Best Bathtub Cleaners Reviewed

Comparing Home Bathtub Cleaning Products

Benefits of Choosing the Right Bathtub Cleaner

As a part of your home that gets used regularly, keeping your tub clean can help prevent the spread of germs throughout your home.

Using the right cleaners will also ensure that you don't constantly have to fight hard water stains, limescale build-up, mold, and mildew growth.

Using the proper cleaners on your bathtub can also restore it to look like new or keep the finish from peeling, especially if you have a porcelain, acrylic or steel bathtub frame.  

How To Find a Reliable Tub Cleaner

Home Water Supply

Determining the right cleaner for your bathtubs starts with knowing the kind of water that’s coming into your home. Hard water has a higher mineral count, which causes rust stains and rings around the drains of your bathtub. If you have soft water, you may not have these harsh stains, or they may not appear as quickly over time.

Bathtub Material

Different bathtub materials require different cleaners. A tile shower and tub may need a different cleaning solution so you can get into the grout areas. If you have a fiberglass tub or a glass shower door, you'll likely want to look for cleaners that can clean soap scum and mildew.

Cleaning Needs

Are you fighting mold, mildew, or layers of soap scum? Knowing what kind of conditions you’re fighting will determine the type of cleaner you need for your bathtub. Heavy-duty cleaners will be able to cut through the mineral build-ups on your bathtub surfaces, while other cleaners may just be for disinfecting purposes. There are even cleaners that can restore your bathtub to its bright white finish.

Cleaner Ingredients

Ease of Use

Many cleaners come in bottles and packaging that make them easy to use. If foaming cleaners or sprays are essential to your ability to clean your bathtub, then stick to these. Typically, these cleaners are already concentrated to produce the right amount of formula with each nozzle spray. Some cleaners even come in clever sponge erasers, so you can ensure you’re getting use of the cleaner and your money’s worth.

Cleaner Fragrance

If someone in your household has a sensitivity to smell, consider this when looking for a bathtub cleaner. Some of the heavy-duty cleaners can have harsh chemical or bleach fragrances, making them difficult to work with in smaller bathrooms without proper ventilation. Lighter, everyday cleaners may be a better suit for you and your family if you're trying to avoid inhaling harmful fumes.

Cost

Cost of each product is something you should take into consideration. How well does it clean? How much do you have to use each time? How often will you be using this cleaner? Answering all of these questions can help you choose the right cleaner for your budget. Look for how much you’re getting in fluid ounces of a bottled solution or how many sponges included in an eraser pack.

1. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser 2700032563

Mr. Clean is one of the most recognizable cleaners when it comes to scrubbing every surface in your home. The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Bath Scrubber puts a twist on the original Magic Eraser by adding in the refreshing clean smell of Febreze Freshness and the scrubbing action of DURAFOAM.

This bathroom scrubber is larger than the original eraser and has four times the scrubbing action, so you can easily erase those pesky rust stains, mold and mildew build-up, and soap scum in your bathtub, on your tile or shower door.

Mr. Clean has developed an all-in-one product that limits the need for other supplies such as spray bottles, clothes, and additional sponges. Simply follow the wet, squeeze, and scrub instructions to clean every surface of your bathroom, not just the bathtub.

While the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Bath Scrubber can clean most bathroom surfaces, it's abrasive nature should be taken into consideration. Stick to using this cleaning product on your porcelain, glass, fiberglass, and tile. If your bathtub is steel or acrylic, avoid using this cleaner since it will likely cause scratches. Remember always to spot test the eraser to ensure it's safe to use on your bathtub.

2. Oh Yuk

If you have a jetted bathtub, you know that cleaning out the jets can be extremely difficult. Well, not anymore! Oh Yuk has developed a cleaning solution that clears out body oils, soap scum, and black flakes, so you're left with a clean bathtub and jet system every time. Add this cleaner to your monthly deep clean, especially if you take baths regularly. Cleaning out the jets will ensure you’re not left soaking leftovers from the last bath—OH YUK!

Using this cleaner is easy. Simply fill your bathtub as you would for a bath, add the solution, and run the jets for 15-30 minutes. Drain the tub, wipe away the soap ring, fill the tub with cold water, and rinse out the rest of the solution in your jets for another 5 minutes. It's that easy!

Oh Yuk is an ammonia-based cleaning solution that produces little to no irritation while it runs through your jets. However, it’s always best to handle any kind of cleaner with care, so be sure to use gloves when adding it to the water and when you wipe away the residue after you’ve cleaned your jets.

3. Puracy

If you’re like most moms, you’re probably looking for all-natural cleaners and solutions that are safe to use on every surface of your home, not just the bathtub. That’s why many of them turn to Puracy Natural All-Purpose Cleaner. This product has been recommended by The New York Times, Business Insider, and Bustle as the leading non-toxic cleaner for any home. You'll enjoy more than 250 applications per spray bottle and can use it around the kids and pets without worrying about harmful chemicals and fumes. 

Puracy is the best natural bathtub cleaner that can take care of any rust, soap scum, mold, and mildew that you tend to find around your bathtub and other bathroom surfaces. You can even clean up lipstick off mirrors, streaks, water stains, grime, soap scums, and other tough stains. Puracy is also safe for all surfaces, regardless of material. 

As a natural all-purpose cleaner, Puracy is made from hand-selected plant- and mineral-based ingredients and contains no SLS, SLES, sulfates, animal by-products, dyes, chlorine, petrochemicals, or ammonia. It’s hypoallergenic and is “effective enough to clean a bathroom, safe enough to clean a highchair, and pure enough to clean glass.”

4. CLR PRO

Cleaning your porcelain tub and those stainless-steel fixtures can be a challenge with some of the abrasive cleaners on the market. With CLR PRO Calcium, Lime, and Rust Remover, you can easily remove rust stains from your bathtub, shower heads, trim and drain. Its industrial-strength formula makes it perfect for both your home's shower and tubs as well as commercial shower stalls and locker rooms.

CLR PRO is our best cleaner for bathtub rust stains for those households living with hard water. Rust and calcium deposits are a constant battle in your bathtub, but CLR PRO can help eliminate these from your surfaces, leaving behind a streak-free and shiny clean finish. Even if you don't have hard water, you can still use this cleaner to help reduce soap scum build-up and bring the bright luster back to your faucets and drains.

CLR PRO is designed to cut through and eliminate the limescale that can build up on your shower heads, and the rust or discoloration that can linger in your bathtub. It’s safe to use on stainless steel, plastic, ceramic tile, glass, shower doors, and toilet bowls.

5. Bar Keepers Friend

Bar Keepers Friend isn't just for barkeeps and taverns. It's also the best cleaner for fiberglass bathtubs, and homeowners rave about its bleach-free formula that can remove rust and discoloration, soap scum, and grime around their tubs. Widely used in its powder form, Bar Keepers Friend is will shine and clean any of your chrome bathroom fixtures, tile, grout, glass shower door, and porcelain sink.

Bar Keepers Friend is easy to use since you can just sprinkle the powder where you need it, rub it in with a wet cloth or sponge, rinse with water, and dry with a fresh cloth. The process is quick and easy, and there's no need to wait for it to set in since the formula works quickly and effectively.

If you have a fiberglass shower or bathtub, Bar Keepers Friend is the best solution to cleaning these surfaces. Many homeowners battle rust stains and discoloration at the bottom of their fiberglass bathtubs, making them look unclean. Bar Keepers Friend can restore your bathtub by removing all of that discoloration and those unsightly rust stains in a matter of minutes. 

6. RMR-86

Get ready to watch some magic with RMR-86. This cleaner eats away and removes mold and mildew in a matter of seconds. It works so fast you can actually see the mold disappear! Developed for disaster relief workers and a way to remove mold, water stains, and mildew from wood and walls, RMR-86 is equally the best cleaner for bathtub grime. It can be used on fiberglass, glass, vinyl, toilets, and shower doors, so you can rest easy knowing it's an excellent option for eliminating mold and mildew from these surfaces in your home.

RMR-86 comes in an easy-to-use spray bottle that’s already formulated and pre-mixed so you can spray directly on the infected area and watch mold and grime melt away. Its no-scrub promise means you won’t have to spend precious time and elbow grease scrubbing deep into the surfaces to get rid of all the grime.

RMR-86 is a powerful cleaner and should be handled as such. When using this cleaner indoors, make sure your bathroom fan is running, and there is plenty of ventilation. Always wear protective gloves and eyewear to avoid breathing in any harmful fumes or getting the solution in your eyes.

7. Home Armor FG502

Home Armor FG502 is the best bathtub cleaner spray for anyone looking to eliminate mold and mildew stains in the bathtub. This bleach-based formula attacks stains without scrubbing and has an integrated mold-blocker that creates a protective barrier in those hard-to-reach corners or grout. Add this to your bi-monthly deep clean and enjoy a mold-free shower and bathtub for up to two months.

Because of its bleach base, you'll want to have the bathroom fan and ventilation system running while you clean your bathroom. This bathtub cleaner spray can be irritating if it gets on your skin, so wear protective rubber gloves and a mask to avoid irritation to your lungs, hands, and eyes. Rinse your bathtub thoroughly after each use to prevent a lingering residue.

For its mixed formula and purpose, Home Armor FG502 is rather competitive in price with some of the other cleaners on the market. Since it protects your bathtub for up to two months at a time, you’ll find that your money goes a long way with this solution since you don’t have to use it as frequently as you do other household cleaners.

8. Bio Clean

Bio Clean is the most effective and safest way to fight that foggy film that’s covered your bathroom shower door and tub. This biodegradable formula is the best bathtub and shower cleaner for hard water and outperforms those other cleaners with industrial strength.

No matter how long you've been living with hard water stains and fogginess, Bio Clean can eliminate years of build-up with just one use. This manufacturer is so confident in their product that they provide and 100% money-back guarantee if you don't love the results. 

Hard water stains and limescale can etch into any surface, making them difficult to remove. That’s why many homeowners turn to the best bathtub and shower cleaner for hard water stains in Bio Clean. This spray-on formula is safe to use on all shower doors, shower stalls, chrome fixtures, tiles, granite, steel, fiberglass, sinks, and granite or marble surfaces.

One of the reasons homeowners turn to Bio Clean is for its non-chemical abrasive formula that smells great and works wonders. This solution will not cause irritation on the skin and is safe to use around your home.

9. The Bucko Soap

Soap scum is a combination of mildew, hard water, mineral deposits, soap talc, and body oils. The Bucko Soap is the best soap scum cleaner for bathtubs on our list because of its powerful industrial formula that cuts through this build-up with ease.

Simply spray this solution, let it sit, and then wipe clean. Finish off your bathtub cleaning duties with a simple rinse and watch your bathtub or shower shine. The lemon water scent leaves your bathroom smelling clean and fresh without the lingering smell of bleach or other harmful fumes.

The Bucko Soap comes in an easy-to-use spray bottle and is suited for any bathtubs made from fiberglass, porcelain, steel, or textured acrylic. It’s even septic safe, making it the best solution for homeowners who are worried about harmful chemicals in their tanks.

10. WET AND FORGET 801064

Make your weekly bathtub cleaning a breeze with the WET AND FORGET weekly bath and shower cleaner. The 64-ounce jug comes with a flexible spray nozzle that allows you to spray everywhere within your bathtub. It's self-cleaning, non-abrasive solution makes this the best cleaner for acrylic tubs and showers.

As the name would suggest, you can wet and forget. Simply spray this cleaner around your tile, bathtub, vinyl or plastic shower curtain, glass door, and faucet fixtures and walk away until the next day. Come back and rinse thoroughly to reveal a bright and clean bathtub.

An easy-to-carry handle and spray nozzle makes WET AND FORGET the best cleaner for acrylic bathtubs, glass tiles, stainless fixtures, and porcelain showers. Use this cleaner once a week, and it will help protect your bath and shower from mold and mildew build-up over the course of 12 weeks.

WET AND FORGET contains no bleach, ammonia, dyes, or irritating fumes. It leaves behind a fresh vanilla scent long after it has been rinsed away. It also contains non-abrasive cleaning solutions that won't scratch your chrome or steel fixtures while it cleans. 

11. Drano Max 6955687

When you take a shower or a bath, all of that soap, shampoo, body oils, hair, and dirt run right down the drain. You can't have a clean bathtub without discussing the best bathtub drain cleaner, which is why we've included Drano Max on our guide. Thick and formulated to bust through those hard to reach drain clogs, Drano Max is safe to use with PVC and metal pipes and won't ruin your septic system.

Applying Drano Max is simple, and you don't need any other supplies for it to work. In some cases, you can get a snake to help remove some of the clog, but that's not always necessary as this thick formula is designed to cut through the toughest clog. Dump it down the drain and let it sit for 15-30 minutes. Flush with hot water and repeat if necessary.

The cost of Drano Max will beat calling your plumber any day. For around $10, you can clear out the clog from any of your bathtubs or sink drains in as little as 15 minutes. Even if you have multiple drains and clogs, the cost of Drano Max is well worth the investment if you want to keep your drains clean and clear without having to wait for a plumber.

We've reviewed more of our favorite bathtub drain cleaners in this article.

Essential Bathtub Cleaning Supplies

Tips for Tub Cleaning & Maintenance

The method for cleaning your bathtub depends heavily on the type of surfaces you’ll be cleaning and how often your bathroom is used. Experts recommend that you clean your tub and shower doors or curtains weekly. If you have a shower curtain, keep this closed between uses so it can dry out.

You should also run it through a hot washer cycle to kill any bacteria from time to time. Family Handyman has plenty of tips and tricks for cleaning your whole bathroom if you're continually looking for creative ways to keep this space clean in your home. 

People Also Ask (FAQs)

How do I get my tub white again?

If your bathtub has rust stains or discoloration, use any of our suggested cleaners such as Bar Keepers Friend, RMR-86, or our top pick, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

How do you deep clean a bathtub?

Deep cleaning methods for your bathtub depends on the type of shower/tub you have. If you're looking for inspiration for your monthly scrub down, check out this step-by-step video.

What causes rings in the tub? What causes brown stains?

Rings or brown stains in your bathtub are caused by hard water, minerals, body oils, dirt, and grime that's been allowed to set into the surface material of your bathtub.

Can you use toilet bowl cleaner on a bathtub?

Toilet bowl cleaners are highly concentrated and are not meant to be used on your bathtub or shower walls. Stick to our guide for some of the best bathtub and shower cleaners.

What can I use to clean a refinished tub?

If your bathtub has been refinished, use a non-abrasive cleaner and sponges that won't remove the finish. All-natural bathtub cleaners are usually the best solution for this type of cleaning.

How do you clean a bathtub without scrubbing?

If you want to avoid scrubbing your bathtub, use a Magic Eraser to make quick work of riding the tub of those stubborn rust stains and soap residue each week.

Conclusion

Cleaning and disinfecting your bathtub starts with having the right cleaner and supplies. Our top pick for a quick clean with a deep scrub is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Yet, if you’re looking for other cleaning methods and solutions, be sure to reference our entire list of the best bathtub cleaners on the market.