Acrylic Bath Care

Many people, changing plumbing in the bathroom, abandon the traditional cast-iron and steel bowls in favor of the more modern and popular - acrylic. A new type of sanitary products has good technical and operational properties, but caring for an acrylic bathtub gives their owners some difficulties.

to contents ↑

Types of acrylic bathtubs

For the production of a modern bathtub, a special polymer material is used - plumbing acrylic. This is one of the hardest plastics, which was previously used for prosthetics, and since the beginning of the 70s of the last century, plumbing, including acrylic bathtubs, began to be made from this material.

There are two types of bathtubs:

1. Extruded. This material holds its shape much worse, and therefore, in the manufacture of bathtubs, fiberglass and epoxy are used for stiffness. Extruded acrylic bathtubs are usually installed on a frame: metal or made of moisture-proof plywood.
2. Cast. Cast acrylic has sufficient rigidity, so a bath made of such a material is more expensive. You can mount it without a frame, directly on the legs that come with the kit. Cast acrylic is more resistant to damage, so bathtubs made of this material are more popular.

to contents ↑

Acrylic bathtubs - advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of acrylic bathtubs are due to the technical properties of the material and are as follows:

• Due to the high heat-insulating properties of acrylic, bathtubs cool very slowly: water loses temperature at a rate of 1 degree in 30 minutes (in an iron bath, the water becomes 1 degree colder every 5 minutes).
• The acrylic bathtub is not subject to corrosion, since acrylic is a chemically inert material.
• The acrylic bathtub is lightweight. The most common models have a mass not exceeding 20-25 kg. This advantage of plumbing will help you in transporting and installing the bath effortlessly.
• The acrylic sanitary ware design has high mechanical strength.
• Sanitary acrylic, used to make most bathtubs, prevents the growth of bacteria and fungi on the surface, even in a warm and humid bathroom environment. Therefore, care for an acrylic bathtub is much easier than for items in the bathroom made of other materials.
• Acrylic bathtubs are easy to clean. With little contamination, you can simply rinse it with water. So - cleaning an acrylic bath will not take up much of your personal time.
• Acrylic bathtubs have a variety of design solutions. The shapes and sizes on the market are extremely diverse and allow you to install hydromassage, backlight, ozonizers and other modules. In the market you can always find a model that is ideal for your room, not only in shapes and sizes, but also in stylistic performance.

Important! Acrylic bathroom fixtures have much fewer shortcomings, but they make the coating itself sensitive to the effects of the negative environment:

• The coating is susceptible to harsh effects: boiling water and chemicals (washing powder), so you should not pour boiling water into the bathtub and soak the laundry for a long time. This may result in loss of presentation.
• Acrylic is easily scratched, so the product used during cleaning should not contain abrasive particles.
• The main disadvantage of plumbing is the mechanical fragility of acrylic. According to this parameter, plumbing is seriously inferior to cast-iron and steel bathtubs.
• With prolonged use, small cracks appear on the surface where dirt gets, so you need to clean and wash the acrylic bath regularly.

to contents ↑

Basic Bath Care Guidelines

General rules apply both for bathtubs made of 100% acrylic and for models with acrylic spraying:

1. The regularity of cleaning plumbing. After each use, rinse the bath with warm water and then wipe the surface dry.
2. To ensure that the care of the acrylic bath is correct, use only those products that do not contain abrasive particles, alcohol, ammonia and acetone. We recommend using products specifically designed for this coating. Use a cloth or soft sponge to apply the cleanser.
3. In order not to scratch the surface of the acrylic bathtub:
   • Do not bathe animals in it.
   • Do not put hot pots.
   • Do not wash objects with a sharp surface.
4. Do not soak laundry with detergents for a long time.
5. Manufacturers recommend cleaning the acrylic bathtub with detergent no more than once every two weeks. Apply the cleaner to the walls of the bathtub, let it stand for several minutes, and then, using a sponge, wipe and rinse with warm water.

Important! After cleaning or taking water procedures, always wipe the inside of the bowl and its sides dry. So you will definitely keep it clean and care for the acrylic bath will be in accordance with all the recommendations of the manufacturers.

to contents ↑

Acrylic bathtub cleaning

If for some reason you did not adhere to the recommendations for use and the care of the acrylic bath was not performed correctly, then external defects such as yellowness, rust, and plaque on the surface (the so-called water stone) may occur. Let us consider in more detail the types of pollution and methods for dealing with them.

Yellowness

A frequent question that worries acrylic bath owners is how to clean the plumbing from yellowness? The appearance of a yellow hue is characteristic of bathtubs that are made of combination plastic. With prolonged exposure to water, as well as temperature extremes, the protective layer becomes thinner and the plastic reacts with oxygen, forming yellow spots.

The bath can be cleaned from ugly yellow stains:

• Citric acid.
• Fresh lemon juice.
• Wine vinegar.

Important! Apply the product on a soft cloth and wipe the surface. After cleaning, rinse the plumbing with water and wipe. Repeat if necessary.

Rust

Rusty water leaves ugly stains and paths on plumbing, which are quite difficult to remove. Tightly close the taps to prevent, or at least reduce the appearance of rusty stains. Also, when caring for an acrylic bath, use special rust removers designed for this coating.

You can use the following tools:

• “SunClean”.
• “Triton”
• “Mr. Chister.”

Folk remedy for rust - citric acid. Use it as follows:

1. Dilute half a bag of citric acid in a glass of water.
2. Stir the product thoroughly so that all lumps disappear.
3. Using a soft sponge, apply dissolved citric acid to the surface to be cleaned.
4. Leave the pool in this condition for 5-10 minutes.
5. Then soak the sponge again in citric acid and clean the bathtub with simple circular motions.
6. Repeat the procedure several times if necessary.
7. Rinse the surface with warm water.
8. Wipe the bath dry.

Important! Citric acid can simultaneously clean the bath not only from rust, but also from limescale and yellowness.

Limescale

Poor quality tap water is the cause of the appearance of the lime layer, the so-called “water stone” on the surface of the bath.For the fight, you can use both the household products mentioned above, and the following drugs:

• “Lady bath.”
• “Acryl-Net.”
• “RAVAK Anticalc.”
• “Cillit.”
• “Tim Pros.”

Important! These funds are most successful, as they have a creamy consistency that does not damage the surface. Put the product on the plumbing, let it stand for 15 minutes, and then rinse the bath thoroughly and wipe it dry.

Folk remedies to combat water stone:

• Vinegar (7% solution).
• Lemon acid.

Proceed as follows:

1. Fill the bathtub with warm water (20-25%). The water level should be 5 cm above the pollution level.
2. Add 1.5 liters of 7% vinegar or citric acid to the water.
3. Mix the bath water thoroughly with a scoop or shower jet.
4. Leave the plumbing for 12 hours.
5. Drain the water with acid.
6. Rinse the bath thoroughly.
7. Dry the surface with a cotton cloth.

Important! Perform the above cleaning procedure no more than 1 time per year.

Acrylic bath disinfection

In addition to regular cleaning, bathtubs also require disinfection, especially plumbing with hydromassage. If the hydromassage device is not cleaned, then an unpleasant odor will soon appear from the holes.

The easiest way to avoid this problem is prevention. Therefore, before each bath, draw water and turn on the hydromassage for 1-2 minutes, then drain the water and along with it will remove almost all the dirt that has settled in thin tubes.

Important! But even performing all the methods of prevention, once a month the entire hydromassage system must be disinfected with special means. For example:

• “RAVAK Desinfectant.”
• “Tim Pros.”

Disinfect as follows:

1. Fill the bathtub with warm water (20-25 degrees).
2. Add a disinfectant to the water.
3. Mix the water thoroughly or turn on the hydromassage for 5-10 minutes.
4. Drain contaminated water with an antiseptic.
5. Rinse the bathroom with a jet of water to remove any remaining disinfectant, as contact with the skin can cause irritation.
6. After cleaning and rinsing, wipe the bathroom with a cotton cloth.

to contents ↑

Acrylic bath restoration

Unfortunately, microcracks or ugly abrasions may appear on the acrylic surface during use. In this case, it is necessary to resort to the restoration of the acrylic coating:

1. Problem areas need to be repaired with liquid acrylic using the “bulk bath” technology. Cracks must be carefully cleaned with sandpaper, and then apply liquid acrylic and polish.
2. Microcracks can be hidden with the help of a special insert - an acrylic insert.

to contents ↑

Stock footage

Caring for an acrylic bath requires some attention, regularity, care, but after the procedures, the plumbing will delight you with its whiteness, brilliance, give positive emotions and good health.