Abrasive Bathtub Cleaning

Workspace preparation

The abrasive cleaning process is quite dusty, so the room must first be prepared for such work. It is necessary to take out all small things and accessories from the bathroom, and what cannot be taken out should be carefully hung with a cloth or covered with plastic wrap.

In addition, it will be necessary to close the ventilation openings and functional parts of devices which are permanently installed in the room.

Repairperson Protection

For the protection of the repairperson’s to respiratory tract and eyes from dust, a mask or respirator and a special protective screen for the eyes should be used.

Dust is quite fine and corrosive, so using these protective gears should not be neglected. This is especially important for abrasive cleaning with the use of electrical appliances, when there is not only an intensive formation of sawdust, but fragments of chipped enamel can also get into the eyes.



• Instruments

  Abrasive cleaning of the enameled surface of a bath can be done manually or using electrical appliances. Manually, ordinary sandpaper is used for this. It is more convenient and better for the repairperson if it is attached to a wooden bar of suitable length with the help of a special device. Manual cleaning takes longer, but the dust from it scatters much less.

To speed up the process, you can use a specially shaped nozzle on a drill or a grinder with a grinding disc. Such work requires skill and coordination of movements so that the layer to be removed is the same over its entire area.

Careful abrasive cleaning of the surface is necessary in order to ensure good adhesion of the subsequent coating. There should be no smooth areas, because the material will not hold firmly on them.

Particular attention should be paid to the bottom of the bath, as well as the rounding, the place where the walls transition to the bottom of the bathtub. It is in this place that uncleaned areas are most often encountered, and as a result, there may be a lack of coupling in these places.

Abrasive cleaning of bath should be carried out in different directions: the repairperson should make circular movements to the left and right, as well as horizontal and vertical.

In pursuit of the ideal surface, you cannot overdo it. The pressure on the sandpaper or tool should not be strong, so as not to remove too much. Abrasive cleaning of the bath is not the removal of all enamel to cast iron, but only the removal of the surface layer, which will remove rust and stubborn dirt.

If the tub being repaired has already been updated with epoxy enamel, it will need to be removed completely. A well-done bathtub blast job is a slightly rough, uniform matte surface that is free of nicks and chips.

When this stage of work is over, all dust and sawdust must be carefully removed so that no small fragments or debris are mixed with the future coating. A vacuum cleaner will do this most qualitatively, and you can completely complete the process by washing.

Proper abrasive cleaning of the enameled bath is the most important step that is necessary for a perfectly flat surface. Despite the simple mechanical work, all actions require dexterity and certain skills, so cleaning and acrylic coating is best left to professionals.