How to remove scratches on an acrylic bathtub

Many housewives have long appreciated the advantages of bathtubs with acrylic coating. The products have an attractive appearance, are resistant to pollution, and perfectly maintain water temperature.

An acrylic bathtub requires careful handling. However, even if all operating standards are observed, it is quite difficult to avoid the appearance of chips and cracks. Don’t despair if small defects appear - you don’t need to buy a new bathtub; you can fix the damage yourself.

How to get rid of scratches on an acrylic bathtub

Purchasing and installing an acrylic bathtub is just the beginning. It is equally important to try to preserve its original appearance for a long time. But if this was not possible, you need to use a few tips.

Attention! Before you begin eliminating defects, thoroughly wash the entire surface of the bowl and then dry it.

Minor damage

Even minor damage must be repaired in a timely manner. Otherwise, with constant contact with liquid, the surface of the plumbing product will begin to deteriorate. This will lead to the fact that the bath will have to be replaced with a new one.

Before you begin removing damage, prepare the surface:

1. The bowl needs to be rinsed with water.
2. Apply a small amount of detergent to the damaged surface. Leave it for a few minutes.
3. Using a soft cloth, carefully clean the area where the detergent is applied.
4. Rinse off any remaining cleaning agent with running water, then wipe the surface of the bowl dry.

You will also need to purchase the following:

1. Polish. You can buy plastic polish at a car supply store.
2. Sandpaper. An option with a hardness of 1200 and 2500 is required.
3. Special pencil for acrylic surfaces.

To eliminate defects, you can use one of two options. The first is polishing the damage. It is cheaper, but with frequent use the thickness of the coating will decrease. The second is filling cracks and chips with a solution. It is more expensive, and the bathroom cannot be used for 24 hours.

Grinding the damage looks like this:

• first, the surface is treated with sandpaper with a grain size of 1200;
• the second step is polishing with sandpaper with a hardness of 2500;
• The last stage is to thoroughly wipe the treated surface using a soft cloth soaked in polish.

For the second method, you will need to purchase a special repair kit. It includes a pencil, a brush and one-component paint. The repair looks like this:

1. Using a brush, apply the composition, which has the consistency of sour cream, in an even layer to the site of the defect.
2. Apply paint to the treated surface. It should be used to cover the bathtub until the scratches are completely smoothed out.
3. The bowl should be left for 24 hours.
4. After 24 hours, the area where the defect has formed must be treated with 2500-grit sandpaper and thoroughly wiped with a soft cloth.

Deep scratches

Using a special kit for repairing acrylic surfaces, you can repair chips up to 2 mm deep. The composition is a putty containing a large amount of acrylic.

Reference! Before you start removing scratches, you need to buy a special compound and prepare the surface of the bowl.

To get rid of scratches, follow these steps:

1. The damaged area must be covered with masking tape.
2. Sand the area with 1200 grit sandpaper.
3. Remove the resulting dust with a vacuum cleaner. Apply alcohol to a cloth and wipe the surface thoroughly.
4. Prepare the mixture. How to do this correctly is indicated in the instructions for the repair composition.
5. Using a rubber spatula, apply the solution in an even layer to the damaged area.
6. After 30 minutes, carefully remove the masking tape.
7. After 24 hours, use sandpaper to sand the surface, then wipe it with a soft cloth.

How to avoid scratches on your bathtub

To avoid carrying out such procedures regularly, after purchasing and installing an acrylic bathtub, follow a few simple recommendations:

1. Acrylic is a soft material, so it does not tolerate rough mechanical impact. To clean the bathtub bowl, use only mild cleaning products: creams, gels, pastes.
2. You can find special products for cleaning acrylic surfaces on sale. Buy one and clean your bathtub or shower with it.
3. Drying water has a negative effect on acrylic. Therefore, after taking a bath, it is advisable to wipe the bowl with a soft cloth.
4. Hot objects can cause damage - try to avoid contact of the bowl with hot objects such as curling irons.
5. Do not allow heavy or hard objects to fall into the bathtub as this will damage the coating.
6. If a pet is washing in the bathtub, place a rubber mat on the bottom of the bowl.

The appearance of various defects on an acrylic bathtub is, of course, an unpleasant event, but not terrible. After all, you can eliminate them on your own using inexpensive means. With careful use, you can avoid scratches in the future.