Bath
Two baths made of different materials want opposite treatment, and they look almost identical once installed.
Precautions
- Check the manufacturer's instructions
- Test on an inconspicuous area first
- Never mix with other cleaning products
In detail
The first question about cleaning a bath is what it is made of, and most owners do not know. An acrylic bath is a polymer: the manufacturer excludes abrasive cleansers and solvents because both damage the surface, along with aerosol products and routine detergents and disinfectants, and for airjet models full-strength bleach or ammonia, on the grounds that chemically active solutions damage the surface. An enamelled cast-iron bath is glass fired onto metal: harsh abrasives used regularly will scratch and destroy it, but where a stubborn mark genuinely needs one it may be used sparingly and never without water. That qualifier is the real technique — an abrasive carried in water is lubricated and cuts less, while the same powder used dry concentrates its work exactly where it will show. Steel wool and abrasive pads are excluded on both in favour of a soft nylon brush. The two share one routine and it is the boring one: rinse and wipe dry with a soft cloth after use, which prevents both the soap film and the mineral marking that the harsher products are later bought to remove.
Related
Sources for this page
Sources
KALLISTA (Kohler Co.) · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That abrasive cleansers and solvents must not be used on acrylic, that aerosols and routine detergents and disinfectants are avoided, that full-strength bleach or ammonia must not be used on airjet baths, that harsh abrasives used regularly scratch and destroy enamelled cast iron and must never be used without water, and that steel wool and abrasive pads are replaced by a soft nylon brush. (states this directly)
Verification: a person has read the passage relied on.
Read on — The sections on nickel silver and chrome; brushed nickel, gunmetal and matte black; PVD finishes; acrylic, cast mineral and cast stone; acrylic baths with airjets; and cast-iron baths. Supports the claim as stated.
Last reviewed by a person on .