Cleaning Porcelain Enamel Fixtures

Smooth, clean porcelain enamel surfaces in a bathroom or kitchen can really make the room. Keeping those surfaces sparkling is key.

Porcelain is made by fusing powdered glass onto some sort of base (metal, glass, or tile) at a very high temperature. As the glass powder melts, it flows evenly across the surface, eventually cooling to form a very hard, smooth, durable finish. When cleaning this lovely smooth surface, it's important to keep in mind that while the material is extremely hard, it can still be chipped by hard blows and bumps or damaged by harsh abrasives and long-term use of acids.

Cleaning Porcelain Enamel

To start, simply wash porcelain with a dilute mixture of warm water and soap. Need a little extra? A paste made from warm water and baking soda will help to remove dirt and soap scum.

If a more ambitious cleaning is called for, there are some other options. In general, we caution against using strong commercial bathroom or surface cleaners (see our blog post Non Toxic Home Cleaning Alternatives), but many of these can be used on porcelain.

Chlorine or hydrogen peroxide bleach works well at removing tough stains. (Try the more eco-friendly hydrogen peroxide first.) Remember to wear gloves, always dilute them before using, and rinse them off after a few seconds of use. And, in case you were wondering, bleaches won't work on removing rust.

You can remove heavy deposits of dirt, grease, or soap scum with a solution of 1 tablespoon of a TSP (trisodium phosphate) substitute mixed with 1 gallon of hot water - just don't combine this with other cleaners. If you've tried something else first be sure to flush the area well with water first before switching to TSP.

And what if you do have rust stains? Well, there are a few options. Two fall squarely in the 'Not Good for Septic Systems OR the Environment' category.

ZUD Cleanser packs a little something extra to regular household cleansers and will remove rust and mineral deposits. The caution is that the oxalic acid in ZUD will wreak havoc with the biology in your septic system. So a big caution there.

The second un-friendly option is a proprietary chemical cleanser called The Works. It's been around a long time. The catch with it is that it contains hydrochloric acid - so you've definitely got to be careful using it, and it's not going to be good for septic systems.

For stubborn rust stains - particularly if you have a septic system - start with the more eco-friendly option of simple manual removal with a pumice stick, open weave sand cloth or similar gentle cleaning material. (See also: Shaw's Pads) Rust staining can come from hard water deposits or from rusting pipes and fixtures. Addressing either of those sources, if you can, will also help to minimize stains.

Cautions:
Most scouring powders have gritty particles that make tiny scratches in the surface of porcelain. They clean the surface but the tiny imperfections left in the porcelain's surface then catch more dirt, hard water deposits, and soap residue. Avoid using scouring powders, but if you must to remove a particularly stubborn stain, use the finest scouring powder you can find.

Acetic and muriatic acids can be used to remove some stains, but they can slowly disintegrate the surface coating of porcelain enamel, eventually attacking its metallic base. So a big caution on prolonged use of acids. If you do use an acid, apply briefly, rinse thoroughly, and be sure to wear rubber gloves.

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Thinking of restoring an old enamel tub or searching out vintage fixtures? You might be interested in the following online articles:

Restoring old tub often worthwhile, SF Chronicle
Restoring an Aging Bathtub, NY Times

photo credit: romana klee