How to Remove Paint From a Bathtub: before you reglaze or refinish the tub

You just finished decorating your bathroom and you’re happy with the results. However, when you go to take a bath, you realize that there’s paint on your tub. What do you do? Even if it is just a small amount of paint, it is still something that has to be fixed. Luckily this is often quite easy to do.

It is also possible that the paint on your tub is starting to peel and you want to add a new layer of paint. Reglazing a tub or sink can give it a complelty new look and feel.

Let’s take a look at how you can do this.

This article will give you insight into how to remove paint from a tub without much hassle.

What You’ll Need to remove paint from a bathtub

To get started, we will need some items.

– Cleaning supplies: You’ll need some cleaning supplies to make sure the paint is gone for good. For example, you’ll need a broom, a vacuum, a mop, and cleaning supplies like gloves and old clothes. 

– A bucket: For this, you’ll need a bucket that you’ll use to mix a cleaning solution with water. This will be used to remove the paint from the surface of the tub. 

– Rubber gloves: You might not realize this, but paint can be toxic. You’ll need rubber gloves while cleaning the surface of the tub to prevent the paint from coming into direct contact.

– A towel: You’ll also need a towel to dry the tub after you’ve cleaned it.

-Plastic bags to make sure that the cleaning product doesn’t drip in the drain or on other parts of the tub.

How to Remove Paint From a Bathtub

There are 2 things that affect what cleaner you should use: the material of the bath and the type of paint that has been spilled.

Below are some things that you can try when removing paint from a bathtub. You can try it out on a small part of the tub to see if the product doesn’t discolor your bath. Do this before applying it all over the paint stain.

– Clean the surface of the tub: Clean the surface of the tub thoroughly to remove any loose paint that is on the surface. You can do this with a brush, sponge, or an old toothbrush. Don’t use sharp items as this can scratch the surface of your tub. 

How to remove Epoxy paint from a bathtub

 – Use vinegar to remove paint: Put a few cups of vinegar on the surface of the tub and leave it there for about ten minutes. After ten minutes, clean the surface of the tub with water. You’ll be surprised to see that the paint is gone. Don’t use this on metal baths or other materials that can’t handle this.

– Use bleach to remove paint: You can use bleach to remove paint from the surface of the tub. Simply put a few cups of bleach on the surface of the tub and leave it there for about ten minutes. After ten minutes, scrub the surface with a toothbrush. The surface will be clean. Don’t use this on metal baths or other materials that can’t handle this.

– Use baking soda to remove paint: You can also put baking soda on the surface of the tub and then scrub it with a toothbrush. The baking soda will remove the paint in a lot of instances. This is mainly used to remove small drips of paint.

How to remove latex paint from a bathtub

Latex paint can be harder to remove and we might have to use a stronger product for this.

You can also use dedicated paint removers. These products often detail what surfaces you can use them on and what types of paint they can remove. Make sure to follow the instructions. Check if you can use it in your bath. The great thing about these is that they work for several types of paint. They are more expensive than other products though.

Wear the right protective equipment when you use this. These products can have a strong smell so you might have to open up a window after you are done. You also have to avoid pouring this down the drain. It is often collected separately at the garbage collection. Make sure to have some old towels nearby to clean it up if you spill some of it.

-How to Remove Paint from a Bathtub Using Acetone

Acetone works great to remove oil-based paints such as enamels or acrylic paint. 

This has to be handled with care though so wear protective equipment when you use this.

 Put a few spoons of acetone in a bucket and then add water to it. Mix the acetone with water until it becomes a consistent texture. 

 Put a clean towel or a paintbrush in the mixture. 

 Wipe the surface of the tub with the towel that’s in the bucket. Make sure you’re wearing rubber gloves while doing this.

  Let the mixture sit on the surface of the tub for about ten minutes. 

After ten minutes, wipe the surface of the tub with a clean towel. The paint will be gone.

If the previous options didn’t work, you can opt to repaint the bath. There are special paints for this and it can make your bath look brand new! This might involve some more work but while you are working on your bath, you might as well give it a new look.

This can have a big impact on the look and feel of your bathroom. It can be a big upgrade for your house for a relatively small amount. You can’t use the bath for several hours after this though. These paints can last several years so it might be something that you want to look into as well.

To conclude, we can state that there are a lot of ways to remove paint from a bathtub. These can even be used on the tub surround.

The best option depends on the type of paint that has been splashed on the bath.

Just make sure that you don’t use a product that damages your bath. Examine if your bath can handle the material. 

Steel brushes, for example, can scratch metal baths and shouldn’t be used for this reason. Make sure that these products don’t come in contact with the faucet or drain as they might damage them.

We have discussed how to repair a cracked tub here.

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