Goopy tub equals sad.
September 17, 2010 2:39 PM

Claw foot tub and water based paint stuck to it. Help a girl out. I want to take a bubble bath in a non-paint marked tub!

I just repainted all of my interior walls using nice yellow KWAL water based paint and washed some of the brushes out one night in my clawfoot tub. It left a little paint residue and now I can't get it off because the texture of the tub surface isn't smooth like the sink is, it's kind of rough.

What's the best method here? I have tried scrubbing it off with elbow grease and a scrubby. Just attack it with a straight edge razor? Any miracle goop I can burn it off with?? It's a very lovely old tub and has these ugly yellow marks on it now and it is making me kind of sad.
posted by timpanogos to Home & Garden (8 answers total)
Goo Gone or Goof Off or something similar should work.
posted by Madamina at 2:43 PM on September 17, 2010


Goo-gone is good stuff (but it really stinks so make sure area is well ventilated.) for a less stinky solution, you might want to see if something as simple as Zippo fluid (or any Naptha based lighter fluid) would work.
posted by quin at 2:51 PM on September 17, 2010


Fingernails - honest.
posted by A189Nut at 2:51 PM on September 17, 2010


A paste of baking soda and soap.

I refinished a clawfoot tub 3 years ago. I think you should go easy on the enamel. The water-based paint will wear off on its own, but the baking soda and soap will absolutely do the trick with no chemicals or harm to the tub.
posted by jbenben at 2:51 PM on September 17, 2010


Mister Clean Magic Erasers are pretty good at this kind of thing.
posted by cosmicbandito at 2:54 PM on September 17, 2010


Bar Keeper's Friend and a moderately stiff bristled scrub brush.

Or if you can feel that it's raised, a hard plastic putty knife. (Or plastic spoon.)
posted by gjc at 2:56 PM on September 17, 2010


Rubbing alcohol is a handy solvent for latex paint. Or yeah, scrape it off with a plastic putty knife.
posted by elsietheeel at 3:09 PM on September 17, 2010


If you can't pick it off with your nails, try Barkeepers Friend or Bon Ami.

If those don't work, try a Mr. Clean Eraser.

If that doesn't work, get some Trisodium Phosphate at your hardware store.
posted by padraigin at 7:19 PM on September 17, 2010


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