How to wash a cast-iron bath?

No matter how many bathtubs from various materials are invented, cast iron always remains a classic option for all generations. However, cleaning such a bath requires a lot of effort. Agree that using a perfectly clean bathroom is much nicer than the one where its main component looks very old and scruffy. In this article we will tell you how to wash a cast-iron bath and bleach it, as close as possible to its original appearance.

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Causes of pollution

First you need to understand the causes of various types of pollution and find out what they are:

• A common problem of pollution of all cast-iron bathtubs is the active use of various zirconium salts that occur during the application of special protective enamel on the bathtub coating. Such a connection from the very beginning was not protected from the appearance of various types of rust in chips or other small defects in the capacity. For this reason, after a long time, this coating, under the influence of various types of dirt, lost its pristine sheen and whiteness.
• The cause of contamination may be normal plaque after using the bath. It is that very “dirt” that we wash off from ourselves. The composition of this plaque includes particles of the human skin, discharge from it and a soap solution that mixes all this. In order not to think further how to wash the old cast-iron bath, it is enough to rinse it after each bath.
• Soapy coating. Various compounds in soap hygiene products, if not washed off, form a coating. It is easy to avoid if you wash away the rest of the soap from the bowl of the bath.
• Hard water may also be the cause. In this case, the liquid on the entire surface will deposit various salts, which subsequently form a white or yellow coating, which will be difficult to dispose of. It can be removed using special tools that include acids that dissolve calcium compounds.
• Rust is also very difficult to remove. It appears due to too high iron content in the water used.

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We clean the bath: useful tips

So, we need to clean the cast-iron bath. But how to do this without damaging its surface? We offer you some useful recommendations on this procedure:

1. When choosing a special tool must be guided by the degree of surface contamination. If the bath is cleaned frequently, we recommend purchasing softer products (preferably gel) that protect the top coat. In the event that the contamination is very strong, it is recommended to buy strong acids, with which you can easily get rid of unwanted yellowness. However, keep in mind that such aggressive products damage the already enriched enamel more severely.
2. Use protective equipment, work with gloves and a disposable mask. Any, even the weakest and most mild, remedies can greatly harm the skin of the hands of the hostesses or, even worse, the respiratory tract. For added security, it is necessary to open all the windows in the room, in order to avoid the ingress of various chemicals into the body.
3. In no case should you rub the bath with hard, metal sponges and brushes. So you even harder the enamel and whitening it will be much more difficult.
4. Do not use toilet cleaners.Although the plumbing is a bit similar to each other, such products still adversely affect the bath due to its aggressiveness.
5. It is not recommended to use chemicals, including hydrochloric, oxalic acids, as well as alkalis and aldehydes.

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What is the best cleaning?

Now a little about the best tools available for cleaning old plumbing to clean the enameled bath to a shine. Special tools, which are easy to find in stores, will help us to get rid of this type of plumbing. Let them cost a little more, but they will act more effectively than their counterparts.

Here are some examples of the best detergents:

• Domestos. It can be used for regular maintenance of any plumbing, despite the fact that it contains chlorine. Using this detergent, you can easily remove light and medium, and even very persistent dirt.
• Cif. It happens both in gel and cream consistency. Perfectly removes yellowness from the surface.
• Cillit bang. This tool is also well suited for regular cleaning, and even durable rust can do it.
• Gel Comet. It is used to bleach the coating and remove strong impurities.
• Pemolux. Ideal for cleaning old cast-iron bathtubs with already damaged enamel. It is the safest for humans in its composition, when compared with all of the above means.

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We restore the damaged enamel

If none of the cleaning products for the cast-iron bath helped you, there is only one way out - restoration of damaged enamel. But there are drawbacks:

• The new coating does not fix the old problem;
• The price of this procedure is almost the same as the price of a new bath.
• Violation of the technique of the restoration procedure leads to unnecessary material losses, because in a year your bathtub will become more deplorable.

This procedure takes place by powder spraying the new enamel over the old layer. To do this, the wizards do the following:

1. Dismantle the plumbing.
2. They make the maximum cleaning of the bath from the old enamel layer, resorting to a special sandblasting device.
3. Polish the treated surface.
4. Dry it and degrease it.
5. Apply a new powder coating.
6. It is baked in a specially treated chamber with high air temperature.
7. Apply several layers of protective varnish.

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Care for a new coating

The main rule will be to keep the plumbing dry. Even because of a small puddle at the bottom of the tank, a new coating may form. That is why it is recommended to wipe the bath with a dry cloth after each of its use.

If you still were too lazy to dry the surface every time, here is a small algorithm, adhering to which you can easily clean the enameled bath to a shine:

1. Pour warm water into the bath.
2. Add approximately 200 ml of vinegar essence. Do not worry, in such quantity it will not harm the new enamel.
3. Leave the filled bath in this condition for 2-3 hours.
4. Drain the used water and flush the plumbing with plain water.

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Stock footage

So, we can say that a cast-iron bathtub is a very good and high-quality thing, however, care for it should correspond to its quality. The most important thing is to adhere to the basic rules and tips that are given in the article so that there are no further questions about cleaning cast-iron bathtubs.