How to choose and maintain a bathtub

May 05, 2023

The bathtub, which has taken a back seat to luxury shower setups in many homes in recent years, is experiencing a bit of a revival as people seek a place to soak away their worries along with the dirt of everyday life.

"It's a time to reset and relax," says Caroline Danielson, director of showrooms for Ferguson, a wholesale plumbing supply company. "A lot of bathtubs these days can come with different bells and whistles, whether you actually need to rest your muscles or you need to rest your mind."

Bathtubs have come a long way — and gone through many iterations — since the days of a humble galvanized steel basin that had to be filled with water heated on the stove. There was John M. Kohler's 1880s enamel-coated horse trough; the claw-foot models that graced bathrooms in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; the sunken tubs in mid-century green, yellow or pink; and the large soaking versions with jets that were popular in the 1980s.

Claw foots, fun colors and spa tubs are still available, but today's tubs are streamlined and more lightweight, thanks to material blends. They come in a variety of sizes, styles and materials, and with options that include aroma, chroma and hydrotherapy. Strategically placed jets can massage sore muscles. LED lights can change the color of the water. And built-in essential oil diffusers can emit a delicate mist of soothing scents. All of this can make shopping — and caring — for a new tub a bit overwhelming.

We talked to several experts about available materials and options, and how to care for and maintain your tub. Here is what they had to say.

Is my tub clean enough for a bath?

Fiberglass. Starting at around $200, this is the cheapest option, because it's easy to manufacture, says Eric Goranson, host of Around the House and a home improvement, design and construction expert with 30 years of experience. It's lightweight and shiny and lacks a steel frame, meaning it can be sprayed into a variety of forms, including compact spaces. And easy installation makes it popular with builders and landlords. It's also less durable and scratches, cracks and fades more easily than other materials, Goranson says. Expect a fiberglass tub to last for about 10 to 15 years.

"If you’ve ever gotten into a bathtub and you kind of feel like, ‘Okay, the plastic is giving way a little bit — I can hear it creak when I jump,’ probably that's fiberglass," says Danielson.

Brandon Pleshek, a third-generation professional cleaner and self-proclaimed "clean freak," suggests using some mild dish soap, such as Dawn, and a nonabrasive sponge to clean fiberglass. Rinse and then polish with a soft microfiber cloth.

Acrylic. For everyday functionality and ease of use, Danielson says that acrylic tubs — which start at around $400 for a base model and last 10 to 15 years — are a great choice.

Like fiberglass, acrylic is lightweight and shiny and sounds hollow when you knock on it. Many are double walled, meaning there's a sheet of acrylic on each side of insulation, making them more durable. Manufacturers offer them in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, and with tons of options, such as jets or air systems, heaters, speakers and Bluetooth functionalities, essential oil diffusers, and color-changing LED lights. Beware, though, the added features can quickly add up.

Pleshek uses a homemade spray of a cup each of water and white vinegar and a teaspoon of dish soap to clean acrylic. He wets the surface, sprays on the solution, then scrubs with a non-scratch sponge or soft-bristled drill brush. He then rinses and wipes down.

Any added systems, such as jets, also need regular cleaning to prevent mold growth, Danielson says. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on how to clean them, or you can simply circulate vinegar and hot water through it.

Cast iron. In Goranson's opinion, a sturdy cast iron bathtub is "the most luxurious" option. It outlasts other materials (think a life span of around 100 years) and costs between $600 and $2,000. Cast iron is easily identifiable by the bell-like sound it makes when you knock on it. Another quick test: See if a magnet sticks to it.

With these (and all natural material tubs) you should draw your bath hotter than normal because the tub's cold metal and the hot water equalize, Danielson says. The benefit is that the bath water stays warmer longer. Think of it like cast iron cookware, Goranson says, "once it gets warm, it stays warm." The downside is that cast iron is heavy, not easily customizable and harder to install.

To clean and maintain a cast iron tub, Pleshek wets the surface and sprinkles Bar Keepers Friend, a gentle abrasive, or uses that company's nonabrasive more spray with a Scrub Daddy (a scratchless sponge that softens in warm water). Danielson says cast iron withstands a little more "tough love" with scrubbing than other tub materials.

Steel. If you want the classic look of cast iron at a lower price point (and lighter weight), consider steel, which starts around $200-$300 and lasts 10 to 20 years. Steel has a tinnier sound than cast iron when you knock on it.

Stamped from a thin sheet of steel with glass enamel powder melted over the top, these tubs, like fiberglass, can be loud. They can also chip and dent, and those intrusions will quickly rust.

"It's just like a car door," Goranson says, "a metal surface with a paint on it." He says you can buy steel tubs that have sound deadeners on the back.

To clean a steel tub, Pleshek uses a DIY spray (the same formula he uses for acrylic) or Bar Keepers more spray and a non-scratch sponge.

Specialty materials. Generally manufactured by hand, specialty tubs, often chosen for therapeutic qualities or to fit a specific design aesthetic, are statement pieces commanding higher price tags. Materials include stone (and stone composite), copper and wood.

Stone composites blend stone and resin, making them lighter than their whole stone slab counterparts. Wooden tubs are often made from teak, which is oily with water resistant qualities. Copper tubs, depending on whether they are sealed or coated, have what Danielson calls a living finish that patinas beautifully.

Each of these materials will have very specific cleaning recommendations from the manufacturers, because of the delicate nature and range of variables.

Jerica Pender is a freelance writer in Olympia, Wash.