass shower door attached to the tub. If you have a shower curtain, consider following our Clean Team guide for how to deep clean your curtain and liner.

Bathtub cleaning tips & tricks

How do I clean tough bathtub stains?

If you've cleaned your bathtub and still see stains, make a paste of one part hydrogen peroxide and two parts baking soda. Rub the paste onto the stain, and let it sit for 30 minutes before scrubbing and rinsing.



How do I remove limescale buildup in my bathroom?

In a reusable spray bottle, combine equal parts of water and vinegar. Spray the solution on the limescale build-up, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Scrub, rinse, and repeat as necessary. You can also try Aunt Fannie's vinegar-based cleaner.



Can natural cleaners also be antibacterial?

Absolutely. Method Antibacterial Bathroom Cleaner kills up to 99.9 percent of germs while remaining biodegradable, paraben-free, vegan, and hypoallergenic.

Video how-to

Clean Minute: How to clean your bathtub

More of a visual learner? We get it! Follow our clean minute breakdown of how to tackle your tub — just hit play.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out our entire Clean Minute series for pointers on tackling your home's trickiest cleaning tasks.

Shop natural bathtub cleaners

Looking for more cleaning how-tos and other sustainable swaps you can make at home? Grove has you covered with our buying and cleaning guides. And let us know how if you have any cleaning questions (or share your own tips using #grovehome) by following Grove Collaborative on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

If you're ready to take on your tub, shop Grove Collaborative's cleaning essentials for the natural products that make the job easy.

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