REASONS FOR BATHTUB DETERIORATION

Incorrect cleaning procedures | Water quality | Dripping taps | Chipping | Water temperature | Initial installation | Non-slip strips or mats | Cigarette burns | Plumbing drainage | Soaking of washing | Hair dyes | Nail varnish | Soap | Other reasons | Unavoidable causes

Recommended cleaning procedures
Experience has shown that the life of a bath, whether new or resurfaced, can be extended by many years if specific care is taken during cleaning and maintenance. Try this link for advice on correct cleaning procedures.

Here then, are some tips from our Bathcare Manual:

Incorrect cleaning procedures.

The greatest area of bath abuse occurs in the bath cleaning process.

Never use steel wool, abrasive pads or applicators on the bath. These will cause immediate damage to most bath surfaces.

Never use abrasive substances on sanitaryware. It is very tempting to try to remove marks with these substances but greater damage is always the end result.

The most important substances to avoid are abrasive powders and cremes.

Considerable damage can also be done to the bath by using acids or other chemical substances such as drain cleaners.

Of these chlorine, pool acid, bleach, vinegar, toilet cleaner and lemon juice must strictly be avoided. Most of these substances will remove stains from a bath but the surface glaze layer of the bath will also be permanently damaged in the process.

The damage that these products do can be described as follows. They clean the surface by "scratch" cleaning the dirt off. This leaves tiny scratches on the surface, which get filled with dirt each time the bath is used. So you scrub harder to clean them off, creating more scratch marks. Each time you clean the bath it will become harder to clean.

This cycle eventually leads to a complete break down of the surface of the bath. In effect you are gradually removing the enamel from the bath and the ultimate solution, if this cycle continues is the bath will need to be re-surfaced.

Water quality.

In some areas domestic water contains unacceptably high proportions of "foreign objects" which in time may either stain or scratch most surfaces.

Contaminants such as vegetable colloids and iron oxide will stain the surface. Even new bath surfaces are often stained as well.

In areas where the water contains a lot of lime, a sediment often builds up around the waste and below the taps. It is important to ensure that dripping taps are attended to, and water is not allowed to remain in the bath.

Dripping taps.

Damage caused by dripping taps over a period of time causes considerable damage to surfaces. Not only does it waste water, but it eventually breaks down the surface. We have seen many baths worn right through the enamel, especially below the dripping taps.

The first sign of damage is the staining of the enamel surface. This stain is usually green or a faint brown.

Rusty outlets.

Often dripping taps eventually cause rust around the outlet. Whether a metal bathtub is resurfaced, or new, and the taps continue to leak, rust will re-occur.

Chipping.

Most bathtubs are susceptible to chipping. Below are a few causes:

Damage during installation.
Heavy metal plugs.
Hand showers.
Loose tap handles.
Objects dropping off shelves or window sills above the bathtub or basin.

It is important to attend to damage as soon as possible to prevent further damage.

In many cases Mend-A-Bath offers a chip repair service which includes colour matching the area as well.

Call a Mend-A-Bath Franchise near you for more information about this service.

Water temperature.

Extremely hot water causes any bathtub to expand and contract. Sudden changes in temperature can cause cracks and other damage. It is advisable to periodically check the temperature of the hot water.

A temperature not exceeding 65 degrees centigrade / 149 degrees Fahrenheit is recommended.

Initial installation.

Poor installation of a bathtub can lead to pooling of water on the top and bottom edges of the bath.

Water left to stand on bare enamel surfaces for a long period of time will eventually cause damage. This is often the same damage caused by a dripping tap. High levels of chemicals in the water supply will only add to this concern.

Another reason for rust appearing around outlets is water unable to drain away because of the outlets sometimes being higher than the bathtub surface. This causes a "pooling" effect.

Correct installation of acrylic and fibreglass baths is critical, as severe flexing may result in the bathtub cracking.

Non-slip strips or mats.

It is unhygienic to leave rubber bath mats in the bath. Always remove the mat from the bath after use.

Mats left on the bottom of a bath trap water, becoming stained and unhygienic from mildew and soap deposits.

Water left to stand on bare enamel surfaces for a long period of time will eventually cause damage.

Stick-on non-slip strips can cause problems when the edges start to lift off, and, depending on the method of removal, can cause damage to the surface. Once the edges have lifted, they are also unhygienic.

Cigarette burns.

Cigarettes can seriously damage many types of baths, especially acrylic and fibreglass surfaces. Although most surfaces can be repaired economically, some damage is costly.

Vitreous enamel surfaces are not easily damaged by cigarette burns.

Plumbing drainage.

Poorly installed wastes can lead to water lying around the waste and not draining properly. Water left unattended will eventually lead to corrosion.

In acrylic and fiberglass baths the effect of water will often stain the surface, requiring severe cleaning methods which often remove the shine and can damage the surface.

Soaking and washing.

The dyes and residues from clothing left to soak in a bathtub can stain the surface of all types of baths. This can be difficult to remove and with acrylic and fibreglass baths can lead to the stains impregnating the surface.

Strong detergents in washing powders will eventually cause damage.

Soaking washing in a bath will eventually stain a bath and could also remove the shine.

Hair dyes.

Hair dyes contain very powerful chemicals which will stain most bath surfaces. It is advisable not to use hair dyes in any bathtub but rather in porcelain handbasins which are far more chemical and stain resistant.

Nail varnish.

Nail varnish often leaves marks on bathtub surfaces.

Nail varnish remover contains chemicals which cause damage to fiberglass and acrylic baths.

Soap.

Many soaps contain caustic soda which, in time, bleach many enamel pigments. Soap should not be allowed to stand on a bare enamel surface for a protracted period of time. The use of soap rests or soap dishes is strongly recommended.

Other reasons.

The frequent use of deeply coloured substances such as bubble baths and bath oils could also permanently discolour most surfaces.

The constant use of coloured disinfectants and soaps in bath water can result in stains which can only be removed with a specialized polishing process.

In some cases the stain penetrates the surface and cannot be removed.

Unavoidable causes.

There are a few unavoidable causes of surface deterioration.

The most common of these is the supply of discoloured water which often leaves a yellowish brown stain. Unfortunately, baths in these areas will show rapid signs of staining and discolouring, especially below dripping taps.

A second unavoidable factor is the effects of a cast iron or mild steel hot water system. These systems also tend to produce discoloured water which eventually stain the sanitaryware.

For more information on Mend-A-Bath International's services or franchise opportunities please E-mail Dave Collins

Save yourself the trauma of retiling, replumbing, repainting, mess, time and money. So exactly what is resurfacing and what can it do for you?

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