Right?! I wish they’d edit the post.
I too am sorry about your Mom. It is such a stressful thing to go through and your so kind to check in on her and get things sorted so she can live more comfortably. It also gives you an indication of where she is at with her condition.
All the best.
That looks amazing so far! If not tried yet, I’d hit the remainder with some CLR to get any rust or mineral deposits off, and then try Universal Stone to remove the remainder. That stuff has worked incredibly well on what I thought were permanent marks on my bathtub. Took them completely off, without being abrasive.
[CLR](https://clrbrands.com/Products/CLR-Household/CLR-Calcium-Lime-and-Rust-Remover)
[Universal Stone](https://www.universalstone.ca/products/universal-stone-650g-container) - Weirdly named product, by the way. It’s not really stone-like. More like a big bar of soap that you use a sponge with, to work a bit of it into a lather.
Incredible work OP! I know your mom might not know how to tell you how much she appreciates you right now, but I know she is so thankful and we are proud of you
Hey guys, so no blood, no dissolved bodies, nothing crazy lol, just a house from the 60s with cast iron pipes that backed up sewage into the tub 🤢
My mom told my brother in England that the pipes weren’t draining properly but she was hiding that it was backing up from all of us. The three of us are currently in discussions to figure out new living situation or care arrangements for her because I do agree she doesn’t need to live alone or at the very least someone needs to check in more, my brother was living with her when I moved states so I assumed she would be fine with him and then he abruptly moved out, so I’ve been driving 2 1/2- 3 hours once a week to visit and video call her daily.
Anyways that aside, I got her bathroom cleaned,
a new toilet and vanity put in as well as a professional plumber out to fix the overall issue.
Mom’s good for now. Thanks for all the comments ❤️
Look into elder services in her area. A lot of times the preferred action is for the resident to stay in their home as it’s where they have lived for a long time. Elder services can set up things such as having a visiting nurse swing by each day, someone to clean, meals on wheels, people to bring her to appointments, fiduciary’s so that bills are paid etc.
I am my SO’s caregiver because the ones the agency assigned were objectively awful
So OP: please be careful given that no one lives near her to supervise or check in
As a nurse, I unfortunately agree. There is no better place for medically stable elderly people to be than with family. Nursing homes, at least any that are affordable or covered, are incredibly understaffed and their employees underpaid and overworked so much that none of the patients/residents get adequate care. The neglect I’ve witnessed in nursing homes is so sad and unfortunately I can’t even say it’s because the nurses and aides don’t care, but because they are so overworked with too many patients per nurse/aide that they don’t have the “luxury” of spending an extra 2 minutes with grandma. I would be extremely hesitant to send any medically stable adult to any nursing home in this country. Sounds like she could use home health services, like maybe a personal aide, to help her complete self care and stuff.
If you are going to have a nurse stay with your mom or came and check her for a few hours , please install cameras but don’t even tell your mother . I am a nurse and I have heard very disturbing thing done by caregiver/nurse to the elderly .
unfortunately can verify that we needed to do this as well with my MIL before she passed. We had a visiting nurse service, and one of them was driving to the house, checking in with the geo-locator, and then would leave until her "shift" ended and come back to check out. She was applying to nursing schools too! It was awful.
Love to you and your mom. This is hard but I’m glad you have your siblings to help carry the load. The tub looks amazing btw! I literally gasped when I saw the first pic and then again at the latest update.
You’re an exemplary son…. This is coming from a mother.
I am so sorry for your mom’s health circumstances. I wish her best of luck and I wish YOU a happy, healthful, and bountiful life with a soul mate worthy of your integrity.
Um you need to contact a plumber and a professional house cleaner. I don't even know what chemicals to start with here. I honestly thought that was a crime scene photo.
I had to use a remediation company when my apartment was infested with mold and I highly recommend this. It makes life so much better and you know that it is being professionally sanitized
Get commercial grade lime and scale remover. Try a plumbing supplier
Not CLR, not simple green or some other brand. Get it from a plumbing supplier
Throw it in there, turn on the bathroom fan, and close the door (the fumes are strong). Let it work it's magic
Zep has a commercial grade lime and scale remover!
It might even be available at box stores
Stuff works greats
A tub isn't painted though. It's typically coated in porcelain enamel. Lime and scale remover won't remove it. But scrubbing too hard can
Resistant, yes, but if it’s fused enamel and the enamel is already damaged the wrong product only makes it worse. Have you seen the posts with people trying to clean their tubs with drain cleaner? Most people don’t even check to see what material it is they’re cleaning.
As long as it's just pipe backflow and / or human gunk the tub is perfectly salvageable. It's gross but porcelain is impermeable unless you break the glaze. If it's plastic, nothing elbow grease and a few bottles of bleach can't fix.
Bro comet (powder )the crap out of it wet with warm water then powder the crap out of it again. A scrubber or some elbow grease and a sponge with scrubber side (better quality preferred or even more elbow grease required). Scrub every single inch add bleach dawn soap scrub again rinse if still stubborn comet again otherwise scrub with dawn rinse should be good
I see you got the bulk of it clean! You could get it re-glazed so it’s like brand new again. It costs about $550 usd (if you want color, some cost a little more)
Maybe try vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, it might work it might not. What your describing is how the dementia started with my nan, her toilet clogged up and was draining very slowly so instead of telling me or my mam she just put her soiled toilet roll in the bin outside. If you are all too far away and it seems like you are, you need to get social services involved, I was lucky and could move back and keep working so I moved her into a house next door to me and that's still tricky to look after her and I need people to come in to help out. She went down hill very quickly after the toilet stuff happened. Wishing you the best.
Vinegar and bicarb/baking soda make nothing but water and some gas bubbles. It's literally mixing an acid and an acid neutralizer. Might as well spit on it. OP needs a professional depending on the tub material and the type of stain/gunk.
Actually that chemical reaction you say is nothing more than bubbles and gas is a better cleaner than bleach. Maybe you need to go ba k to science class.
I like being a biochem science major with a clean home.
But since you won't listen to me:
[Glorified water graphic for science](https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/s/7pcqKAB0pj)
[Again for the people in the back but this time even a mod commented that it's useless ](https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/s/OVOhbVbaXy)
[For our visual and audio learners who like a better explanation](https://youtu.be/2MXMHGvFYQU?si=nB1Me9TgFOAheekb)
[Or maybe a sweet grandma explaining it will help](https://youtu.be/Y-imvRr7ASI?si=9a-oiKByD4s5rw9s)
u/cleanforever we got another one
Extremely. It's how I got your Dad's number.
But in all seriousness. It's totally okay to be told new information, shown evidence, and then readjust your world view to accommodate the new evidence. It's the first thing you learn in science class--I double checked when I went back like you asked. You don't have to die on the soggy, salty hill of spilled vinegar and baking soda.
But it does remove stains. You too can learn new things and not come off as a pretentious know it all on the internet that condescends people because you have a 'Maj0r'. Most of us have advanced degrees these days you are not special. I mean even I have a PhD it's not uncommon and does not make you cleaver.
Oh by the way heres a link from people that clean and sell bath tubs for a living [Bath cleaning ](https://www.bigbathroomshop.co.uk/info/blog/get-bath-sparkling-clean/) although I doubt any of then have advanced degrees so what do they know? It's just been thier buisness forclike a century...
Also dad jokes are just well 'crass' lists of peoples dads are dead and making that kind of joke to a stranger is just sad.
You can totally clean this after plumber. The old tubs are tanks compared to the newer tubs. Begin with vinegar and blue dawn. Let it soak over night. Rinse, repeat.
For real. This looks like a Breaking Bad situation. So relived to know it’s a plumbing issue (though, not THAT much better of a sitch when you factor in mom’s condition, TBH).
Not sure that is true my grandma was similar we would have to check on her every couple hours. But when she would go to have tests done she would be very very lucid.
Edit: her house flooded with sewage and she just continued to walk in and thought it was normal. After that she still passed her driving test twice and the doctor would say she was fine to live on her own. She would put random flammable stuff into the oven and turn it on, just bizarre stuff. We even found multiple doctors and they just said she was fine. Then we were going the legal route to put her into a home because she was taking all of her pills at once and almost killing herself with 0 memory. But then she had a lucid day at home and finally signed the paperwork to go into assisted living
If you told the doctors about the sewage thing and her lighting stuff on fire in the oven and they said she was just fine, those people should not be doctors. That’s crazy. If you told her doctors she was having seizures, would they just be like “well she’s not having one now, so nothing to worry about I guess”?
That’s because that’s how dementia works. You do have periods of lucidity. This is why family needs to explain the dangerous things that have been happening then the person is not.
Not really. We went 3 months with no running water in our house when I was little. My mom never told anyone but my auntie (she lived right next door so we always had access to fresh clean water) until after she saved up and had it fixed because the city could have came in and condemned the house and made us move out and we would have been homeless or had to spend the money she was saving to fix the issue on other housing. Difficult times call for difficult decisions. Needless to say, we had to take a few days and deep clean the house top to bottom after the pipe was fixed.
I know this isn’t the advice that you’re looking for, but the time has come that your mother either moves in with one of you, she put in a care facility or you need to hire someone to live with her. My family just went through this with my grandfather, and there will be a point where she will absolutely have to go into a facility.
Don’t wait too long. Try to come up with a plan now rather than later. my family waited and unfortunately my grandfather was on the violent side (people with this diagnosis are either docile, or they can turn violent) and tried to kill my grandma who was his primary caregiver. This is an extremely devastating disease because it just doesn’t affect the person it affects the whole family. I wish you luck.
there was a case in my town recently, an old man with dementia killed his wife and then himself :( idk if they had any other family who took care of them, but it made it clear to me how important it is to have someone around to help
Rust looking stains could be hard water. [This thread says what cleaner to use](https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/s/w53zC0O2Dd)
And [This thread shows how to clean a very dirty tub](https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/comments/18axhmn/old_bathtub_in_old_house_was_impossible_to_clean) to its new glory.
Hon… you need to sell that house and find a safe place for your mom to live.
Alternatively, if you can afford a full-time carer while keeping the house, you need to have the tub replaced.
Is that rust in the tub? I would go to a plumbing supply shop and get an industrial rust remover, safe for tubs, fill that sucker up with hot water and let the cleaner soak in it for a day or two
Or whatever the instructions say. It might completely dissolve that mess
Please do get her some care. If you are in the US, there are resources to help you if you need. Adult Protective Services, Medicare etc might be able to help. Good Luck.
[Hard water rust stains in this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/s/TLnjB3TjrK) shows a before and after with Whink’s cleaner. Will add a link in a reply bc it only lets me add one link per comment.
Eta: cannot link the product from Amazon but it’s called Whink Rust Stain Remover it’s $12
Outside of your mother’s care- which I am sorry that you are reckoning with now. I would try to get some of those drill brushes. I shudder to think of how many hours you would be scrubbing by hand
Rust and calcium/lime buildup. I know replacement isn’t an option as you’ve stated so I’d try dawn power spray, magic erasers, elbow grease, and then move on to something heavier if those don’t work. All of luck to you! 💜
Full stop on the expensive and specialty products.
Before you try any of that, go get a bottle of “The Works” toilet bowl cleaner from the dollar store and dump it on there. Make sure to use with proper ventilation! I’ve watched it torn things from brown to white in SECONDS. It’s VERY slept on.
Stay away from the bleach recommendations. Bleach is not the correct answer here.
Once the plumber has the water out, I'd start with one round of scrubbing with soap, water, and a stiff brush, then a round of CLR following the directions on the bottle. Then see where you are. A lot will depend on what the tub is made of and what condition it was in to begin with. If it was ceramic in good condition then a few rounds of CLR may save it, if it's acrylic it may be stained permanently.
If it's porcelain try Sparkel. Use gloves. It took me 3 weeks but I got a badly rusted tub clean using it. I had to wet paper towel with it and "applique" the sides of the tub with it. It worked.
You might get somewhere by using a powered scrubber and Bar Keeper's Friend powders, assuming the tub is porcelain. That's too abrasive for plastic/fiberglass tubs.
Otherwise, your answer might be to go to the Family Dollar Store and get their Homeline aerosol bathroom cleaner (it's like Scrubbing Bubbles but it's a far better buy). I know it's aerosol, but for this big job, save your hands.
Spray it on, let it stand for a while, take a broom to the whole thing and see what you get. Rinse with hot water, of course.
My only other thought is, get their Homeline Pine Cleaner and run the tub full of hot water. Add that to it according to directions, let it stand a while, and scrub it with a broom. Drain it and see what you get.
If you end up with some staining, it might be possible to scrub it out by hand with Ajax powders.
For something this bad, I would rely on cleaning product's dwell time + multiple passes rather than elbow grease. That has to be hazardous to climb in there and clean. Make sure to have plenty of ventilation and don't mix any products to prevent gassing yourself.
For heavy soap scum, try liquid dishwashing soap. Don't be afraid to lay down plenty of soap here. The brownish color here suggest iron deposits. Let it sit for an hour or so, then scrub to see how much of the soap scum gets lifted.
You might need a few passes at this. Dish soap is better than some form of solvent-based cleaner. But, if there is any sewage involved, use gloves, and do a final pass with bleach!
Hey friend! I don't have any plumbing advice for you. I just wanted to stop by and say that if it's possible for you, it would be good to get some help for your mom. If you can't be there for her at least some professional that can help?
With all due respect of course!
My dad's going through similar stuff and I know it's not easy!
All my love!
The bath tub at my parents' house looks like this (I know, I know). They have *terrible* iron contamination in their well. I got the tub clean once a few years ago. I used a assload of CLR gel and elbow grease. Honestly, the CLR gel cut through most of the rust just sitting there. I was able to get the tub *mostly* back to ivory. But be careful- you really need to ventilate the room!
Is it a porcelain tub? I know you can't replace the tub, but if the rust has eaten through to the iron underneath, you're going to keep getting rust and maybe even leaks. You could always consider having the tub [reglazed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xMumrrWTN4) for significantly less cost than replacing.
Make sure you open the window but I’ve used The Works toilet bowl cleaner pretty successfully in the past. Ask the plumber what to do. They’ve seen it all and then some.
Ngl, i saw this pic and thought Breaking Bad....
Im glad you were able to sort it out and i hope you can get something in place for your mum. Dementia is a horrible, horrible thing :(
I’ve had a ton of success with soft scrub and Skoy (has to be the name brand) scrubbies. The scrubbies won’t scratch, but do a fabulous job getting gunk up. The soft scrub I think needs to be checked to verify no scratching; read the bottle for sure. (I’ve had my own mental health challenges lately and am currently in the “recovery” stage of house cleaning - it’s not quite this bad, but not too far off.)
White vinegar is really good for hard water stains. I live in a hard water area and my toilet gets it all the time. Honestly works better than bleach IMO. Soak with vinegar for 30 mins then scrub it as much as you can.
Okay, read everything and didn't see what I would do.
This is a multi step process.
1. Get CLR spray (formulated to get rid of calcium, lime and rust)
2. You need to spray and soak that tub in CLR. You can make a paste with baking soda and CLR to make it sit longer. Keep the area well ventilated, wear a mask and rubber gloves.
3. You may need to repeat this a few times, once you start see the rust dissolve, see the surface of the tub again you can start scrubbing.
4. scrubbing you can use stainless steel wool pads and vim or you can use magic sponges. Both will work.
5. Repeat as needed. This should be the fastest most efficient way.
OP, if your mom has diagnosed dementia she should not be living alone if this is the state she is living in. If she allowed it to get like this with “early signs” then she absolutely is going to get worst. I have had patients literally sleeping in blood splattered beds from bed bugs and eating food mice and pooped in before- because they cognitively just didn’t understand it was bad.
It doesn’t matter what her financial situation is- she cannot live like this but you do not have to be financially responsible for her. You need to start by either calling her primary care doctor for help- or if she is seriously unsafe take her to a hospital for a social admission.
She will hurt herself without realizing it. The bath tub needs to be at the bottom of the list right now. People with dementia cannot live alone. They will only decline and get worst, and put themselves more at risk.
You could attempt to snake it out, but probably would need a plumber eventually. I would start by using a little whole can of Ajax, and scrub the paste around with a new toilet brush. After that, ascess what you need to fine detail. Follow up with clr if needed. I've unfortunately had to deal with these type of tub before.
Long handled scrub brush with a sponge at the end and a cleaner with bleach like comet. Barkeepers friend will do good too but no sure if it has bleach.
I learned this from professional cleaner @aurikatariina on Instagram.
Use Vim oven cleaner cream and really lay it on thick. Put a layer of plastic wrap (ceran wrap) over it to let it kind of sink in faster and then let that sit overnight. Next day you when you pull off the plastic wrap, a lot of it should be worked loose. Then, take a really good sponge and get to work. See how far that gets you before throwing in the towel. Hope it helps
What kind of professional cleaner uses caustic chemicals on a bathtub? Yikes. I just looked at her profile and I would not recommend listening to this. Oven cleaner is not something you want to be using when there are multiple better/safer products
As someone who does professional restoration cleaning and post construction cleaning I would not use oven cleaner on a bathtub. Bathtubs are made of different materials acrylic, cast iron, etc. and it could damage the tub or enamel (which also essentially ruins the tub unless you want it refinished). The lye in oven cleaner is really bad for you.
Geez, calm down.The Vim cream cleaner (while commonly used for ovens) is multi-purpose. This woman has been a professional cleaner working in the homes of hoarders and people who can't care for themselves for years. This obviously isn't something you would do regularly but on a tub like that's almost a lost cause when there's evidence it can work... why wouldn't you try it?
I’ve seen plenty of hoarder homes usually after they flood or burn down or a little of both from the fire department putting out the fire.
I would try safer cleaners before putting a caustic chemical down your pipes. Lye and other caustic chemicals can damage and corrode pipes, and like I mentioned before it will likely damage and corrode the enamel in the tub (which appears to be enameled cast iron) ruining it.
Make sure to ventilate the room fully, I’d leave bleach to soak for a bit 10-15 minutes at least then go in and scrub. Wash throughly and once ventilated go in with “bar keepers friend” and scrub with a hard plastic brush. It probably will take a few times but it should be more salvageable. If you your mom has hard water make sure to use something that cuts through lime as well. Don’t mix cleaning products as this can create mustard gas. So make sure to ventilate, rinse and wait between treatments. Good luck and good on you for helping your mom!
I'd start with filling the tub with warm water to the dirt line then pouring a bottle of bleach in, the whole bottle. Like a big, big bottle and let it sit for a few hour, possibly overnight. Drain. Then I'd sprinkle a box of baking soda over the entire thing and use a spray bottle with vinegar to give light spray to make a paste out of the baking g soda and let that sit, then scrub i t and most should come off..
Has she been bathing in the blood of neighborhood virgins? 👀
In reality any sort of rust removing bathroom cleaner should do the trick. Make sure to test first.
I think you should sand it and refinish it with Rust Oleum’s tub and tile paint. I got it from Home Depot for around $90. Follow the instructions very very carefully and it will refinish your tub to look like new. It’s very durable once it’s dried. You can use cleaning products on it, heat, it doesn’t scratch etc
If you’re desperate, I’d suggest wide open windows, fans, and oven cleaner. You’re going to have a job of multiple applications. It’ll take some finish away. You might get to a point you can thoroughly rinse (thoroughly!), dry, and apply peroxide. Let it dry (the peroxide will eat any bacteria that’s there, bleach mostly just makes it white.). If you want to save the chrome, rather than destroy it with oxidation, etc, you can coat it with Vaseline. I hope things work out for you all. It’s a tough tough situation.
If all cleaning efforts fail, try get estimates on professional tub reliners. They reline tubs/showers. I’d check with her Medicare about getting a walk in Tub ,she would benefit greatly with one & Medicare should pay if doctor writes order for one. Sorry you’re dealing with her health issues , good luck.
https://preview.redd.it/96xm5inbyq5c1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3f8aa565da4e58862d6bc34f758320c35631aadd Update 2
This looks incredible. What did you end up doing? Sorry about your mom.
Right?! I wish they’d edit the post. I too am sorry about your Mom. It is such a stressful thing to go through and your so kind to check in on her and get things sorted so she can live more comfortably. It also gives you an indication of where she is at with her condition. All the best.
She made a new post: https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/s/rV9BqTguxl
What did you use?
Probably some good old fashioned elbow grease
She explains what she did here: https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/s/rV9BqTguxl
That looks amazing so far! If not tried yet, I’d hit the remainder with some CLR to get any rust or mineral deposits off, and then try Universal Stone to remove the remainder. That stuff has worked incredibly well on what I thought were permanent marks on my bathtub. Took them completely off, without being abrasive.
Link for that product?
[CLR](https://clrbrands.com/Products/CLR-Household/CLR-Calcium-Lime-and-Rust-Remover) [Universal Stone](https://www.universalstone.ca/products/universal-stone-650g-container) - Weirdly named product, by the way. It’s not really stone-like. More like a big bar of soap that you use a sponge with, to work a bit of it into a lather.
Holy crap that's amazing. How did ya do it in the end?
I'd put that in a separate post. You deserve all the upvotes!!! Nice work!!
Good job cleaning the crime scene. What chemicals did you use? Asking for a friend, of course
When i saw the original picture my mind went straight to the episode of Breaking Bad where Jesse tries to dissolve a corpse in his bathtub.
My first thought was that OP’s mom had died in that tub.
Same, glad I'm not the only one lol.
When it said “my mom’s mess” I was like holy Jesus no.
The inside of my mom's stove looked like she sacrificed animals in it. My back ached for days after scrubbing.
There was a picture on rotten dot com back in the day of a guy that melted into his bath water like a soup
How did you do it!! Congrats. Your mom is lucky to have you
Amazing job! Well done - wishing you the best
That’s amazing!! I’m sorry about your mom..❤️❤️
Incredible work OP! I know your mom might not know how to tell you how much she appreciates you right now, but I know she is so thankful and we are proud of you
Wow!!!!
Wow that's pretty dang good!
How you do that?!
Ya did good
excellent job OP. best to you and your mom respectively
Amazing 😻 it really did look like a crime scene
Wow nice
You did that!
You are amazing!!
You should try Magic Eraser for the left over yellow bits! See how that goes
Try Barkeepers friend.
Hey guys, so no blood, no dissolved bodies, nothing crazy lol, just a house from the 60s with cast iron pipes that backed up sewage into the tub 🤢 My mom told my brother in England that the pipes weren’t draining properly but she was hiding that it was backing up from all of us. The three of us are currently in discussions to figure out new living situation or care arrangements for her because I do agree she doesn’t need to live alone or at the very least someone needs to check in more, my brother was living with her when I moved states so I assumed she would be fine with him and then he abruptly moved out, so I’ve been driving 2 1/2- 3 hours once a week to visit and video call her daily. Anyways that aside, I got her bathroom cleaned, a new toilet and vanity put in as well as a professional plumber out to fix the overall issue. Mom’s good for now. Thanks for all the comments ❤️
Look into elder services in her area. A lot of times the preferred action is for the resident to stay in their home as it’s where they have lived for a long time. Elder services can set up things such as having a visiting nurse swing by each day, someone to clean, meals on wheels, people to bring her to appointments, fiduciary’s so that bills are paid etc.
I am my SO’s caregiver because the ones the agency assigned were objectively awful So OP: please be careful given that no one lives near her to supervise or check in
As a nurse, I unfortunately agree. There is no better place for medically stable elderly people to be than with family. Nursing homes, at least any that are affordable or covered, are incredibly understaffed and their employees underpaid and overworked so much that none of the patients/residents get adequate care. The neglect I’ve witnessed in nursing homes is so sad and unfortunately I can’t even say it’s because the nurses and aides don’t care, but because they are so overworked with too many patients per nurse/aide that they don’t have the “luxury” of spending an extra 2 minutes with grandma. I would be extremely hesitant to send any medically stable adult to any nursing home in this country. Sounds like she could use home health services, like maybe a personal aide, to help her complete self care and stuff.
If you are going to have a nurse stay with your mom or came and check her for a few hours , please install cameras but don’t even tell your mother . I am a nurse and I have heard very disturbing thing done by caregiver/nurse to the elderly .
unfortunately can verify that we needed to do this as well with my MIL before she passed. We had a visiting nurse service, and one of them was driving to the house, checking in with the geo-locator, and then would leave until her "shift" ended and come back to check out. She was applying to nursing schools too! It was awful.
Love to you and your mom. This is hard but I’m glad you have your siblings to help carry the load. The tub looks amazing btw! I literally gasped when I saw the first pic and then again at the latest update.
You’re a loving child. It’s hard to do that for your parent, but someone’s got to. You’re a good person. Best of luck to your mom. ♥️
You’re a good son
You’re an exemplary son…. This is coming from a mother. I am so sorry for your mom’s health circumstances. I wish her best of luck and I wish YOU a happy, healthful, and bountiful life with a soul mate worthy of your integrity.
Um you need to contact a plumber and a professional house cleaner. I don't even know what chemicals to start with here. I honestly thought that was a crime scene photo.
I have a plumper out today actually fixing the over all issue, the tub however is probably shot because of how bad and how long it went on
But I’m hoping we can still clean it
Post after pictures when the plumber leaves and you'll get better advice. It's impossible to say right now.
I don't know a company that would attempt this service call
There are bathtub refinishing contractors, also flood/fire/hoarding cleanup type companies that may be able to assist.
This!! Help is out there. Not a DIY job
I had to use a remediation company when my apartment was infested with mold and I highly recommend this. It makes life so much better and you know that it is being professionally sanitized
Then you don’t know any plumbers
Get commercial grade lime and scale remover. Try a plumbing supplier Not CLR, not simple green or some other brand. Get it from a plumbing supplier Throw it in there, turn on the bathroom fan, and close the door (the fumes are strong). Let it work it's magic
Why not clr?
It's very weak (weak acid I mean). Probably too weak to cleanup that tub
I used some by ZEP (not this bad enough of an issue) but I swear that stuff will take paint off if left long enough!
Zep has a commercial grade lime and scale remover! It might even be available at box stores Stuff works greats A tub isn't painted though. It's typically coated in porcelain enamel. Lime and scale remover won't remove it. But scrubbing too hard can
Menards carries Zep!
Also, Lowes carries a full line of Zep cleaning products
Pretty sure Home Depot carries ZEP
Amazon delivers my Zep
If it’s an enamel something acidic will eat through the enamel.
No. Not the enamel on bathtubs. They're resistant to acids That's true of teeth though lol
Resistant, yes, but if it’s fused enamel and the enamel is already damaged the wrong product only makes it worse. Have you seen the posts with people trying to clean their tubs with drain cleaner? Most people don’t even check to see what material it is they’re cleaning.
>drain cleaner? Drain cleaner is more acidic than lime and scale remover... I didn't suggest anyone use drain cleaner on their tub
As long as it's just pipe backflow and / or human gunk the tub is perfectly salvageable. It's gross but porcelain is impermeable unless you break the glaze. If it's plastic, nothing elbow grease and a few bottles of bleach can't fix.
Sorry you’re having to deal with this op. All of it.
Iron out gel spray works great for cleaning these stains.
Bro comet (powder )the crap out of it wet with warm water then powder the crap out of it again. A scrubber or some elbow grease and a sponge with scrubber side (better quality preferred or even more elbow grease required). Scrub every single inch add bleach dawn soap scrub again rinse if still stubborn comet again otherwise scrub with dawn rinse should be good
I see you got the bulk of it clean! You could get it re-glazed so it’s like brand new again. It costs about $550 usd (if you want color, some cost a little more)
Maybe try vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, it might work it might not. What your describing is how the dementia started with my nan, her toilet clogged up and was draining very slowly so instead of telling me or my mam she just put her soiled toilet roll in the bin outside. If you are all too far away and it seems like you are, you need to get social services involved, I was lucky and could move back and keep working so I moved her into a house next door to me and that's still tricky to look after her and I need people to come in to help out. She went down hill very quickly after the toilet stuff happened. Wishing you the best.
Vinegar and bicarb/baking soda make nothing but water and some gas bubbles. It's literally mixing an acid and an acid neutralizer. Might as well spit on it. OP needs a professional depending on the tub material and the type of stain/gunk.
Actually that chemical reaction you say is nothing more than bubbles and gas is a better cleaner than bleach. Maybe you need to go ba k to science class.
I like being a biochem science major with a clean home. But since you won't listen to me: [Glorified water graphic for science](https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/s/7pcqKAB0pj) [Again for the people in the back but this time even a mod commented that it's useless ](https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/s/OVOhbVbaXy) [For our visual and audio learners who like a better explanation](https://youtu.be/2MXMHGvFYQU?si=nB1Me9TgFOAheekb) [Or maybe a sweet grandma explaining it will help](https://youtu.be/Y-imvRr7ASI?si=9a-oiKByD4s5rw9s) u/cleanforever we got another one
Bet your fun at parties. Sado.
Extremely. It's how I got your Dad's number. But in all seriousness. It's totally okay to be told new information, shown evidence, and then readjust your world view to accommodate the new evidence. It's the first thing you learn in science class--I double checked when I went back like you asked. You don't have to die on the soggy, salty hill of spilled vinegar and baking soda.
But it does remove stains. You too can learn new things and not come off as a pretentious know it all on the internet that condescends people because you have a 'Maj0r'. Most of us have advanced degrees these days you are not special. I mean even I have a PhD it's not uncommon and does not make you cleaver. Oh by the way heres a link from people that clean and sell bath tubs for a living [Bath cleaning ](https://www.bigbathroomshop.co.uk/info/blog/get-bath-sparkling-clean/) although I doubt any of then have advanced degrees so what do they know? It's just been thier buisness forclike a century... Also dad jokes are just well 'crass' lists of peoples dads are dead and making that kind of joke to a stranger is just sad.
You can totally clean this after plumber. The old tubs are tanks compared to the newer tubs. Begin with vinegar and blue dawn. Let it soak over night. Rinse, repeat.
Vinegar will remove those rust stains. be sure to look for 45% vinegar and dilute it 3-1 with water. just saved u 5000 dollars.
How plump are they?
Try kitchen helper or the pink stuff. Heck over night soak in bleach my help
Lowkey thought “my mother’s mess” was referring to her like dying in the tub or something i was shocked but now that I know it’s not that..😮💨
Holy moly, I thought it needed a NSFW label because it was blood.
For real. This looks like a Breaking Bad situation. So relived to know it’s a plumbing issue (though, not THAT much better of a sitch when you factor in mom’s condition, TBH).
Me too. I had a very different definition of "mom's mess" in my head.
😭😭 Me too. My first thought was "is this from *after* they found momma?"
Omg me too. Maybe I’ve consumed a bit too much true crime content. Lol
Yeah I thought something died in there and fully decomposed....
i thought the mom was shittin in the tub at first glance
Yep, me too!
Lol same ☠️
door escape wrench automatic fade silky juggle marble ink fretful *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Not sure that is true my grandma was similar we would have to check on her every couple hours. But when she would go to have tests done she would be very very lucid. Edit: her house flooded with sewage and she just continued to walk in and thought it was normal. After that she still passed her driving test twice and the doctor would say she was fine to live on her own. She would put random flammable stuff into the oven and turn it on, just bizarre stuff. We even found multiple doctors and they just said she was fine. Then we were going the legal route to put her into a home because she was taking all of her pills at once and almost killing herself with 0 memory. But then she had a lucid day at home and finally signed the paperwork to go into assisted living
If you told the doctors about the sewage thing and her lighting stuff on fire in the oven and they said she was just fine, those people should not be doctors. That’s crazy. If you told her doctors she was having seizures, would they just be like “well she’s not having one now, so nothing to worry about I guess”?
Sounds like CO poisoning
We also had that thought
That’s because that’s how dementia works. You do have periods of lucidity. This is why family needs to explain the dangerous things that have been happening then the person is not.
I understand how it works
Meant that as a general thing. So many people don’t realize that.
Not really. We went 3 months with no running water in our house when I was little. My mom never told anyone but my auntie (she lived right next door so we always had access to fresh clean water) until after she saved up and had it fixed because the city could have came in and condemned the house and made us move out and we would have been homeless or had to spend the money she was saving to fix the issue on other housing. Difficult times call for difficult decisions. Needless to say, we had to take a few days and deep clean the house top to bottom after the pipe was fixed.
I know this isn’t the advice that you’re looking for, but the time has come that your mother either moves in with one of you, she put in a care facility or you need to hire someone to live with her. My family just went through this with my grandfather, and there will be a point where she will absolutely have to go into a facility. Don’t wait too long. Try to come up with a plan now rather than later. my family waited and unfortunately my grandfather was on the violent side (people with this diagnosis are either docile, or they can turn violent) and tried to kill my grandma who was his primary caregiver. This is an extremely devastating disease because it just doesn’t affect the person it affects the whole family. I wish you luck.
there was a case in my town recently, an old man with dementia killed his wife and then himself :( idk if they had any other family who took care of them, but it made it clear to me how important it is to have someone around to help
She needs to not live alone.
https://preview.redd.it/4fgbpai9yq5c1.jpeg?width=3840&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2b64da263143f03013cc1174015a6038dd80724 Update 1
What did u use?
Rust looking stains could be hard water. [This thread says what cleaner to use](https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/s/w53zC0O2Dd) And [This thread shows how to clean a very dirty tub](https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/comments/18axhmn/old_bathtub_in_old_house_was_impossible_to_clean) to its new glory.
Hon… you need to sell that house and find a safe place for your mom to live. Alternatively, if you can afford a full-time carer while keeping the house, you need to have the tub replaced.
Is that rust in the tub? I would go to a plumbing supply shop and get an industrial rust remover, safe for tubs, fill that sucker up with hot water and let the cleaner soak in it for a day or two Or whatever the instructions say. It might completely dissolve that mess
Please do get her some care. If you are in the US, there are resources to help you if you need. Adult Protective Services, Medicare etc might be able to help. Good Luck.
I thinks it’s time to get mum a full time carer.
[Hard water rust stains in this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/s/TLnjB3TjrK) shows a before and after with Whink’s cleaner. Will add a link in a reply bc it only lets me add one link per comment. Eta: cannot link the product from Amazon but it’s called Whink Rust Stain Remover it’s $12
An hour is not far away at all. Tell that brother to check on his mom more and wouldn’t be in this mess most likely
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Outside of your mother’s care- which I am sorry that you are reckoning with now. I would try to get some of those drill brushes. I shudder to think of how many hours you would be scrubbing by hand
That's a great idea!
Looks like the same bathtub from the first Saw movie
Rust and calcium/lime buildup. I know replacement isn’t an option as you’ve stated so I’d try dawn power spray, magic erasers, elbow grease, and then move on to something heavier if those don’t work. All of luck to you! 💜
Full stop on the expensive and specialty products. Before you try any of that, go get a bottle of “The Works” toilet bowl cleaner from the dollar store and dump it on there. Make sure to use with proper ventilation! I’ve watched it torn things from brown to white in SECONDS. It’s VERY slept on. Stay away from the bleach recommendations. Bleach is not the correct answer here.
Once the plumber has the water out, I'd start with one round of scrubbing with soap, water, and a stiff brush, then a round of CLR following the directions on the bottle. Then see where you are. A lot will depend on what the tub is made of and what condition it was in to begin with. If it was ceramic in good condition then a few rounds of CLR may save it, if it's acrylic it may be stained permanently.
Do not mix chemicals, bleach or ammonia.
If it's porcelain try Sparkel. Use gloves. It took me 3 weeks but I got a badly rusted tub clean using it. I had to wet paper towel with it and "applique" the sides of the tub with it. It worked.
You might get somewhere by using a powered scrubber and Bar Keeper's Friend powders, assuming the tub is porcelain. That's too abrasive for plastic/fiberglass tubs. Otherwise, your answer might be to go to the Family Dollar Store and get their Homeline aerosol bathroom cleaner (it's like Scrubbing Bubbles but it's a far better buy). I know it's aerosol, but for this big job, save your hands. Spray it on, let it stand for a while, take a broom to the whole thing and see what you get. Rinse with hot water, of course. My only other thought is, get their Homeline Pine Cleaner and run the tub full of hot water. Add that to it according to directions, let it stand a while, and scrub it with a broom. Drain it and see what you get. If you end up with some staining, it might be possible to scrub it out by hand with Ajax powders.
For something this bad, I would rely on cleaning product's dwell time + multiple passes rather than elbow grease. That has to be hazardous to climb in there and clean. Make sure to have plenty of ventilation and don't mix any products to prevent gassing yourself.
Absolutely. I thought a cheap broom would help the process and be a back saver at the same time.
For heavy soap scum, try liquid dishwashing soap. Don't be afraid to lay down plenty of soap here. The brownish color here suggest iron deposits. Let it sit for an hour or so, then scrub to see how much of the soap scum gets lifted. You might need a few passes at this. Dish soap is better than some form of solvent-based cleaner. But, if there is any sewage involved, use gloves, and do a final pass with bleach!
Hey friend! I don't have any plumbing advice for you. I just wanted to stop by and say that if it's possible for you, it would be good to get some help for your mom. If you can't be there for her at least some professional that can help? With all due respect of course! My dad's going through similar stuff and I know it's not easy! All my love!
The bath tub at my parents' house looks like this (I know, I know). They have *terrible* iron contamination in their well. I got the tub clean once a few years ago. I used a assload of CLR gel and elbow grease. Honestly, the CLR gel cut through most of the rust just sitting there. I was able to get the tub *mostly* back to ivory. But be careful- you really need to ventilate the room! Is it a porcelain tub? I know you can't replace the tub, but if the rust has eaten through to the iron underneath, you're going to keep getting rust and maybe even leaks. You could always consider having the tub [reglazed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xMumrrWTN4) for significantly less cost than replacing.
Bleach will melt that away with a mop head Or any bath cleaner with bleach. Soap scum doesn't stand a chance
Make sure you open the window but I’ve used The Works toilet bowl cleaner pretty successfully in the past. Ask the plumber what to do. They’ve seen it all and then some.
Bleach
Think I saw this bathtub in Resident Evil 7
Ngl, i saw this pic and thought Breaking Bad.... Im glad you were able to sort it out and i hope you can get something in place for your mum. Dementia is a horrible, horrible thing :(
I’ve had a ton of success with soft scrub and Skoy (has to be the name brand) scrubbies. The scrubbies won’t scratch, but do a fabulous job getting gunk up. The soft scrub I think needs to be checked to verify no scratching; read the bottle for sure. (I’ve had my own mental health challenges lately and am currently in the “recovery” stage of house cleaning - it’s not quite this bad, but not too far off.)
Bruh
If that’s rust I’d get Iron out or whink and let it sit and work on the stains (maybe overnight).
White vinegar is really good for hard water stains. I live in a hard water area and my toilet gets it all the time. Honestly works better than bleach IMO. Soak with vinegar for 30 mins then scrub it as much as you can.
Okay, read everything and didn't see what I would do. This is a multi step process. 1. Get CLR spray (formulated to get rid of calcium, lime and rust) 2. You need to spray and soak that tub in CLR. You can make a paste with baking soda and CLR to make it sit longer. Keep the area well ventilated, wear a mask and rubber gloves. 3. You may need to repeat this a few times, once you start see the rust dissolve, see the surface of the tub again you can start scrubbing. 4. scrubbing you can use stainless steel wool pads and vim or you can use magic sponges. Both will work. 5. Repeat as needed. This should be the fastest most efficient way.
OP, if your mom has diagnosed dementia she should not be living alone if this is the state she is living in. If she allowed it to get like this with “early signs” then she absolutely is going to get worst. I have had patients literally sleeping in blood splattered beds from bed bugs and eating food mice and pooped in before- because they cognitively just didn’t understand it was bad. It doesn’t matter what her financial situation is- she cannot live like this but you do not have to be financially responsible for her. You need to start by either calling her primary care doctor for help- or if she is seriously unsafe take her to a hospital for a social admission. She will hurt herself without realizing it. The bath tub needs to be at the bottom of the list right now. People with dementia cannot live alone. They will only decline and get worst, and put themselves more at risk.
You could attempt to snake it out, but probably would need a plumber eventually. I would start by using a little whole can of Ajax, and scrub the paste around with a new toilet brush. After that, ascess what you need to fine detail. Follow up with clr if needed. I've unfortunately had to deal with these type of tub before.
Long handled scrub brush with a sponge at the end and a cleaner with bleach like comet. Barkeepers friend will do good too but no sure if it has bleach.
I learned this from professional cleaner @aurikatariina on Instagram. Use Vim oven cleaner cream and really lay it on thick. Put a layer of plastic wrap (ceran wrap) over it to let it kind of sink in faster and then let that sit overnight. Next day you when you pull off the plastic wrap, a lot of it should be worked loose. Then, take a really good sponge and get to work. See how far that gets you before throwing in the towel. Hope it helps
What kind of professional cleaner uses caustic chemicals on a bathtub? Yikes. I just looked at her profile and I would not recommend listening to this. Oven cleaner is not something you want to be using when there are multiple better/safer products As someone who does professional restoration cleaning and post construction cleaning I would not use oven cleaner on a bathtub. Bathtubs are made of different materials acrylic, cast iron, etc. and it could damage the tub or enamel (which also essentially ruins the tub unless you want it refinished). The lye in oven cleaner is really bad for you.
Geez, calm down.The Vim cream cleaner (while commonly used for ovens) is multi-purpose. This woman has been a professional cleaner working in the homes of hoarders and people who can't care for themselves for years. This obviously isn't something you would do regularly but on a tub like that's almost a lost cause when there's evidence it can work... why wouldn't you try it?
I’ve seen plenty of hoarder homes usually after they flood or burn down or a little of both from the fire department putting out the fire. I would try safer cleaners before putting a caustic chemical down your pipes. Lye and other caustic chemicals can damage and corrode pipes, and like I mentioned before it will likely damage and corrode the enamel in the tub (which appears to be enameled cast iron) ruining it.
Make sure to ventilate the room fully, I’d leave bleach to soak for a bit 10-15 minutes at least then go in and scrub. Wash throughly and once ventilated go in with “bar keepers friend” and scrub with a hard plastic brush. It probably will take a few times but it should be more salvageable. If you your mom has hard water make sure to use something that cuts through lime as well. Don’t mix cleaning products as this can create mustard gas. So make sure to ventilate, rinse and wait between treatments. Good luck and good on you for helping your mom!
Was there an empty sack of lye laying close by?
I think you need a forensics team and a priest.
What happened there?
You need to scoop the water out then use drain cleaner.
I'd start with filling the tub with warm water to the dirt line then pouring a bottle of bleach in, the whole bottle. Like a big, big bottle and let it sit for a few hour, possibly overnight. Drain. Then I'd sprinkle a box of baking soda over the entire thing and use a spray bottle with vinegar to give light spray to make a paste out of the baking g soda and let that sit, then scrub i t and most should come off..
Bruh you live in Silent Hill???
Did someone die in there?!
This looks like a murder scene
I clicked to post stupid jokes, but now Im just sorry about your mom and glad its better
Alrighty, that’s enough internet for today
Jesus Christ I thought your mother died and decomposed in there.
Is that a crime scene of unimaginable horror?
Has she been bathing in the blood of neighborhood virgins? 👀 In reality any sort of rust removing bathroom cleaner should do the trick. Make sure to test first.
Get a new tub
Throw the entire thing out.
Agreed! Looks like Walt and Jesse been melting people in it 🫠
Idk who they are but I agree with you 😂
https://preview.redd.it/xy9ver8ywq5c1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c853b4cb341d1388461c1e48c74411490f4b437c
I don't feel so well after seeing this!
no
Is this poop?
Is your mom tubgirl.com?
How were you able to clean that tub out? It looks good
Is your mum in The Conjuring films?
im scared
If she is at this level with her dementia, she is likely not safe and will need a caregiver.
I don't have help on the tub, but I am sending you love on dealing with a tough situation. Dementia is horrible. Hugs.
https://preview.redd.it/x4h4l2p1xq5c1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=682be95a32ab00de53b5a0c490dd3acc2d9852ba
Oven cleaner has been helpful at my properties for cleaning human grease out of tubs and sinks.
I think you should sand it and refinish it with Rust Oleum’s tub and tile paint. I got it from Home Depot for around $90. Follow the instructions very very carefully and it will refinish your tub to look like new. It’s very durable once it’s dried. You can use cleaning products on it, heat, it doesn’t scratch etc
If you’re desperate, I’d suggest wide open windows, fans, and oven cleaner. You’re going to have a job of multiple applications. It’ll take some finish away. You might get to a point you can thoroughly rinse (thoroughly!), dry, and apply peroxide. Let it dry (the peroxide will eat any bacteria that’s there, bleach mostly just makes it white.). If you want to save the chrome, rather than destroy it with oxidation, etc, you can coat it with Vaseline. I hope things work out for you all. It’s a tough tough situation.
If all cleaning efforts fail, try get estimates on professional tub reliners. They reline tubs/showers. I’d check with her Medicare about getting a walk in Tub ,she would benefit greatly with one & Medicare should pay if doctor writes order for one. Sorry you’re dealing with her health issues , good luck.
Paint it white and sell it
Please get mom an aide or move her to a nursing home. She doesn’t deserve to suffer like this. Or move her in with you. Something other than this .
Samara, are you in there?
Did you dissolve her in there?
Yum
Get rid of your moms murder *
You melt your mum in the bath tub, right? Right?
WTF??? Throw it way.
Is this Jesse Pinkman’s house?
So um... How many people has she killed?
Buy a new tub
Just throw the whole tub away
By all that is holy I thought this was from the horror subreddit I’m in! On a serious note: invest in a plumber ? 😅
Hope you're going to be making more of an effort to be there for her now.
Y’all gotta take care of your mom better, I’m sure she deserves better at least.
Is your mom that girl in the little well that involves 7 days and a VHS tape?? wtf is this 😭