Restoring bathtub finish after scrubbing with brass

[funditor]

Hey guys,

Please remove this if it's not forum appropriate, but I figure with all the talent here, someone knows what to do. And maybe it's relevant to some garage work.

I tried using a brass brush to clean heavy dirt off the bottom of my white (fiberglass?) bathtub. It worked well. Too well. Where I went heavy with it, the tub is now gray instead of white. The top coating is not nearly as hard as I had thought. Photo attached.

Will polishing or buffing bring the white color back? Or am I looking at having to recoat?

Thanks!

 

[Stuart in MN]

Sounds like you scratched through the gelcoat finish on the fiberglass, so the white part is gone for good.

 

[The Cobbler]

^^^^ yup, time for a refinish...

 

[funditor]

I thought this was permanent damage too, but I decided to try polishing for the heck of it. Chance to buy more tools, right?

It works! In the attached photo, the central streak of gray is where I had used the brass brush the hardest. Surrounding, lighter gray is also brush damage.

The rectangle on the bottom is where I wet sanded with 2000 grit paper for 5 minutes. (the sanding block was firm, so it didn't get into the recessed contours very well).

The rectangle on the top is where I hit the tub with a dab of brasso on a cotton t shirt for 15 seconds.

So I think I'm going to buy a thing of Fiberglass "R/V Polish" sold as Gel Gloss that I've heard good things about and try polishing the tub with that. If it's not abrasive enough, the brasso and elbow grease would be capable of the heavy work before finishing up with Gel Gloss.

I rent rather than own, so it doesn't have to be perfect.

 

[Thunderpigeon]

Are you sure that you have a fiberglass tub? Your photo looks like the nonskid bottom of a Kohler cast iron bathtub.

 

[mike93lx]

I rent rather than own, so it doesn't have to be perfect.

Yeah, screw someone else's property

 

[Shiftless]

Are you sure that you have a fiberglass tub? Your photo looks like the nonskid bottom of a Kohler cast iron bathtub.

I have a Kohler cast iron tub about 20 years old. The pattern looks just like that.
I clean mine with the liquid form of Bar Keepers Friend.

 

[like2wheel]

So wait

You took a WIRE BRUSH to a bathtub you don't even own??

This is why I was never a landlord...

 

[Cougar67]

So wait

You took a WIRE BRUSH to a bathtub you don't even own??

This is why I was never a landlord...

This is why I'm not any more.

My kid's tub is a cast iron Kohler with that pattern. Barkeeper's Friend is good on the non skid but hell on the chrome drain (I've replaced it once).

Kohler recommends this cleaner and it's amazing. I doubt a tenant will bother to purchase it. https://www.rog3.com/product/rog-ki..._term=pla-380127306858&utm_campaign=storeya51

The use of a brass brush is not appropriate on any tub material.

 

[Super Mech]

This is why I'm not any more.

My kid's tub is a cast iron Kohler with that pattern. Barkeeper's Friend is good on the non skid but hell on the chrome drain (I've replaced it once).

Kohler recommends this cleaner and it's amazing. I doubt a tenant will bother to purchase it. https://www.rog3.com/product/rog-ki..._term=pla-380127306858&utm_campaign=storeya51

The use of a brass brush is not appropriate on any tub material.

I’ve heard about this stuff. Hotels use it with great results. I alway wanted to purchase it but I was leary of the online reviews as they seemed too good to be true. Now that someone from GJ says it’s good I will be ordering it!

 

[JimNC]

First, determine what you have. Does a magnet stick to it?

 

[Marctrees]

It seems to me assuming it is CI that the brass deposited in the like micro pores of the non skid.

IMO - Make a slurry of BKF and water and buff heavily like compounding a car.

Test do a small area w firm pressure..The test spot will tell you if that is the fix or not..if so, continue like that or get a bonnet buffer.

I think that will remove the soft brass deposition and return to original finish.

At this point, it can't get any worse.

Good learning lesson... to think what one is doing.

Marc

 

[Superbec]

paint it .. rent another place ..

 

[Jolomite]

Try this- if it appears that the brass rubbed ONTO the finish of your tub (like how an aluminum piece of cookware will leave metallic marks in an old ceramic coated kitchen sink) you can easily remove/ dissolve the brass with ammonia.

Drummers clean their cymbals with a weak ammonia solution. Let some straight household ammonia sit on your stains and they might just come up.

 

[Marctrees]

Jolo may just have given the best answer.

I would definately try that first.

May need to lay out some paper towels fully wetted w the ammonia to soak a bit ? ?

Make sure no kids / dogs walk in to the vapors.

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

You can mix Ammonia w baking soda to get both chemical and mech abrasive action.

Might work alot better than w no abrasive.

Marc

https://www.google.com/search?q=amm.....69i57j0l5.6983j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Marc

 

[bradleykd]

Yeah, screw someone else's property

So wait

You took a WIRE BRUSH to a bathtub you don't even own??

This is why I was never a landlord...

This is why I'm not any more.

From the looks of that bathtub, I feel like the landlord hasn't cared about that thing for years. I think the OP is making this tub better for the property owner by trying to make it tolerable for himself/his family.

That thing looks disgusting. This is why I don't rent.

 

[bradleykd]

A thick paste of bar keepers friend and a lot of hand cramping should take care of it.

 

[Marctrees]

Soooooooooo...

funditor - How did this end up ???

Marc