Your Baths by Spicer Bros acrylic bath or shower is built to stay glossy and low-maintenance for years, but only if it’s cleaned with the right products. The wrong cleaner can permanently dull the finish or crack the surface, and it can void your warranty. Here’s exactly what we recommend, what to avoid, and how to handle Delmarva’s hard water.
Routine Cleaning: A Must for Every Bath Owner
For routine cleaning, wipe surfaces with a soft cloth and warm water with a mild soap. When you need more than that, these are the cleaners we approve for our acrylic surfaces:
- BCI Eliminate
- Microban 24
- Formula 409
- Vinegar and water to soften mineral deposits
- Diluted bleach as a disinfectant: ½ cup Clorox bleach per gallon of water, rinse well afterward
Always rinse thoroughly, and if you want to use a product not on this list, test a small hidden area first.
Pro Tip: Schedule a weekly cleaning session to keep your bath in top condition. If you live in an area with hard water, you may need to clean more frequently to combat mineral buildup.
The Danger of Harsh Chemicals: What to Avoid
Never use these on your acrylic – they will dull or crack the surface and void your warranty:
- Dawn dish soap
- Original Clean Shower
- Clean Shower for Plastic Showers & Glass
- Soft Scrub
- Dow disinfectant cleaner
- Dow Scrubbing Bubbles
- Scrub Free
- Lysol disinfectant cleaner
- Acetone
- Lestoil
- Ammonia
- nail polish remover
- aerosols
- scouring pads
Using any of these causes a dull finish or a recognizable chemical crack – damage that is not covered under warranty. For stubborn spots where approved cleaners aren’t enough, use only a Chore Boy or 3M sponge pad rated for Teflon/non-stick surfaces.
Delmarva Hard Water & Well Water
Much of Delmarva runs on well water or hard municipal water, which leaves mineral spots and scale faster than soft water does. To handle it without damaging the acrylic: spray a 50/50 vinegar-and-water mix on the deposits, let it sit a few minutes to soften them, then wipe with a soft cloth and rinse. Skip the scouring pads and lime-scale products – the vinegar solution is the safe descaler for our surfaces. Homes on well water may need this every week or two; softer water, less often.
Drain Maintenance: Keeping Things Flowing Smoothly
When you use a liquid drain cleaner (recommended over powders or crystals): bail any standing water out of the tub, remove the drain plug, and use a funnel to pour the product directly down the drain – never let it touch the acrylic surface, and use it sparingly so it can’t boil up onto the finish. A drain cover that catches hair is still the easiest way to prevent clogs in the first place.
How Cleaning Affects Your Warranty
The BCI acrylic systems we install carry a manufacturer’s Limited Lifetime Warranty for the original residential owner, but that coverage assumes proper care. Cleaning with an approved product protects it; using anything on the Do-Not-Use list can void it. When in doubt, our Cleaning Instructions page is the authoritative list – bookmark it. Questions about a stain or a product not on the list? Call us before you scrub at (410) 572-4242.
