Slippery Bath Problem solved - Silicone build-up
HELP: Housekeeper cleaned tub
with Windex
For the last month my housekeeper has
been cleaning my bathtub with Windex. I have fallen four times and
finally realized it wasn’t the rubber mat getting old but the tub had
become slick. I could have been killed today when I fell out the tub
onto my head and saw stars. My daughter called an ambulance. A friend
spoke to my house keeper and she said she had switched to Windex. She
tried cleaning the tub today with abrasives and all kinds of other
cleansers but the tub is still slick. What would I use to remove the
silicone in the Windex? - Anna
Hi Anna A friend suggested the
following:-
I am not a professional chemist but what I believe has happened is that
some of the silicon atoms have replaced the carbon atoms in the plastic
and altered it's properties. You will probably have to live with it
until the top layer wears away. Abrasive cleaners should work after
time and you could try extra fine emery paper but it would take some of
the plastic away and could expose an under layer. The good news is that
the siliconized layer is longer lasting and will stay clean easier. -- David
E
Hi David Thank you for your
reply.
I eventually found someone who knew what happened. The tub is porcelain
and the windex bonded to the porcelain and as my housekeeper kept
cleaning the tub with windex the silicone in it kept bonding onto of
itself until it had created a really slick and very dangerous tub. My
daughter had fallen twice and this was the third time I fell.
I was told that mineral spirits would remove the silicone layers – he
said to ensure all the sides and rims are cleaned to so they don’t
“move” down when showering. I hired a handyman to come in and do it
when it didn’t seem to work for me – it took him 1½ hours to get down
to the porcelain. You could feel the difference between where there was
windex – silicone vs. just porcelain.
It is important to warn people what to clean their tubs with…Thanks
again -- Anna
And Finally - Just a quick note to tell
you that I spoke to a fireman after this happened and he said from his
observation most falls in bathtubs occur because of the type of
cleansers used that leave a slippery coating on the tubs!! Be careful
of the cleanser – a shiny tub is not best in this case!! -- Anna
Note: Mineral Spirits are
known as White Spirits in some countries - Ed
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