Try Toothpaste On The Tub

Q: Surely you will think I am a madwoman, but regarding bathtub stains: For some reason my 15-year-old son has taken to brushing his teeth in the shower. He left an uncapped tube of toothpaste in the tub. Then my 14-year-old stepped on the toothpaste while showering.

Needless to say, there it sat. I came upon it at the end of the day - ugh! It wasn't until I'd wiped it all up that I discovered a large, remarkably white spot where the toothpaste had sat all day.

It's an old tub from the '30s, in excellent shape. But teen-age boys with grimy feet leave grayish yuck around the nonskid flowers pasted on. They are pretty easy to clean, but it takes a lot of elbow grease.

However, the toothpaste works like a charm! It is also very good with the grayish stains on the porcelain where the chrome-plated brass faucet sits on the pedestal basin.

Smells good, too, and easy on the hands. I've even used it on silver.

A: Thanks for sharing your toothpaste tip.

Toothpaste has long been in the home-remedy arsenal. Many have fine abrasives, and some even have mild bleaching agents in them. It can often be used in place of some kinds of metal polishes (mixed with a drop or two of olive oil, it makes a perfectly fine brass polish), as a chrome cleaner, and a water ring remover on wood furniture. I've been known to use a little dab of it to get water and soap spots off the marble sink top in the bathroom.

In recent columns, I've addressed iodine stains on a bathtub and grayish buildup in a tub in a home someone had just purchased.

I received a number of letters about the two issues. Three different people wrote that the best solution for the iodine stains was a paste made from cream of tartar and hydrogen peroxide. When I forwarded that solution to the original letter-writer, she tried it and wrote back that it worked great!

Another reader from Hartford, Conn., wrote that the best solution for the grayish buildup on the nonskid surface of a white tub is to cover it with baking soda, spray it with water to dampen it, and let it set overnight, then scrub. I've been using baking soda to clean my tub for many years, rather than commercial cleansers or spray cleaners, and know firsthand how well it works. My 35-year-old tub looks like new.

Thanks to all you readers with tips who are willing to share with others.

Mark Hetts' home repair column runs as space allows in the Home/Real Estate section. Send questions and comments to: Mr. HandyPerson, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111.