Bathtub magic
And now for a commercial break.
I have a bathtub that’s somewhat porous. I suppose it’s old and has lost some of its finish. I have no wish to replace it, but it seems that it gets dirty quite quickly from my showers, with stains that I think may be mostly soap scum but which have been almost impossible to get out.
Actually, they have been impossible to get out with any product that I have tried, homemade or store bought – till now. That includes several things that are supposedly specially formulated to remove soap scum, as well as buying three – count ’em, three! – special tools for the purpose, one of which was battery-operated.
Oh, I could reduce the intensity of the stains. But a significant amount remained.
Enter Mr. Clean’s Magic Eraser for the bath. I wouldn’t say I had zero expectations, but let’s just say my expectations were almost non-existent. It had a perfumy smell I’m not fond of, as well. But let me just say that the thing worked like nothing else has. I am astounded.
I found out that Right Stuff Citrus Cleaner dissolved the soap gunk in my bathroom sink.
I used Mr. Clean’s Magic Eraser on my boat all of the time — it worked well.
It’s a melamine foam, which is the primary component of Formica. (I get giant sheets of melamine foam for scrubbing from a dollar store.) It also takes off the top layer of anything you’re scrubbing with it, so you want to be careful with polished surfaces.
Magic Eraser is a highly abrasive tool. Think of it like cleaning with volcanic ash (frothed glass). That’s why they tell you to use it wet rather than dry. Works great. But it does take a layer or three of whatever you are scrubbing.
Bottom line: works great. Highly abrasive. Will take an unknown number of layers off. Great tool with those constraints. Cheers –
My bathtub already lacked those protective layers. That’s why the dirt and scum was adhering. So I’m not worried about that.
You might try Chlorox cleanup. It’s a spray with both bleach and soap in it, so use gloves. But let it sit, and apply it a few times to keep it damp.
I’ve had old coffee / tea mugs presented that are almost completely brown with stains on the inside. Or enameled cast iron pots with food stains, even frying pans with stuck on food. You apply it, let it soak over night, and they are like new the next morning. No abrasive.
Magic Eraser is the only thing I have found that effectively removes the sticky film that forms on the inside of my car windshields, for some reason. Regular glass cleaners just seem to sort of push it around.
I wipe down my shower curtain and walls with a sponge after every shower. This seems to work well.
Aggie:
I tried many things like that, to no avail.
You could refinish the tub with a two-part epoxy paint for bathtubs.
Now that you have scrubbed with the abrasive eraser, I recommend (re)sealing the surface with epoxy tile/ceramic paint, as Brian E. recommended. Better to do it while the surface is still fresh, and has not absorbed soap scum or oils, which will prevent adhesion.
O.K., I clicked thru and got one. I hope it works, because nothing I’ve tried, other than a scrub brush and scouring powder, seems to work.
Wouldn’t just painting the whole thing black or—if that’s a bit much—charcoal gray be easier?
(You know, be the first one on your block…)
Speaking of “Paint it Black”…
“Elon Musk hints that explosive fall-out with Trump maybe be cooling off after prez wishes him well”—
https://nypost.com/2025/06/10/us-news/elon-musk-hints-at-detente-with-trump-after-prez-wishes-him-well/
Lyrics by David Mamet?…
“David Mamet…: Trump, Musk to Reunite”—
https://www.newsmax.com/us/david-mamet-donald-trump-liberals/2025/06/08/id/1214063/
You could refinish the tub with a two-part epoxy paint for bathtubs.
Better yet, pay a professional to do it. It will cost a few hundred dollars, but the tub will look like new.
I was disappointed to discover that the magic erasers were abrasive, I have not used them on my 20 year old tub. Elbow grease!
Found that Magic Eraser also works great on cleaning porch floor, wall scuffs and Artillery fungus (look it up) on my porch columns…amazing!
I never heard of this product. I purchased some and tried it. It works great! Thank you Neo.