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Support Center / Maintenance & Cleaning / Scratches, Scuffs, or Discoloration on the Acrylic: Surface Care and Touch-Up Kits

Scratches, Scuffs, or Discoloration on the Acrylic: Surface Care and Touch-Up Kits

Updated September 2026

▶Glossary7
  1. Why Acrylic Is Easy to Care for
  2. Stubborn Marks and Stains
  3. Light Scratches and Dulled Areas
  4. Does Ella Sell a Touch-Up or Repair Kit?
  5. Deep Gouges, Cracks, or Discoloration
  6. Protecting the Finish Going Forward
  7. Common Questions

Acrylic surface care for a walk-in tub is mostly prevention: light scratches, scuffs, and dull spots on the high-gloss acrylic polish out at home with a fine automotive polishing compound, stubborn marks come off with denatured alcohol, and anything deeper has a clear path through our support team. Ella's Bubbles does not sell a standalone touch-up kit, and abrasive cleaners are the one thing that will permanently damage the finish. Here is how to tell a home-care blemish from a warranty concern and what to do in each case.

White Ella Standard walk-in tub with glossy acrylic finish and chrome faucet in a bathroom
The glossy white acrylic on an Ella walk-in tub keeps its shine for years with non-abrasive care.

Why Acrylic Is Easy to Care for

In this video an Ella dealer explains the difference between acrylic and fiberglass gel coat: acrylic is one solid piece of material that can be buffed back to a shine if it ever dulls, while gel coat chips, cracks, and needs repair. That is why the polishing steps below work so well on an Ella tub. Our acrylic construction and frame article has more on how the shell is built.

Stubborn Marks and Stains

For everyday cleaning, stick to the gentle products in our approved cleaners article and never use abrasive cleansers or scrubbing pads, which damage the gloss. For marks that regular cleaning will not lift, denatured alcohol or an acrylic-safe bathtub surface cleaner from your local store will usually do the job. Construction debris, sticker glue, or caulk left from installation can be removed with a mild detergent first, then denatured alcohol or Clorox Soft Scrub cleaner for anything stubborn.

Light Scratches and Dulled Areas

Light scratches and areas that have lost their shine can often be restored to their original luster by polishing the surface with a fine grade, automotive type cleaning and polishing compound, such as Turtle Wax brand products. Work in small circles with a soft cloth, then rinse and dry. This is the same technique detailers use on car paint, and it works because acrylic polishes in a very similar way.

Does Ella Sell a Touch-Up or Repair Kit?

We do not sell a standalone touch-up or repair kit. For a small chip, acrylic repair kits sold for bathtubs can be used, and a local acrylic refinishing professional can handle deeper damage. For blemishes that polishing cannot fix, our technical support team can assist you with directions and options for your specific situation. Please reach out before attempting any filler or paint product on the surface, since the wrong product can make a small blemish harder to repair properly later, and color matching a generic epoxy to the Ella white is difficult.

Deep Gouges, Cracks, or Discoloration

Some issues go beyond home care and should come straight to us:

  • Deep gouges or chips that catch a fingernail
  • Cracks of any size
  • Discoloration of the finish itself, for example a tub that looks pink or yellow rather than white (see tub looks pink, yellow, or stained)

For any of these, open a support ticket and include clear photos of the affected area along with your tub's serial number (our serial number guide shows where it is) and a short description of when you first noticed the issue. The acrylic finish is addressed under the Lifetime Limited Warranty, and photos plus the serial number are exactly what our team needs to review a finish concern. Our lifetime limited warranty coverage article explains what the warranty covers and how review works; note that the finish warranty does not apply to scouring due to cleaning or damage from harsh chemicals. Damage found at delivery should be reported within 48 hours.

Protecting the Finish Going Forward

Our cleaning and maintenance video shows the routine that keeps the finish bright: wipe the surface about twice a month with a non-abrasive cleaner, keep the intake screen clear, skip bath bombs, and run the monthly vinegar flush described in our cleaning and monthly maintenance article.

  • Use only non-abrasive cleaners from the approved list.
  • Rinse and wipe down the surface after baths with salts or oils.
  • Keep sharp or heavy objects out of the tub, and use a soft mat under any bath accessories.
  • Run the monthly vinegar flush to keep mineral film from dulling the surface.

Common Questions

How do I remove a light scratch or dull spot?
Light scratches and areas that have lost their shine can usually be restored at home by polishing the surface with a fine-grade, automotive-type cleaning and polishing compound such as a Turtle Wax brand product. Apply it with a soft cloth, working in small circles over the affected area, then rinse thoroughly and dry. Acrylic polishes very much like automotive paint, which is why this technique brings back the original luster so reliably. If polishing does not lift the mark, send photos through a ticket and the team will advise on the next option.
How do I get sticker glue or caulk off the acrylic?
Begin with a mild detergent and a soft cloth, which removes most construction debris, sticker glue and leftover caulk from installation. For anything that remains, apply denatured alcohol on a soft cloth, and reach for Clorox Soft Scrub cleaner only for the most stubborn residue. Never scrape the surface with a blade or use an abrasive pad, since scouring permanently dulls the gloss and is excluded from the finish warranty.
Can I use a Magic Eraser or scouring pad?
Please do not. Abrasive pads, scouring powders and melamine sponges such as the Magic Eraser are not on the approved cleaner list, and they dull the high-gloss acrylic finish. Scouring damage from cleaning is also specifically excluded from the finish warranty, so the small amount of time saved is not worth the risk. A soft cloth with a non-abrasive cleaner from the approved list handles everyday cleaning, and the polishing compound described above restores any dull spots.
Do you sell a touch-up or repair kit?
No, Ella's Bubbles does not sell a standalone touch-up or repair kit. For a small chip, acrylic bathtub repair kits sold at home stores can be used, and a local acrylic refinishing professional can handle deeper damage. Before applying any filler or paint product, please send photos through a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support, since the wrong product can make a blemish harder to repair properly later and matching a generic epoxy to the Ella white is difficult. The team will review the photos and advise on the best option for your specific situation.
My installer chipped the tub. Is that covered?
Damage caused during installation is not a manufacturing defect, so it is handled as a repair rather than a warranty claim. Open a ticket with clear photos of the chip, your tub's serial number and a short description of how it happened, and the team will point you to the right repair approach, whether that is an acrylic repair kit for a small chip or a local acrylic refinishing professional for deeper damage. Please reach out before attempting any filler or paint product, since the wrong product can make the chip harder to repair properly later.
The tub looks pink or yellow. Is the finish failing?
Not necessarily. A pink film that wipes away is usually residue from standing water, and it comes off with regular cleaning using a non-abrasive cleaner from the approved list. Yellowing caused by harsh chemicals or scouring is not covered under the finish warranty, so please keep to the approved cleaners. If the color difference is obvious in daylight and does not wipe away, open a ticket with photos taken in natural light along with your serial number, and the team will review the finish under the Lifetime Limited Warranty.
There are small rust-colored spots on the stainless threshold or chrome. What now?
Small rust-colored spots on the stainless threshold or chrome fixtures are usually surface deposits, and they typically clean off with a soft cloth and a mild, non-abrasive cleaner. Rinse and wipe down the chrome after any bath with salts or oils, since residue left to dry is a common source of these marks. If a spot will not come off with gentle cleaning, send photos through a ticket and the team will advise on the right care for your fixture.
What information should I send about a finish concern?
Please include clear photos of the affected area, ideally taken in natural light, along with your tub's serial number from the label behind the access panel next to the door. Add a note on when you first noticed the issue and how the tub has been cleaned, including the products used. With those details the team can review the concern under the Lifetime Limited Warranty and tell you the best path forward. If the damage was found at delivery, report it within 48 hours so it is handled as freight damage.

Still need help? Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and our team will be happy to walk you through it.

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