Comments on: What happened to my tub?

Question: What happened to my tub?

messylissa — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:16:53 -0800

What did the mildew remover leave in my tub?

I recently sprayed Lysol Mildew Remover on the bottom perimeter of my shower curtain and left it over night. When I woke up in the morning, the remover appeared to have ran off the curtain to the middle of the tub where it left this giant rust-colored stain. Bleach spray isn't cleaning it, nor is more of the Mildew Remover. What in the world is it and (more importantly) how do I do to clean this up? I'm a renter and would like to retain my damage deposit when I move in a month.

By: cmchap

cmchap — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:34:58 -0800

Is it Lysol Mildew Remover with Bleach? If so, the bleach may have started to eat through the fiberglass tub. That may be why you can't clean it off. What color is the tub? Is it off-white or cream-colored? If so, that pigment may have mixed with the bleach to create the rust-colored "stain" while the bleach ate away at the tub.

Is the stain textured (bumpy/unsmooth)? If so, the above is a explaination. If not, then I'm way off target and full of crap.

By: messylissa

messylissa — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:46:32 -0800

Yes it is the Mildew Remover with Bleach, but I believe the tub is cast iron, not fiberglass (it is white though). The stain is completely smooth and uniform with the surface of the tub.

By: messylissa

messylissa — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:47:11 -0800

Oh, and I should add: we just tried steel wool on top of the bleach cleaner to no avail.

By: bedhead

bedhead — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:20:08 -0800

From Tilex's Mold and Mildew remover product site (similar product - most mildew removers have this info because they all have a similar action):

To remove this stain, soak paper towels in hydrogen peroxide, let stand on rust stain for 30 minutes and then wipe clean. (NOTE: Do not mix hydrogen peroxide and Tilex® Mold & Mildew Remover.)

So, rinse really, really well, and go buy a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and some paper towels. (I've done this before, years ago, when it happened to a friend's tub). YMMV, of course, but if the product site recommends it, it probably works for most people or else they'd get a lot of angry calls.

By: gjc

gjc — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:42:05 -0800

Try CLR on the stain.

By: LuckySeven~

LuckySeven~ — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:45:28 -0800

For future reference: you can remove mildew from a shower curtain by washing it a washing machine with bleach and a few old towels. Then hang it back up in the shower to drip dry.

Those heavy duty mildew cleaners are bad news for your lungs (and a waste of money); bleach works just fine and is cheaper. Whatever you use, make sure your place is well-ventilated when cleaning, i.e. probably not a good idea to let it soak overnight when, I presume, your windows are closed.

By: desuetude

desuetude — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:30:27 -0800

CLR should work, though its much nastier stuff than peroxide.

By: KenManiac

KenManiac — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:47:42 -0800

did the same thing, got rusty stains. finally rtfm'd, and the destructions on the bottle warn of this.

i think i used draino to clean it up. i have a rust prone enamel kitchen sink, when it gets nasty and dingy i use draino on it.

wear gloves, open windows, avoid eye contact.

By: mrbill

mrbill — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 08:33:13 -0800

the destructions on the bottle

How apt.

By: LobsterMitten

LobsterMitten — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:09:00 -0800

Don't use steel wool on your tub; you risk scratching it permanently.

By: messylissa

messylissa — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:44:01 -0800

Thanks bedhead, the hydrogen peroxide worked great.

And to everyone else, thanks for the tips. When I move from this mold-ridden old apartment (in the PacNW), I will definitely avoid those heavy duty cleaners. Unfortunately, I am stuck with the Lysol for another month.