Toilets, Sinks, Showers, Tubs and Disposals - how do you get an old white porcelin tub clean

I have an old porcelin tub where the previous owner used a tub mat on the floor of the tub and it left marks that I cannot get rid of. Is there a cleaner that works?? I have tried comet, ZUD and myriad household cleaners no luck.

Welcome to the forums! Don't use caustic cleaners on your tub. I have had good success with fiberglas tubs using a product like Oxyclean. I get a small bucket, fill it 3/4 full with water, then dump a little oxyclean in it. As it begins to foam, I pour it on the area(s) and rub it with one of those nylon "dobies" like you use in the kitchen. Neither will scratch your surface, and should remove the ground in dirt pretty good. Let us know if it works or not.

I've had success using baking soda and vinegar. It works sort of like scrubbing bubbles only it's ok for the environment. Just sprinkle on the baking soda, then drizzle in a little vinegar. Let it foam up for a few minutes then rinse away. Pour some down the drain to help remove soap build up there. This makes a great grout cleaner too.

The trick to using cleaners on stains is to give them time to do their job. Depending on severity of stains, repeat applications may be necessary. On old porcelain where abrasive cleaners and hard water minerals have etched or worn away the siliconized finish, stains tend to be a problem. Where finish has worn away, the surface becomes porous and absorbent of stains. Thus, the need to give cleaners time to penetrate and lift stains.

You can fill the tub with just enough water to cover the stains and dump in Oxyclean and allow to soak overnight. Vinegar solution left overnight may also be effective. No fume oven cleaner has been reported to be a good scum and stain remover on white porcelain. Zud and BarKeeper's Friend, both powdered cleansers, are usually very effective for removing stains and mineral deposits. Wet affected areas, apply cleanser to make a paste, and let set. If stains appear to be getting lighter, repeat applications.

I use a product called CLR-It works great on porc. toilets.
Buy it in plastic squirt container--Spray on a small area for a test--let it sit all night & see how it works..........

Tried the overnight soak of oxyclean (it is little cleaner) I am going to try the vinegar/ baking soda next, am in the middle of a remodel project, so am only able to do these cleanings from time to time. This tub is over 30 yrs. old and porcelin is pretty dull. I have the old flower shaped appliques, but am afraid to remove them as there will probably be marks from where they were affixed as with the rubber mat previously mentioned. I will keep trying though and will keep all "youse" guys updated as to my tub stain improvement extravaganza!!

Remove the dated flower stickers. Heating with hair dryer tends to make removal easier. Adhesive residue can be removed with solvent like Goof Off or Goo Gone. Apply remover. Allow time to soften adhesive. Wipe with paper towels.

thanks to Twelvepole for the applique suggestion, after that I still had the old tracks from the previous owner's bathmat that finally went away after I got on my hands and knees and rubbed 60 grit sandpaper for at least an hour. At last I got the faint black marks to go away after lots and lots of rubbing. This was an old tub and the next step was to have it re-porcelined. It looks much better now as I have white no-slip tape to prevent falls and the tub is white to match. I would not recommend doing this unless it is your last resort and you are too cheap like me :o to spend a couple hundred $'s for a new finish.

Thanks for the update. You can post a picture at www.photobucket.com (http://www.photobucket.com) or other photo site with a link here for us to see the results of your hard work.