Porcelain Stain-Be-Gone Soft Scrub

Minerals in hard water and rusting hardware can stain a tub. A good tub is a clean tub–though the stains won’t hurt you, they just don’t look very nice. This formula dissolves stains with an item that lives in the pantry: Cream of tartar! It’s a pure by-product of winemaking that’s used as a stabilizer in cooking and is a main ingredient in baking powder.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 to 2 tablespoons 3 percent hydrogen peroxide

Mix the ingredients into a frothy paste. Scoop some onto a sponge or scrubber sponge and scour the stain thoroughly. Rinse.

For stubborn stains, let the past sit on the stain for 15 minutes, then scour and rinse.

Note: Use this recipe within a few hours of preparing it or the hydrogen peroxide will become inactive.

Saving the Planet One Scrub at a Time
According to the Seventh Generation company, if every American household replace just one 32-ounce bottle of chlorine-based bathroom cleaner with an eco-friendly, chlorine-free product, it would prevent 1 million pounds of chlorine from entering our environment.

Adapted from Easy Green Living by Renee Loux (Rodale, 2008).

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

4:20AM PDT on Jul 6, 2010

I'm going to try this. Thanks Jana!!

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12:21AM PDT on Apr 21, 2010

Thanks for post

Janice P.

6:54PM PDT on Mar 25, 2010

The cream of tartar and peroxide really worked. Thanks.

Emmaly C.

8:20AM PST on Jan 8, 2009

Anyone know how to get rid of those brown stains in the bottom of the toilet?

Caralien S.

9:35AM PST on Dec 3, 2008

I usually use baking soda to clean the tub, and it worked well, except once.

At my in-law's place, I tried everything, including (toxic) Lime-A-Way and pumice stones to try to remove the scale on the glass shower--nothing worked. I was tempted to use a razor blade, but gave up after 2 hours scrubbing on a 5"x5" spot. My guess is that the new owners replaced the glass.

Cream of tartar can sometimes be found at the dollar store or in the drugstore's spice section, but also in bulk sections where it may cost only $.15 for a tablespoon.

Debrah R.

3:55PM PST on Dec 2, 2008

Has anyone tried this mixture to get rust stains out of cloth? I may go out and buy some cream of tarter and try it --couldn't ruin them anymore than they are! We had rusting pipes leading into the washing machine which my DH replaced but not before getting rust on some clothing and sheets. The commercial rust removers look very toxic!

Jana B.

10:01AM PST on Dec 2, 2008

Leslieann,

Try this formula: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/summer-shower-scrubber.html

Susan M.

9:55AM PST on Dec 2, 2008

Cream of tartar is so expensive! Five dollars for a little bottle in the spice aisle of the grocery store. Does anyone know where to find it cheaply in bulk?

Please, no MLM responses, like Shaklee, Amway or Melaleuca. If I wanted that I know where to look.

Leslieann R.

9:47AM PST on Dec 2, 2008

Any idea how to clean fiberglass tubs and showers? Since moving to our new home I've tried everything including cream of tartar and peroxide to no avail. I am all scrubbed out. Help!

Udayana L.

9:37AM PST on Dec 2, 2008

I have used a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, it works wonderfully. Baking soda works alone as well when your porcelain is not so dirty, try it on your china, also.