Caring for an Ella shower base, stall or accessory comes down to one rule that appears in every published Ella care document: no abrasives. Shower stalls and tub-showers are cleaned with warm water and liquid detergent, protected with a coat of automotive paste wax every six months (never on the textured floor), and restored with automotive polishing compound if they dull. Gel coat low-threshold showers are cleaned the same gentle way, with naphtha or mineral spirits reserved for tar or paint and metal tools kept away entirely. SMC bases and niches, the teak seat and the collapsible rubber dam each have a short care note below.

Shower Stalls and Tub-Showers, Including AcrylX Kits

The installation instructions for Ella one-piece shower stalls and tub-showers carry the user maintenance instructions, and they are explicit that using other materials and methods may damage the fixture and void the warranty. Ella's product pages describe AcrylX as a long lasting applied acrylic finish, and the same gentle routine is the right one for those kits. The published routine:

• Normal cleaning: warm water and liquid detergent, or a non-abrasive cleanser, ideally one recommended for fiberglass bathroom fixtures. Never scouring powders or pads, steel wool, scrapers, sandpaper or anything else that could scratch or dull the surface.
• Waxing: apply a coat of good-quality automotive paste wax or polish and buff to a high shine with a soft cloth or towel. Repeat every six months for easier cleaning and lasting protection. Do not wax the textured, slip-resistant standing surface of the floor; a waxed floor raises the risk of a slip.
• Scratches and dull areas: rub with an automotive polishing compound on a clean cotton rag, wipe off the residue, then follow with the wax treatment above.
• Adhesive residue: try 3-M Natural Cleaner, De-Solv-It or a similar product first. If residue remains, a small white cotton rag dampened with nail polish remover (naphtha or acetone) rubbed vigorously will dissolve it. These solvents are highly flammable, so use them sparingly, with no smoking or open pilot lights nearby, and keep them off plastic drain grates and away from the drain.
• Rubber mats: if you use an anti-skid mat, remove it after each use; a mat left in place can harm the surface finish.
• Hard water: in some regions, water left to dry on the fixture can fade the finish over time, so wipe the walls and floor down after showering.

The same instructions ask installers to remove all debris with a sponge, warm water and liquid detergent before the leak test, to lift plaster or latex paint with warm water, detergent and a brittle brush or plastic scraper, to use acetone or paint thinner only for glue, tar or enamel, and never turpentine, lacquer thinner, excessive heat or caustic chemicals. Wear rubber gloves with any cleaning or polishing product and rinse all residue away thoroughly. See the one-piece stall installation article for the leak test.

Gel Coat Low-Threshold Showers

The owner's manual for Ella's low-threshold gel coat showers (the 3648, 4836, 6030, 6032 and 6033 SH models) gives a matching routine for the gel coat surface:

• Clean with a household liquid detergent, a soft sponge cloth and warm water. The most important caution is to avoid harsh abrasive cleaners or gritty scouring powders.
• Persistent stains, tar or paint can be removed with naphtha or mineral spirits.
• Remove excess plaster by scraping with a sharpened soft wood stick. Never use wire brushes, metal scrapers, razor blades or metal tools of any kind on a gel coat surface.
• Restore dull areas by rubbing with an automotive-type body cleaning compound.
• A rubber floor mat must be removed after each use; left in the unit it can cause blisters or damage the finish.

The same manual notes that the back of a fiberglass unit is not waterproof and should be stored so water drains off, and it prints a limited warranty of three years from the date of purchase on units made of fiberglass reinforced polyester resin, covering defects in materials or workmanship and voided if the unit is moved or installed contrary to the instructions. Because Ella publishes different terms for different shower products, please confirm the terms that apply to your unit with the team, or read the shower base warranty article.

SMC Bases and Niches

Ella's SMC barrier-free shower pans, shower niches, corner shelves and soap dishes do not have a separate published cleaning sheet. The product pages describe SMC (sheet molding compound) as a non-porous surface that resists mold and stains and is easy to maintain. The guidance that applies across every Ella shower surface, warm water with a liquid detergent or a non-abrasive bathroom cleaner and a soft cloth, is the safe approach for SMC as well. Keep scouring powders, gritty pads and metal tools off the surface, rinse thoroughly, and wipe niches dry so soap and mineral film does not collect in the corners. Mounting details are in the niche and soap dish installation article.

The Fold-Down Teak Seat

The fold-down teak shower chair is made of teak wood that is naturally resistant to water and mildew, with stainless steel brackets and a slatted top for drainage. Rinse it after use, fold it up so it dries, and keep abrasive cleaners off the wood and the brackets. Ella's Bubbles does not publish an oiling or refinishing schedule for the teak, so if the wood begins to look dry or gray and you want to treat it, ask the team before applying any product. The shower seat installation article covers mounting the brackets.

Keeping the Collapsible Rubber Dam Sealed

The collapsible rubber dam that comes with roll-in bases is held by its own self-adhesive strip, and its end caps are set in clear or white 100 percent silicone adhesive caulk. Two things keep it sealed:

1. Clean the dam and the base around it with the same non-abrasive cleaners you use on the base, and keep the strip's edge free of soap film.
2. If the silicone bead at an end cap or along the lower edge lifts, clean that spot with isopropyl alcohol and a clean rag, re-apply a thin bead of 100 percent silicone caulk, smooth it, and let it cure per the caulk's instructions before the next shower. On tiled floors the grout lines beneath the dam must stay caulked so water cannot travel under it.

If the adhesive strip itself lets go, the dam needs to be re-installed on a surface cleaned with isopropyl alcohol; that full procedure is in the shower base and dam installation article.

This video shows how the flexible dam is fitted so you can recognize a sound installation: surfaces cleaned with denatured alcohol, a tape guide line, the dam measured and cut, the end cap inserted and gaps siliconed, the red backing peeled back an inch at a time while the dam is pressed snug to wall and floor, then painter's tape on both sides so a thin silicone bead can be run along the lower edge and at both end caps and smoothed. If your dam's bead looks nothing like that finished edge, it is time to re-caulk.

Common Questions

For anything specific to your model, serial number or water conditions, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and the team will be glad to help.