Care of an acrylic bathroom

Many people, changing plumbing in the bathroom, refuse traditional cast iron and steel bowls for more modern and popular ones- Acrylic. The new type of sanitary products has good technical and operational properties, but care for the acrylic bathroom delivers to their owners certain difficulties.

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Types of acrylic baths

For the production of a modern bath, a special polymeric material is used - sanitary acrylic. This is one of the hardest plastics that used to be used for dental prosthetics, and from the beginning of the 1970s this material was used to make plumbing, including acrylic baths.

Two types of bathtubs are made:

1. Extruded. This material is much worse in keeping the shape, and therefore, in the production of hardness baths, glass fiber and epoxy resin are used. Baths made of extruded acrylic are usually installed on a frame: metal or made of waterproof plywood.
2. Cast. Cast acrylic has sufficient rigidity, so the bath of this material is more expensive. You can mount it without a frame, directly on the legs that come with the kit. Cast acrylic is more resistant to damage, so baths from this material are more popular.

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Acrylic baths - advantages and disadvantages of

The advantages of acrylic baths are due to the technical properties of the material and are as follows:

• Due to the high thermal insulation properties of acrylic, the baths cool very slowly: water loses temperature at a rate of 1 degree per 30 minutes( in a cast iron bathwater becomes colder by 1 degree every 5 minutes).
• The acrylic bath is not susceptible to corrosion, as acrylic is chemically inert material.
• The acrylic bath is light in weight. The most common models have a mass not exceeding 20-25 kg. This advantage of plumbing will help you in the transportation and installation of the bath without effort.
• The construction of sanitary ware from acrylic has a high mechanical strength.
• Sanitary acrylic, used for the manufacture of most baths, prevents the reproduction of bacteria and fungi on the surface, even in the warm and humid environment of the bathroom. Therefore, care for the acrylic bathroom is much easier than for items in the bathroom from other materials.
• Acrylic bathtubs are easy to clean. With a little contamination, you can simply rinse it with water. Hence - cleaning the acrylic bath will not take away much of your personal time.
• Acrylic bathtubs have a variety of design solutions. The shapes and sizes presented on the market are extremely diverse and allow the installation of hydromassage, lighting, ozonizers and other modules. In the market you can always find a model that is ideal for your room not only in shape and size, but also in stylistic execution.

Important! The disadvantages of acrylic plumbing are much smaller, but they make the coating itself sensitive to the negative environment:

• The coating is susceptible to hard effects: boiling water and chemicals( washing powders), so do not pour boiling water into the tub and soak the laundry for a long time. This can lead to loss of presentation.
• Acrylic is easily scratched, so the cleaning agent should not contain abrasive particles.
• The main disadvantage of plumbing is the mechanical fragility of acrylic. By this parameter, plumbing is seriously inferior to cast iron and steel baths.
• If used for a long time, fine cracks appear on the surface, where dirt gets to, so you should clean and wash the acrylic bath regularly.

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Basic bath care rules for

General rules apply both for baths made from 100% acrylic and for models with acrylic spraying:

1. Regularity of cleaning plumbing. After each use, rinse the bath with warm water, and then wipe the surface dry.
2. In order to care for the acrylic bath was correct, use only those products that do not contain abrasive particles, alcohol, ammonia and acetone. We recommend the use of products specifically designed for this coating. To apply a cleanser, use a cloth or a soft sponge.
3. So as not to scratch the surface of the acrylic bath:
   • Do not bathe animals in it.
   • Do not place hot pots.
   • Do not wash objects with a sharp surface.
4. Do not soak laundry with detergents for a long time.
5. Clean the acrylic bath with detergent manufacturers recommend no more than once in two weeks. Clean the cleaner on the walls of the bath, let stand for several minutes, and then, using a sponge, wipe and rinse with warm water.

Important! Always clean the inner surface of the bowl and its sides after cleaning or taking water procedures. So you will definitely keep it clean and care for the acrylic bathroom will meet all the advice of the manufacturers.

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Cleaning the acrylic bath

If you for some reason did not follow the recommendations for use and care for the acrylic bath was not performed correctly, then there may be such external defects: yellow, rust, coating on the surface( the so-called water stone).Let us consider in more detail the types of pollution and methods of combating them.

Yellowness

A common question that worries the owners of acrylic bathtubs is how to clean plumbing from yellowness? The appearance of a yellow shade is characteristic of baths, which are made of combined plastic. With prolonged exposure to water, as well as temperature drop, the protective layer is thinned and the plastic reacts with oxygen to form yellow spots.

From ugly yellow stains the bath can be cleaned:

• with citric acid.
• Juice of fresh lemon.
• Wine vinegar.

Important! Apply the product to a soft cloth and wipe the surface. After cleaning, rinse the plumbing with water and wipe. Repeat the procedure if necessary.

Rust

Rusty water leaves on the plumber ugly stains and paths that are difficult to remove. To prevent or at least reduce the appearance of rusty stains, close the taps tightly. Also, while caring for the acrylic bath, use special rust remedies designed for this coating.

You can use the following tools:

• SanKlin.
• "Triton"
• "Mr. Chister".

The folk remedy for rust is citric acid. Use it as follows:

1. Dilute half a bag of citric acid in a glass of water.
2. Stir the product thoroughly so that all the lumps disappear.
3. Use a soft sponge to apply dissolved citric acid to the surface to be cleaned.
4. Leave the bath in this condition for 5-10 minutes.
5. Next, the sponge is again soaked in citric acid and clean the bath with simple circular motions.
6. If necessary, repeat the procedure several times.
7. Rinse the surface with warm water.
8. Wipe the tub dry.

Important! Citric acid can simultaneously clean the bath not only from rust, but also from calcareous deposits and yellowness.

Liming plaque

Low-quality tap water causes the appearance of a calcareous layer, the so-called "water stone" on the surface of the bath. For the fight, you can use both the household remedies mentioned above and the following drugs:

• "Pani Bath".
• "Acryl-Net".
• "RAVAK Anticalc".
• "Cillit".
• "Tim-pro".

Important! These funds are the most successful, since they have a creamy consistency that does not damage the surface. Apply the product to the plumbing, let it stand for 15 minutes, and then rinse the bath thoroughly and wipe dry.

Traditional remedies against water stone:

• Vinegar( 7% solution).
• Citric acid.

Proceed as follows:

1. Fill the bath with warm water( 20-25%).The water level should be above the level of contamination by 5 cm.
2. Add to water 1.5 liters of a 7% solution of vinegar or citric acid.
3. Using a scoop or a shower jet, stir the water in the bathroom thoroughly.
4. Leave the plumbing for 12 hours.
5. Drain the water with acid.
6. Rinse the bath thoroughly.
7. Wipe the surface with a dry cotton cloth.

Important! The above-described cleaning procedure is carried out not more than once a year.

Disinfection of a bath of acrylic

In addition to regular cleaning, baths also require disinfection, especially sanitary ware with hydromassage. If the whirlpool device is not cleaned, an unpleasant smell will soon appear from the holes.

The easiest way to avoid this problem is prevention. Therefore, before each bath, take the water and turn on the whirlpool for 1-2 minutes, then drain the water and with it almost all the dirt settled in the thin tubes will be removed.

Important! But even when carrying out all the methods of prevention, once a month the whole system of hydromassage must be disinfected with special means. For example:

• "RAVAK Desinfectant".
• "Tim Profi".

Disinfect as follows:

1. Fill the bath with warm water( 20-25 degrees).
2. Add a disinfectant to the water.
3. Thoroughly mix the water or turn on the whirlpool for 5-10 minutes.
4. Drain contaminated water with an antiseptic.
5. Rinse the bathroom with a jet of water to remove residues of the disinfectant, since contact with skin may lead to irritation.
6. After cleaning and rinsing, wipe the bathroom with a cotton cloth.

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Restoration of acrylic bath

Unfortunately, during operation, microcracks or ugly abrasions may appear on the acrylic surface. In this case, it is necessary to resort to the restoration of the acrylic coating:

1. Problematic spots need to be sealed with liquid acrylic using the technology of "filling bath".Cracks should be carefully cleaned with sandpaper, then apply liquid acrylic and polish.
2. Hide microcracks can be done with a special insert - acrylic liner.

Care for acrylic bathroom requires a certain attention, regularity, caution, but after the procedures, plumbing will delight you with its whiteness, brilliance, give positive emotions and good health.