What should I use to clean a white acrylic walk-in tub?

Use a non-abrasive cleaner and a soft cloth or non-abrasive towel on the acrylic, about twice a month. Dawn dish detergent is an approved cleaner for an Ella walk-in tub, and anything abrasive stays off the surface, because abrasive cleansers damage the finish. The surface wipe is one part of a larger routine laid out in How Do I Clean and Maintain My Walk-In Tub?, and this page focuses on what to put on the acrylic itself, what to keep away from it, and which cleaning jobs belong to the jet lines instead.

What to Use on the Acrylic Surface

The published guidance for the acrylic shell is simple: wipe it with a non-abrasive cleaner, using a soft cloth or a non-abrasive towel. Dawn dish detergent is the one product the team names as approved, and it is the same cleaner recommended for wiping the pump inlet cover inside the tub, so a single bottle covers both jobs. The video on this page shows the wipe-down with a non-abrasive cleaner and explains that cleaners of that kind will clean but not harm the surface, while abrasive cleansers will damage it. It also shows cleaning around the intake screen so it stays free of debris.

Plan the wipe about twice a month, and add a wipe after any salt soak, which is the rhythm the printable checklist uses for surfaces, glass and chrome. Keep the method as gentle as the product. The finish is protected by a non-abrasive towel, so scouring pads and powders have no place in the bathroom. Ella's published routine asks nothing heavier of the acrylic than that wipe, and it does not ask you to wipe after every bath.

What to Keep Off the Tub

• Abrasive cleansers. The cleaning video is direct about this: abrasive cleansers damage the surface of the tub. A non-abrasive cleaner does the same job without harming the finish.
• Bleach. Bleach is not part of Ella's instructions, so it does not belong in the jet lines, and no bleach-based jetted tub cleaner has a published verdict. Vinegar is the standard for the lines, with one confirmed product alternative described below.
• Alcohol, petroleum products and strong chemicals on glass enclosures. Glass screens are cleaned with soap and water. Rubbing alcohol is reserved for the door seal, covered below.
• Bath bombs, oils, beads and salts in a jetted tub. They are carried into the jet lines and can damage the pump system, and the residue they leave is what eventually shows up as black flakes or slime from the jets.
• Hair down the drains. A silicone pop-up drain protector from a hardware store is the team's suggestion for keeping hair out of the drains.

The Surface Wipe Is Not the Jet Flush

A clean looking shell does not mean clean lines. The air and hydro systems on an Ella tub are fully plumbed, so anything in the bath water can travel through them, and the job of clearing the lines belongs to the vinegar flush rather than to whatever you wipe the acrylic with. The recipe is one recipe on every Ella model, including microbubble tubs: mix 2 cups of white vinegar with 2 cups of water, fill the tub with water to 1 inch above the highest jets, add the mixture, run the tub for 10 minutes, then drain completely and rinse the shell. It does not call for a particular water temperature. Run it once before the first bath and once a month after that, as What Is the Vinegar Flush on a Walk-In Tub? explains.

You do not need to flush after every bath. Ozone sterilization runs whenever the hydro jets are on, and Auto Purge starts about 20 minutes after the air massage is shut off and runs for two minutes to clear water from the air lines. In the same monthly session, clear hair and debris from the pump inlet cover and wipe it with a non-abrasive towel and an approved cleaner such as Dawn, since buildup on that cover is a common reason for weak jets. The step-by-step version, and what to do if flakes still appear after a correct flush, is in How Do I Clean the Jet Lines on My Walk-In Tub?.

If you would rather buy a product for the lines, Nutra-Max is the one jetted tub cleaner Ella's technical support has confirmed as safe for an Ella walk-in tub. It can be used to cleanse and disinfect the hydro massage system in place of the vinegar and water mixture, and it will not harm the tub. That confirmation covers Nutra-Max by name and nothing else on the shelf, as Can I Use a Store-Bought Jetted Tub Cleaner Instead of Vinegar? spells out. Keep any other product out of the tub until you have checked it with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850.

Glass, Chrome, Door and Seal

The parts around the acrylic have their own gentle rules. Wipe the door frame and glass with a mild, non-abrasive cleaner, and clean the seal with rubbing alcohol or a common household cleaner. On inward-swing doors, wipe the gasket and the inner frame as well. If a section of seal looks deformed, squeeze it gently with your fingertips and pull it away from the frame, and leave the door open when the tub is not in use. Glass screens get soap and water only. Chrome is wiped on the same twice-a-month rhythm as the acrylic, and after salt soaks.

A Simple Month for the Tub

1. About twice a month: wipe the acrylic, glass and chrome with a non-abrasive cleaner such as Dawn and a soft cloth. Repeat after any salt soak.
2. Once a month: run the vinegar flush, clear and wipe the pump inlet cover, and wipe the door seal and frame.
3. Every day: keep bath bombs, oils, beads and salts out of a jetted tub and leave the door open between baths.

The printable monthly maintenance checklist puts these on one page you can tick off. If debris keeps coming from the jets after a flush done exactly as written, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with your serial number, a photo of what is coming from the jets and a note on which bath products have been used.

Watch: Walk-In Tub Cleaning and Maintenance Guide | Ella's Bubbles with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• How do I clean a walk-in tub and its jets properly?
• Which cleaners are safe for my walk-in tub, and which chemicals should I avoid?
• Caring for your walk-in tub door seal so it stays watertight for years

Questions fréquentes