Find out what your bath is made of
Most UK baths are acrylic – lightweight plastic that feels slightly warm to the touch and sounds hollow if you tap the side. Steel enamel baths are heavier, colder and ring when tapped. Cast-iron baths, usually freestanding roll-tops, are very heavy with an enamel coating. Stone resin and composite baths are increasingly common in newer bathrooms.
This matters because acrylic scratches easily and is damaged by solvents and abrasives, while enamel can be dulled by acids and harsh scouring.
Everyday cleaning for any bath
Rinse the bath after use and wipe away the tide mark while it's still soft. For a weekly clean, use warm water with washing-up liquid or a non-abrasive bathroom cleaner on a soft sponge or microfibre cloth. Rinse and dry the taps and overflow plate to prevent water spots.
Cleaning by type
Once the basic clean is done, treat stains according to the material:
Acrylic baths
Use only non-abrasive cleaners. A paste of bicarbonate of soda with a little washing-up liquid lifts soap scum and tide marks when rubbed gently with a soft cloth. For limescale around the taps, use diluted white vinegar or a limescale remover labelled safe for acrylic, then rinse well. Avoid bleach left to sit, cream cleaners with grit, acetone (nail varnish remover) and solvent-based products, which can craze or cloud the surface.
Light surface scratches on acrylic can often be polished out with a fine acrylic polish or a specialist bath repair kit.
Steel enamel and cast-iron baths
Enamel is harder than acrylic but its glossy surface can be etched by strong acids and worn by scouring powders. Clean with washing-up liquid or a gentle bathroom cleaner. For rust-coloured stains from dripping taps, try a paste of bicarbonate of soda and a little lemon juice, left briefly and rinsed off, or a cleaner made for enamel. Fix dripping taps to stop the stain returning.
Stone resin and composite baths
These are usually cleaned with mild soap and water only. Many manufacturers advise against acidic limescale removers and abrasives. Check the care guide supplied with the bath before using anything stronger.
Yellowing, tide marks and hair dye
A yellowed acrylic or enamel bath often has a layer of body oils and soap residue rather than permanent discolouration. Fill the bath with warm water to above the stain line, add a cup or two of biological washing powder or a few dishwasher tablets, leave it for a few hours, then drain, scrub gently and rinse.
Hair dye stains are harder. Act quickly with washing-up liquid or a bathroom cleaner; on enamel, a little diluted bleach on a cloth may lift dye if the manufacturer allows it. On acrylic, avoid bleach and solvents and try a bicarbonate paste instead.
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Whirlpool and spa baths
Jetted baths circulate water through internal pipes, where soap residue and bacteria can build up. Every month or so, fill the bath with hot water to above the jets, add a whirlpool cleaner or a small amount of dishwasher powder (check the manufacturer's advice), run the jets for 10–15 minutes, drain, refill with clean water and run again to rinse. Clean the jet covers with an old toothbrush.
The bits around the bath
Bath panels collect splashes, hair and dust – wipe them with a damp cloth and clean along the bottom edge where it meets the floor. The silicone seal between bath and wall is a classic place for mould; scrub with a mould remover and an old toothbrush, rinse and dry. Sealant that stays black is best replaced. Grout above the bath is covered in our grout cleaning guide.
Overflow plates and plugholes hide hair and slime, which cause smells – see how to get rid of drain smells.
Professional bathroom cleaning
If the bath has heavy limescale, stained sealant and years of residue, a deep clean is a quicker way to reset the whole bathroom than a weekend of scrubbing. For move-outs, the bath, taps, overflow and panel are all on the standard end of tenancy checklist. Cleaners can't fix chips, crazing or worn enamel, though – those are repairs, and in a rental they are generally treated as wear and tear rather than a cleaning issue.
