Bathtubs are supposed to be places where you can take a nice, cozy, bubbly, warm bath after a long tiring day at work. They aren’t meant to be home for paint cans, drywall compound, grout, mortar, and other debris. If you’ve recently attempted to re-glaze or re-tile your bathtub with the help of DIY tutorials online, there are chances that your tub is marred by dried, hard droplets of grout and mortar.

But don’t fret. Those tough blobs can be removed pretty easily; if you know the right steps.

Removing Grout and Mortar from Your Bathtub

Tile grout is a combination of sand and cement mixed with water that’s used for filling voids between the tiles. Similarly, tile mortar is also a mixture of water, sand, and cement. Grout and mortar are insoluble in water, which makes it harder to remove them from your bathtub. It’s also important to be extra careful while attempting to clean grout and mortar as they are excessively grainy, and mishandling can lead to scratches on the finish of your bathtub.

Ahead, we’ve rounded up some ways to help you successfully remove tile grout and mortar blobs from your tub, while keeping any damage at bay.

Step 1: Pop the Blobs

To begin with, you’ll need a tongue depressor, a wooden ice cream stick, or any flat edged scraper. If you’re using a scraper, make sure it doesn’t have sharp edges that can damage the surface of the bathtub. Use any of these tools to scrape off the hardened blobs of thin set mortar or grout.

Step 2: Take Care of the Loosened Blobs

Once you’re done popping off the dried grout and mortar, collect the residue from the tub. Make sure you don’t drop it off on the tub again, as it can scratch the tub’s surface.

Step 3: Vacuum Cleaning

After collecting the loosened grout and mortar blobs from the bathtub, clean off all the dust and any other debris using a vacuum cleaner. Do not mop, sweep, or wipe your tub for cleaning the debris to avoid any scratches on your bathtub’s surface.

Step 4: Scrubbing

When you’re done vacuuming, inspect the bathtub thoroughly for any leftover debris or dust particles. After ensuring that there’s no more gritty material on the tub, begin with the scrubbing part. Mix a non-abrasive cleaner in a bucket full of water and soak a sponge in this mixture. Next, scrub the affected discolored parts on your bathtub’s surface using that sponge, and rinse the entire surface thoroughly. Repeat this process, if you think the discolored parts aren’t cleaned properly.

Step 5: Makeover Time!

Your last step would be polishing and buffing the discolored patches on your tubs surface. Use a white colored polish (or any color similar to your tub’s) to brighten up dull areas. Then coat the surface with a layer of liquid wax for long lasting protection and shine.

Getting Rid of Rigid Grout and Mortar Stains

Grout and mortar both consist of cement as a binding agent, which can leave tough and permanent stains on the surface of your tub. Often times, these stains don’t even come off after hours of scrubbing. If the cement stains on your bathtub aren’t leaving their place, hire a professional bathtub refinishing in NY.

At Reglazing Plus Inc., we offer a comprehensive range of reglazing and refinishing solutions for your bathtub at affordable rates. Contact us at 866-399-8827 to learn more about our bathtub reglazing in Brooklyn, New York!