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How To Make Your Old Fiberglass Bathtub Or Shower Look New

Is your fiberglass shower or bathtub old and dingy looking? Here is how to easily make a tub and shower look new again! Your fiberglass bathtub or shower will scratch over time. The small crevices will allow dirt and grime to build up over time. Using the tub daily makes it hard to clean the soap scum and dirt as it gets embedded which causes black stains and water spots. Here is a fairly easy way to completely scrub and buff your fiberglass tub or shower and make it look brand new.

how to make your bathtub new again

Shower/Tub Cleaning Mixture: Use a quart of hot water and mix a large amount of baking soda and a half cup of the dish soap. Once the items are mixed, it will start to form a paste. Add enough baking soda until the mixture is able to stick to the shower or tub walls.

cleaning mixture for fiberglass tub

How To Apply The Mixture: Use a sponge and apply a large amount of paste to the walls and floor of the shower or tub. (BE CAREFUL AS THE TUB FLOOR SURFACE WILL BE SLIPPERY) Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes and then scrub vigorously. After scrubbing you can rinse the fiberglass with cold water and use a towel to remove any water on the walls or floor. At that point you can use a Magic Eraser to wipe everything down once again.

sponge

How To Make Your Shower/Tub Sparkle Like New: Use a marine grade rubbing wax compound that’s made for fiberglass. You will also need an orbital buffer and a good quality auto wax. Apply a small amount of the marine grade rubbing compound and work in small sections. Do not stay in one area too long as it will burn the fiberglass. Then buff the rubbing compound with a terry cloth rag. Repeat the complete process with the auto wax. After you apply the auto wax, use a terry cloth and buff to a shine. Then rinse with cold water to harden it.

orbital buffer and wax compoundsMarine Polish – Orbital Buffer – Premium Car Wax

Once your tub or shower is completely buffed and clean it is best to buy a bath mat to avoid slipping as the shower/tub will be slippery. Your tub/shower should now look as good as new!


Here is a different but effective way to clean your bathtub or shower

Do you have a better more effective way to make a fiberglass shower or tub look like new again? Please leave a comment below.

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4 thoughts on “How To Make Your Old Fiberglass Bathtub Or Shower Look New”

  1. Richard B Popovich

    This mix is amazing.
    It works far better than anything you can by commercially.
    We have a shower stall that was the original when the house was built in 1980.
    It was a total disaster.
    I didn’t think anything could make a dent in the crud that was on it, but this recipe did the trick.
    When it says you need to keep adding baking soda to make a good paste, you really need to add a LOT of baking soda to make the paste with the amount of water/Dawn liquid.
    I would recommend cutting the recipe in half because the paste is really thick and it goes a long way.
    I also used an electric rechargeable drill with a scrub brush to really scrub the floor and walls to get the old discoloration off the surface and get it ready to prepare the surface for refinishing.

  2. Hi,
    I have a shower/bathtub combo. I bought the house last year. I do not know if the material is faberglass or acrylic. I googled on the subject but I still can’t tell. Do you think your method will work on acrylic too?
    Thank you!

  3. DIY Project Help Tips

    Diane,
    Depending on the type of tub you have, it will vary. Fiberglass versus Porcelain will need different rubbing polishing compounds. Marine grade polish is a good choice with a buffer and the tub will look like new.
    -RR

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