How to Clean Bathtub Grime with Bar Keepers Friend

August 16, 2021

Don’t hide your shower or tub from guests because you’re embarrassed about rust stains, mildewy grout, or marred surfaces. Bar Keepers Friend cleans porcelain, tile, fiberglass, and more. Our products have even been known to save customers from having to replace their tubs and shower tiles. It’s often considered one of the best bathtub cleaners.

Scrubbing soap scum and/or hard water deposits from a bathtub isn’t how most people want to spend their weekend. If your to-do list includes “clean a dirty bathtub,” you can get the job done a lot faster if you have the right cleaning supplies. Let that gross bathtub be a thing of the past. We’ll help you learn how to clean a disgusting bathtub – yes, even one that seems like it’s beyond repair.

Any of the Bar Keepers Friend products listed above will power through soapy residue, rust and mildew stains, and hard water buildup. Using a wet sponge or non-scratch scrubbing pad and a dry cloth, you can have that tub looking like new in no time. Here’s how to clean bathtub grime in no time.

What a change! Check out these amazing before and after photos from BKF fan, Kendra.

How to Clean Bathtub Grime with BKF

While Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser is safe to use on most surfaces, including porcelain. Always test it first on an inconspicuous part of the bathtub and fixtures. If your bathroom floor is polished marble or other natural stone, cover the area closest to the bathtub before you start cleaning, as the cleanser may cause etching on delicate surfaces. Here are our tips for how to clean bathtub grime.

Getting Started

Once you’ve done your spot test, you’re ready to start cleaning. To make this task more manageable, clean the tub in two sections – start by wetting the whole tub, and sprinkle a small amount of Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser on the half of the tub farthest from the drain. If the tub has stubborn stains, add a bit of water to the cleanser until it has a paste-like consistency.

Scrub Your Tub

Next, use a damp sponge to spread the cleanser evenly. You’ll want to wait up to one minute before scrubbing and rinsing the surface, so the oxalic acid has time to work its magic. Repeat these steps as needed, until half of the tub is clean. You may notice when you start to clean the other half of the tub that the Bar Keepers Friend you rinsed away removed some grime on its way to the drain.

Repeat the same process to clean the rest of the tub, but use more water to create a thinner cleanser for stainless steel fixtures and the drain cover. Thoroughly rinse the tub and fixtures.

When you’re finished cleaning, use a soft, dry cloth to buff and shine your tub and fixtures. 

See BKF in Action: How to Clean a Disgusting Bathtub

Seeing is believing! Want more tips for how to clean bathtub grime? Check out Bar Keepers Friend in action here, and learn why it’s the best cleanser around!

About the Author

Felicia Savage is a content strategist, agile marketing enthusiast, and Digital Marketing Manager at Bar Keepers Friend. When she isn’t writing about her love for Bar Keepers Friend (or wiping down her stainless steel sinks), you can find Felicia sparring at her muay thai gym, doodling in her sketchbook, or watching silly cat videos on TikTok.