How To Clean Black Stains From Bathtub

Green-Bathtub
Lynda said, "I was told to use toilet bowl cleaner in my tub for the hard water stains. Now I have a blue-stained tub and still have hard water stains. Help! Will white vinegar remove both?"

Many products – bath products, cleaning products, and so on – contain dye, which can stain virtually any surface, including your bathtub. Thankfully, there are several products that may be able to remove a dye stain. Select a cleaner from the list below, and continue trying different cleaners until the stain is gone.

Removing the Stain

You Will Need:

Dish liquid
Isopropyl alcohol
Nail polish remover
Baking soda
Bar Keepers Friend
Oxyclean
Magic Eraser

Steps to Remove the Stain:

First, trying washing away the stain with some dish liquid. It's possible that they dye is still loose enough to be simply washed away with the help of a detergent.
Put some isopropyl alcohol on a cotton ball and use it to clean the dye stain off the tub.¹
Nail polish remover can be useful for removing dye stains, however, test it in a small, hidden area before using it as many kinds also contain dyes that could leave a stain.
Powdered cleansers can also work well on dye stains. Try using either baking soda or a commercial powdered cleaner, such as Bar Keepers Friend, to scrub off the stain with a little water.
Another option is to use Oxyclean. Mix a small amount with water to make a paste, then rub the paste over the stain with a cloth.
If the stain is stubborn, make a paste with baking soda and water, spread the paste over the stain, and let it dry. Wash off the dried paste, which should have absorbed some or all of the dye stain. Repeat the process as many times as needed to fully remove the stain.
Mr. Clean Magic Erasers can also work well on dye stains. Moisten the eraser and wipe off the stain.

Additional Tips and Advice

Dye stains can be difficult to remove, but persistence usually pays off with them.²
If the tub is white, you can try using bleach to remove the stain.

Sources

Natural Stain Removal Secrets by Deborah L. Martin
Don Aslett's Stainbuster's Bible by Don Aslett

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