If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, you may have recently re-tiled or regrouted your tub but forgot to mask off the tub itself, and now you have dried, rock-hard blobs of grout or tile mortar stuck to the tub surface. The good news is that all of these things will come up eventually. It just takes some elbow grease—and some care—to prevent scratches.
How to Remove Drywall Compound From a Tub
Drywall compound, or mud, is water-soluble. Unfortunately, the mud is not as water-soluble as you might hope. It will not quickly dissolve the instant water comes into contact with it. You still need to work on it. In fact, painters and drywall contractors clean their tools the instant they finish using them, long before the mud can dry. Once the mud has dried, it is still possible to remove but it becomes a lot more difficult.
How to Clean Grout or Mortar From a Tub
Tile grout and thinset mortar are cement-based materials and are more difficult to remove than drywall mud. Grout and mortar are not water-soluble, so the soak-and-scrape method (as you might do for drywall compound) will not work here. Also, grout and mortar are gritty and can scratch the polished surface of a bathtub. Therefore, in addition to removing the mess from the tub, your aim is to minimize any damage.
Removing Tough Grout or Mortar Residue
The cement in grout and thinset tile mortar can leave set-in stains in almost any surface, including tubs. If you’ve tried scrubbing with a cleaning solution and a sponge or scrubber, but the discoloration remains, another thing you can try is a commercial grout haze remover. Grout haze removers are designed to remove the whitish haze that forms on the faces of tile after the grouting process, but they can also help with grout stains. Apply a grout haze remover according to the manufacturer’s directions. Usually, this involves wiping with a paper towel or a clean rag. If that doesn’t do the trick, you can try a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, along with the remover product.
