Acrylic sink maintenance How to care for an acrylic bath at home: reviews. Removal of lime deposits

How to care for an acrylic bathtub, including those with hydromassage? What household chemicals and home remedies to wash plumbing to increase the service life? How to remove scratches from the surface?

The content of the article:

Acrylic is a wear-resistant material, it prevents the growth of microbes, and the surface has a dirt-repellent property. However, despite these qualities, the bath requires careful regular maintenance. Acrylic must be handled properly to extend its life and maintain the look and shine of plumbing fixtures. There are no special difficulties in care and cleaning, the main thing is to follow all the rules. Let's figure out what you can and cannot do when caring for an acrylic bath.

Positive properties of an acrylic bath

An acrylic bathtub is much lighter than a cast iron bathtub, which is important during transportation and installation.
The material is flexible, so the bathtub can be of different shapes and sizes.
Acrylic sanitary ware is produced in any color.
The material has a heat-insulating property, so the hot water temperature is maintained in the bath for a long time.
The bathtub is durable, strong and not afraid of blows.
The surface has a dirt-repellent property, which prevents the development of microorganisms.

Disadvantages of an acrylic bath

The material scratches easily.
The bathtub is subject to mechanical damage.
Acrylic is a polymer material that is not resistant to high temperatures. Therefore, smoking and using hot appliances (curling irons, curling irons) can deform the surface.
Care should be regular, and operation - careful.

Acrylic bath care: what not to use

The main drawback of the material is the lack of a reliable protective coating. Therefore, the bath is easily scratched, and with the wrong choice of cleaning products, it quickly fades. When washing an acrylic surface, it is important to be careful.

The coating cannot be washed with abrasive detergents, otherwise the shine will disappear and scratches will appear, in which dirt will accumulate.
Solvent, ammonia, acid and acetone will cause unique harm to acrylic. The bath will become cloudy, and with prolonged contact it will corrode the acrylic.
For care, you can not use chlorine-containing substances, since acrylic does not withstand chemical action. The use of chlorine will cloud the surface.
It is undesirable to scrape the surface of the bathtub with hard, metal and sharp objects. This will break the integrity of the coating and damage the enamel.
Before using a cleaning agent, read the composition: it should not contain alcohol, acetone, ammonia.
It is not recommended to put metal buckets in the bath and bathe pets.
Never put various objects in the bath: stools, metal basins and other household utensils.
Do not soak laundry in the bathroom for a long time, this will ruin the look of the plumbing.

Acrylic bath care at home: the best remedies

The chemical industry has developed many effective and safe acrylic care products that will keep the original appearance of the bathtub for a long time.

To care for the bathroom, you can use liquid dish detergents, liquid laundry detergents, liquid soaps and shower gels.
Dry washing powder must be dissolved in water and treated with a soapy solution.
If streaks and yellowness are found on the surface, then it is not necessary to wash the entire bath. It is enough to moisten a soft cloth in table vinegar or lemon juice and wipe the surface.
To get rid of rust, use special products to remove rust from acrylic surfaces.
Remove a small stain with laundry or baby soap, wiping with a soft cloth.
If you are using a cleaning product for the first time, then test it on a small area: there is no change, then feel free to use it.

Daily care of an acrylic bath

If you follow the basic simple rule, wipe the bath with warm water and a soft cloth after each use, then the need for the use of household chemicals will be reduced to a minimum. But there is not always time for daily cleaning. Therefore, you need to remember the main rules.

Rinse the tub with hot water immediately after bathing.
Clean with a cleaning agent once every two weeks.
Disinfect the tub once a year with a special acrylic disinfectant.
Alternative option: take a bath of warm water, add 1.5 liters of citric acid 7% and leave overnight.
Before bathing in a child's bath, clean the cover with normal soap and warm water.
Always turn the faucets tightly to prevent drips and rust from forming in the tub.
If the taps have hard water, then wipe the surface of the plumbing with a dry cloth to prevent the formation of plaque.

Acrylic whirlpool bath care

Pathogenic microbes accumulate in the tubes and jets of acrylic hot tubs. Therefore, to maintain hygiene and appearance, a number of measures are required.

To remove limescale, take a full bath of warm water and add a glass of vinegar or a packet of citric acid. Leave for 10 hours and drain the water. Wipe the surface with a damp and then dry cloth.
Pour special disinfectants into the jacuzzi filled with water above the nozzles and turn on all operating modes. After half an hour, empty the bath and repeat this procedure several times.
For an acrylic bathtub with a hydromassage, it is most effective to carry out prevention. After each bath, drain the water and fill with fresh water. Turn on the hydromassage for 5 minutes and drain the water. Then the pipes of the hydromassage system will not form pollution.

Removing scratches on an acrylic bath

Not only dirt can form on the surface of the bath, but also scratches that can be easily removed.

Polish small scratches up to 0.5 mm deep with a piece of felt without the use of special detergents.
Remove deep scratches with liquid acrylic. The repair kit includes a tube of liquid acrylic and a plastic spatula. Apply acrylic to the damaged area with a spatula, and after drying, polish with a piece of felt.

If you follow all the above recommendations for cleaning an acrylic bath, it will last a long time and retain its original appearance. In the meantime, we offer you to watch videos where they talk about the proper care of an acrylic bathtub.

It is not difficult to take care of an acrylic bath, you just need to know some of the nuances and features of the polymer material, as well as carry out all procedures regularly, and not once every few months. Proper care of an acrylic bathtub will preserve its dazzling gloss and whiteness of the surface, as well as extend the life of the product by several years.

Basic rules for the care of an acrylic bathtub

Acrylic bath care at home can be divided into three processes:

Daily surface cleaning.
Rust removal.
Removal of limescale.

In the first case, you can use special acrylic bath care products that have the consistency of a gel or cream. Alternatively, you can get by with ordinary household chemicals for washing dishes or windows. Apply the product evenly on the acrylic surface and leave for 5-7 minutes, and then thoroughly wash the bath. After that, rinse the bathtub with clean water and wipe the surface dry with a clean, soft cloth or special wipes designed for the care of acrylic.

To avoid rust, check the tightness of the faucet for leaks and do not allow drips to constantly fall on the same area of the surface. If, over time, yellow tracks form on acrylic, use only special products designed to remove rust from the surface of acrylic bathtubs.

The formation of limescale is inevitable, given the quality of the water in the main water supply. Even daily maintenance of an acrylic bathtub does not solve this problem, especially in hard water regions. If characteristic deposits appear on the sides of the bath, use vinegar or citric acid. Fill the bath with warm (not hot) water to the brim and add 1-2 cups of vinegar or 100 grams of citric acid there and leave for 3-4 hours. After draining the water, rinse the bath and wipe it dry.

These simple tips will help you effectively care for your acrylic bathtub and preserve its appearance and integrity of the coating for many years.

Features of caring for a bathroom after restoration with liquid acrylic

How to care for a bathtub covered with liquid acrylic - this question arises for almost all users who have restored their enameled or cast-iron bathtub with a polymer coating or.

In order for the new coating to retain its appearance and integrity, you should know a few simple rules:

In the first 10 days after, avoid sudden changes in temperature. At this time, acrylic undergoes final polymerization, so too hot or icy water can destroy the top layer of the coating.
If you have large animals at home, do not bathe them in the bath without a rubber mat, as they can scratch the acrylic coating with their claws.
Do not place heavy objects in the bath that could deform the thin polymer layer.
Don't stain things in the bathroom.
Care of a bathtub covered with liquid acrylic does not involve the use of cleaning powders, metal brushes, abrasive sponges and household chemicals based on chlorine and other aggressive compounds. These tools can quickly render the acrylic coating unusable.
To maintain the shine of acrylic for a long time, wipe the surface of the bathtub dry with a soft cloth after each use.

If you follow these simple rules, taking care of the bathroom after restoration with liquid acrylic will not cause any trouble.

Look at reviews of acrylic bathtubs from the same manufacturer and see how different they are. For some owners, the product quickly loses its whiteness, scratches appear on it, and there is not a trace of the former presentability, as a result, such users sincerely do not recommend acrylic products to others. Others, on the contrary, are delighted with their baths and generously share tips on how to keep their whiteness for years to come. Do you think someone got married, and someone was lucky? Not at all! Often it all depends on how the buyer reacted to his purchase.

What influenceslifespan of acrylic bath?

Danger 1. Each material has its own characteristics. With the numerous advantages of acrylic, however, he does not like being rubbed with hard brushes, and even with the use of cleaning agents, the so-called abrasive materials. In this case, the structure of the material is disturbed, micro-scratches appear on the ideally smooth inner surface of the material. Even if they are not visible to the naked eye, the remnants of foam and gel after hygiene procedures will “notice” them and begin to slowly fill. As a result, a yellow coating appears on the once snow-white bath. Light at first, but if you try to get rid of it with the same abrasive powders, then the scratches become deeper and dirt settles in them more and more, increasing the yellowness and worsening the appearance. So to the frequently asked question “Can I clean an acrylic bathtub with baking soda?” the answer is obvious. Of course not. The chemical activity of soda is minimal, but soda can scratch the surface of acrylic. The more diligent the hostess is in this kind of care for the acrylic bath, the faster the product will lose both whiteness and presentable appearance. Service life such care will reduce significantly.

Danger 2. The use time of the acrylic bath and compositions containing high concentrations of ethyl alcohol, as well as the following substances that can enter into a chemical reaction with the elements of acrylic and thereby change its qualities, will be corrected to decrease: dilute hydrofluoric and hydrocyanic acids, as well as concentrated sulfuric, nitric and chromic acids. Acrylic solvents are, in addition, chlorinated hydrocarbons (dichloroethane, chloroform, methylene chloride), aldehydes, ketones and esters. When planning to wash an acrylic bath, read the composition of the preparation that you plan to use so that there are no unwanted components in its composition. And the alcohol content was no more than 10 percent concentration. For example, if you are puzzled by the question of whether it is possible to wash an acrylic bath with domestos, then read the composition and make sure that such aggressive preparations for cleaning acrylic are not applicable, as well as Comet, Pemolux, Whiteness and others.

Danger 3. Owners often cause irreparable damage to an acrylic bathtub during repairs in the apartment, hair coloring, and so on, when various liquids are poured into it without thinking about their composition. Thus, do not even accidentally splash acetone, paint thinners, gasoline, pine turpentine, vinegar, citric acid, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine and similar compounds into the bath, as well as solvents and cleansers belonging to the chemical classes of ketones, diluted hydrofluoric and hydrocyanic acids, halogenated and chlorinated hydrocarbons (dichloroethane, chloroform), aldehydes, benzene, trichlorethylene. Accustomed to cast-iron bathtubs, which are practically unaffected by any substances, we habitually throw liquid or its remains into the bathtub without thinking about the possible adverse effect. Of course, in this case, not the entire surface of the bath is damaged, but, as a rule, only the area around the water drain. But this is what can cause such widespread cracking of the area around the drain.

Danger 4. It is also undesirable to rinse the acrylic bathtub with boiling water. Permissible water temperature - no more than 45 ° C. By the way, doctors agree with this, who recommend taking a bath with a water temperature of no higher than 40 ° C, since a higher temperature can adversely affect cardiac activity, and instead of cheerfulness, a feeling of fatigue will appear. And only for therapeutic and herbal baths, water can be made hotter by 1 ° C -3 ° C.

Danger 5. It is worth protecting the acrylic bathtub from mechanical damage. Heavy objects that have fallen to the bottom will leave dents, which, of course, can be removed with a repair kit, but not all damage can be repaired. Sharp animal claws can also damage acrylic.

How to wash an acrylic bath?

So, we now know how to clean an acrylic product. It remains to figure out how to care for them and what should be the means for washing an acrylic bath . And here everything is extremely simple. Smooth acrylic is easily cleaned with ordinary soap applied to a soft cloth or sponge. Any non-aggressive dishwashing detergent will do the job perfectly.

It is even easier to take care of an acrylic bath with the help of special tools. You can easily find them in major stores. They draw attention to themselves with the signature "For acrylic baths." In the assortment of our online store, by the way, there are such preparations, so when asked how to wash an acrylic bath, we will certainly offer Aquanet Acrylic Bath Cleaner with a spray. And not unreasonably. This tool removes unpleasant odors, destroys microbes. It is an aqueous solution of surfactants, a special complex of acids that does not have a harmful effect on acrylic, while also containing useful additives and flavoring.

It is a pleasure to use such a tool: just open the bottle by turning the tip of the sprayer and apply it to the surface to be treated. After half a minute, you can simply wash off the applied composition with water. And that will be enough. In case of severe contamination, the procedure should be repeated.

How to get rid of specific contaminants?

Often the state of the bath depends not so much on the care and love of the hostess for cleanliness, but on external factors: the composition of the water, the condition of the plumbing. For example, the appearance of rust spots on the surface of acrylic bathtubs does not depend on the quality of the material or the characteristics of its manufacture - this is a consequence of the high content of iron in the water. Because of this, a film of oxidized iron may form on the surface of the bath over time. Acrylic itself, due to its properties, cannot “rust”, just as it cannot become moldy, since it is a biologically inert material. The appearance of limescale on its surface, respectively, is associated with excessive hardness of water, that is, an excessive content of calcium and magnesium in its composition. Therefore, knowing the specifics of water in your area, you should take care that it does not affect the surrounding objects. And this is not only an acrylic bath, but also faucets.

If the problems associated with the specifics of water still appeared ...

How to get ridfrom limescale?

To prevent limescale from appearing, it is advisable to use coarse and fine filters in the water supply system.

Special care products for acrylic baths and, in particular, Aquanet Acrylic Bath Cleaner, will cope with plaque without negatively affecting acrylic.

How to get ridfrom yellow spots ?

If stains appear due to too ferrous water, then care must be taken to ensure that water from the mixer does not leak.

If the stains appeared due to the use of abrasive products, then the best way would be to restore it with liquid acrylic.

Craftsmen advise cleaning stains with a weak solution of acids: acetic or citric. But this should be done only if you have already damaged the smooth surface of the bath, which is why yellowness has arisen, and since there is nothing to lose, you can use this advice, given that it will not be possible to return the former whiteness.

Memo for the owner of an acrylic bath

Cover the bath during the repair with plastic wrap so that construction dust does not get on it;

If construction dust has got on the surface of the bath, then wash it off with plenty of water without rubbing it over the surface with a rag;

Do not leave cleaning agents on the surface of the bath for a long time - a maximum of 5 minutes;

Carefully study the composition of the cleaning agent before using it to care for acrylic bathtubs;

Do not use an acrylic bath for soaking and washing clothes;

Do not wash animals in it.

Acrylic baths are gradually replacing the usual cast iron and steel. Such popularity is due to high technical and decorative performance. Caring for an acrylic bathtub is easy if you follow the main recommendations. Daily cleaning of plumbing will keep its decent appearance for a long time. It is important to choose the right cleaning products. Otherwise, the material is easily damaged and the surface becomes dull. Hardware stores offer a wide range of suitable detergent formulations, but it is more practical and safer to use homemade recipes.

Acrylic does not oxidize and, thanks to a number of special additives, is not susceptible to the development of fungus and mold on the surface. Most cleaners are abrasive in nature and are not suitable for acrylic bathtubs. Small particles scratch soft material, make it faded. The following means are not allowed:

Powders with insoluble abrasive inclusions - such products quickly spoil the gloss. If single scratches can be eliminated by polishing, then a large area cannot be restored.
Chlorine-containing products and pure chlorine - lead to a sharp darkening. If you repeat the disinfection, small bubbles will appear.
Acetone - at first, acrylic becomes cloudy, and with prolonged contact, the solvent corrodes the structure.
Ammonia or ammonia - the effect is similar to a solvent, only with less intensity.

For light soiling, normal soapy water or clean water is sufficient. Steep boiling water adversely affects the integrity of the plastic. To avoid general cleansing, it is better to keep clean every day. It is advisable after each use to rinse the bowl with warm soapy water and wipe dry with a cloth.

The bath should be cleaned every 2-3 weeks: apply the product on the surface, wait a few minutes and rinse. Most often, owners of acrylic bathtubs are faced with yellowness. There may be several reasons for the appearance: improper care, age or hard tap water. A liquid with a high chlorine content contributes to the appearance of lime deposits on the walls.

Bath Care Instructions:

Fill the tub to the top with room temperature water.
Pour 1.5–2 liters of a weak solution of vinegar or citric acid. You can also take fresh lemon juice. Mix thoroughly and leave for at least 12 hours.
Drain the liquid, wash the surface clean and wipe with a dry towel.

When disinfecting, the procedure is the same, only any antiseptic is additionally used. Acrylic is well bleached with lemon juice and a weak solution of vinegar. Among professional bleaches, there are: Sanoks, SanElit, Cersanit, Fairy dishwashing detergent. To clean up dirty deposits, they recommend: Bass, Cif, Acrylan. The latter is produced in the form of foam, which protects the plastic from mechanical damage. It copes well with dirt, yellowness and bacteria.

Jacuzzi cleaning rules

Baths with hydromassage require a careful and responsible approach. It differs from standard models by the presence of nozzles through which the pump delivers directed water jets. Irregular use of the jacuzzi leads to the formation of limescale and pathogenic microflora on the outlets. The cleansing rules are as follows:

Fill the tub with hot water 6–8 cm above the level of the jets.
Disable air massage, if present.
Pour in a special cleaning compound. Suitable for dishwashers. To get the result, 50 ml is enough. For bactericidal treatment, 150-200 ml of vinegar is used.
Run the hydromassage equipment for 15-20 minutes. This technique allows you to remove the accumulated dirt inside the nozzles - it easily flows out.
Drain the dirty water and refill the tub. Start hydromassage again.

At the final stage, clean water will wash the inside of the nozzles. The bathtub is ready for safe use again.

Folk cleaning products

No less effectively you can clean the acrylic bath with improvised means. If the problem is only rust and yellow plaque, the following options will help:

Apply soda gruel to problem areas, leave for a few minutes and rinse with warm water.
Heat vinegar essence, combine with table salt. With the resulting mass, wipe the rusty spots on the plastic.
Dilute borax powder, moisten a rag. Wash the surface with progressive movements. All limescale deposits instantly come off.
Well cleans a solution of ammonia with water.
Darkening can be rubbed with ordinary toothpaste, and washed off after a few minutes. This technique returns the shine and purity of acrylic.

It is safer for acrylic if all of the listed ingredients are not applied in pure form, but diluted in a filled bath. The result will have to wait longer, but the likelihood of surface damage will be reduced to zero.

Repairing plastic damage at home

Whatever the care, the possibility of scratches on acrylic is not ruled out. The material is unique in this sense - damage is easy to do, but it is also quickly repaired.. Shallow scratches of a single nature can be easily removed with a piece of felt. Gloss is restored by sanding. More serious damage requires the use of liquid acrylic.

In such a situation, it is not necessary to call the master at home. It is enough to purchase a tool in a hardware store, and independently make the restoration at home.

Liquid paste is squeezed out on a scratch, leveled with a special spatula. After drying, polish with the same felt. There is no color difference. Even through holes are sealed using similar methods if the bathtub is made of pure acrylic (the bulk manufacturing method excludes this possibility). Scotch tape is attached from the outside, and acrylic is poured into the hole.

Despite the high cost of the product, it is easy to care for it. Any contamination is the result of human negligence. Proper maintenance can extend the life of an acrylic bathtub.

Light weight, good strength, beautiful shapes, the ability to retain the heat of water for a long time - all these properties are inherent in modern acrylic bathtubs.

However, acrylic - a material that already initially has increased wear resistance and dirt-repellent properties, requires careful regular maintenance. And for its safety, you will have to forget about the old habits of rubbing the bath harder with the obligatory application of aggressive detergents to it.

Such a bath should also not be used for washing or rinsing clothes, since acrylic does not withstand long-term exposure to washing powders and bleaches.

Acrylic does not accept scouring powders, which work like sandpaper, scraping dirt from the surface. Although if you have nothing else at hand, you can do the following:

Take a small bowl and pour a tablespoon (without a slide) of cleaning powder into it;
Add a tablespoon of water to it;
Thoroughly mix all this porridge with your fingers until a homogeneous creamy state, at which you will no longer feel particles of detergent with your fingers (you can add a little more water if you see fit);
Sponge the resulting "cream" on the surface with a thin layer (without rubbing) and leave it for 15-20 minutes;
Then gently rinse off the cleaning powder and wipe the surface with a clean sponge.

But dishwashing detergent is just perfect for an acrylic bath (it belongs to the so-called neutral household chemicals). But do not forget that the sponge with which you will apply this product should be soft (for example, made of foam rubber). You can also use a piece of soft cloth.

with hydromassage

An acrylic whirlpool bathtub will require not only careful cleaning of its surface, but also treatment with a disinfectant solution (7% bleach solution or other similar agent, the concentration of which must be selected strictly following the instructions for it). The cleaning-disinfection process itself is as follows:

Wash the tub with dish soap.
Then rinse it off thoroughly.
Make sure all hydromassage jets point downwards.
Take a full bath of water and add a disinfectant solution to it.
Wait 8-10 minutes and then turn on the hydromassage.
After about 5-10 minutes of operation, turn off the hydromassage, drain the water with the disinfectant solution.
Fill the bowl with clean water and turn on the whirlpool again, let it work for at least 5 minutes, and then drain the water again.
Using a sponge, thoroughly rinse the entire surface with clean water.

Repeat the disinfection process no more than once a month, as it is more often not advisable to maintain an acrylic whirlpool bathtub with a bleach solution (or similar compounds). Well, you can even wash with dishwashing detergent several times a day.

Removal of lime deposits

But if it is not difficult to disinfect, then sometimes it is not easy to remove lime deposits. Most often they are formed in the form of streaks under the nozzles of the hydromassage system.

It is necessary to take care of the acrylic bathtub constantly, but carefully.

If you are a supporter of home remedies (rather than household chemicals), then you can use one of the old proven methods:

wipe the places where lime deposits have appeared with a slice of lemon;
take a small piece of gauze (or cotton wool), soak it in acetic acid (6 or 9 percent) and wipe the areas contaminated with plaque.

It is necessary to wash off citric or acetic acid no earlier than 15 minutes after applying it to the surface. If necessary, the procedure can be repeated two to four times.

scratches

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to keep the surface smooth, scratches (deep or shallow) will appear on it. You can eliminate them with liquid acrylic (do not forget to polish it thoroughly afterwards). If your bath is not white, but has a shade, then it can be very difficult to choose the appropriate color for the material at home. In this case, it is better to immediately contact a specialist than to try to ignore a stain of a different color later.

In the same way (using a small amount of liquid composition), you can get rid of stains that cannot be eliminated by any detergents.

Liquid acrylic is sold as part of repair kits in the same stores that sell acrylic bathtubs. When purchasing it, immediately tell the seller the model of your bath so that he can more accurately match acrylic by color.