The time has come: your new bathroom is complete, you’ve finally moved into your new home and are beginning to savour your new environment. It’s around this time that you’ll start realising how good or bad your décor choices were, and have to start caring for your furniture and sanitary ware. It all looks very easy when everything is new and sparkling clean, doesn’t it?

Well, losing that initial momentum is just as easy as gradually neglecting to clean and maintain your bathroom surfaces.
Yet, it is precisely now that you should get into good habits: if you maintain them, your bathroom will remain effortlessly beautiful for a long time. Today’s blog is about bathtubs.

Some people believe that keeping the bathtub clean is complicated, as well as time consuming and tedious. They couldn’t be more wrong! Let’s find out together how to take care of a modern bathtub.

Before discussing materials, let us give you a general piece of advice if you have opted for a free-standing or a back-to-wall bathtub. In the first case, make sure to leave enough clearance around the bathtub so you can comfortably reach the space behind it, otherwise dust and grime will build up and eventually become very hard to clean. In contrast, a back-to-wall bathtub is easier to clean, but you need to pay extra attention to keep the strip of silicone sealant clean. Speaking of different bathtub models, you might be interested in reading our article on how to choose the bathtub.

Caring for materials: how to clean the bathtub

The most important thing to keep in mind is that the bathtub should be rinsed thoroughly after every use, so as to wash off any dirt and soap scum, and any oil-based residues or additives left by the bath products that could discolour it.
A sponge or soft brush can be used to aid the action of the water jets. This is already a good habit to prevent soap build-up.

To properly clean your bathtub, instead, you should use detergents suitable for its material.
On that note… what material is your bathtub made of?

If you’ve just bought it, you’ll likely remember what your bathtub is made of, although it’s not that uncommon if it’s slipped your mind, given how many options there are. Not to worry: always keep the maintenance booklets included in the packing. Over the years they will help you remember important information (company, product name, material, customer service contacts, and cleaning tips).

What about coloured bathtubs? Is there any difference? Not at all, so don’t worry: the fact that the exterior may have a colour does not affect cleaning procedures, nor does it make the bathtub more difficult to clean. The only precaution is to avoid using anything abrasive that may scratch the tub’s exterior coating. But let’s now see our recommendations for each type of material.

Aquatek and light Aquatek bathtubs

Very similar to Corian, Aquatek is almost entirely made of acrylic resins. It is highly resistant and its surface can be repaired if damaged. Here’s how you should clean your Aquatek bathtub:

• Daily cleaning > use a cotton or microfibre cloth, or a non-abrasive sponge, with a mild detergent and warm water;
• Deep cleaning and surface brightening > use a sponge to spread a solution of ¼ water and ¾ bleach over the entire surface, leave to stand for a few minutes (then rinse thoroughly);
• Superficial scratches and stains > use the Scotch Brite sponge provided;
• Deep scratches and stubborn stains > request the renovation kit (as the colour is applied to the material as a paste, it can be repaired with the product supplied; no need to call an expert).

Mineralsolid bathtubs

Mineralsolid is made of recycled PET polyester resins, coated with matt gelcoat (epoxy or polyester resin finish that makes surfaces impermeable, adding attractive aesthetics or colour).

• Daily cleaning > use a cotton or microfibre cloth, or a non-abrasive sponge, with a mild detergent and warm water;
• Deep cleaning and surface brightening > apply a creamy detergent (for example Jif Cream) with a Scotch Brite abrasive sponge (provided), then rinse thoroughly.

Mineralux bathtubs

Mineralux is made of recycled PET polyester resins, coated with glossy gelcoat (the only difference from Mineralsolid).

• Daily cleaning > use a cotton or microfibre cloth, or a non-abrasive sponge, with a mild detergent and warm water;
• Deep cleaning and surface brightening > use a sponge to spread a solution of ¼ water and ¾ bleach over the entire surface, leave to stand for a few minutes (then rinse thoroughly);
• Superficial stains and scratches: use a polishing compound.

Cristalplant bathtubs

Cristalplant® is a Solid Surface made of pure aluminium trihydrate minerals bound with Biobased® vegetal resins (obtained from corn/maize). It has a natural stone-like appearance and soft-touch finish. It is highly resistant to yellowing, and is recyclable, hygienic and repairable.

• Daily cleaning > use a cotton or microfibre cloth, or a non-abrasive sponge, with a mild detergent and warm water;
• Deep cleaning and surface brightening > apply a creamy detergent (for example Jif Cream) with a Scotch Brite abrasive sponge (provided), then rinse thoroughly;
• Superficial scratches and stains > use the Scotch Brite sponge provided;
• Deep scratches and stubborn stains > request the renovation kit (as the colour is applied to the material as a paste, it can be repaired with the product supplied; no need to call an expert).

Mineralmarmo bathtubs

Mineralmarmo contains 75% natural minerals such as calcium carbonate and aluminium trihydrates, and 25% polyester resin, coated with gelcoat and therefore highly resistant to water and foreign agents.

• Daily cleaning > use a cotton or microfibre cloth, or a non-abrasive sponge, with a mild detergent and warm water;
• Deep cleaning, superficial scratch repair and surface brightening > request the renovation kit.

Cleaning the bathtub stopper and drain filter

Cleaning the drain filter regularly to remove any clogged hair and other debris before they go down the drain can definitely save you some headaches later.
To do this, simply lift the bathtub stopper, pull out the hair or debris and rinse the drain filter.

We recommend that you periodically give both the bathtub stopper and the drain filter a deep clean using a common household detergent.

Cleaning the whirlpool tub

If the bathtub has a whirlpool system, it should also be sanitized.
If your bathtub’s whirlpool system uses water jets, it may feature an automatic cleaning cycle, which you can simply start after you have filled the bathtub with clean water and a special detergent that is usually provided by the manufacturer (or purchased separately).
If there is no such automatic cleaning cycle, you can simply restart the whirlpool function and add a specific bathtub cleaning product to the clean water.

Finally, whirlpool bathtubs that use air jets rather than water jets generally feature a short cleaning cycle that blows air and any residual water out of the nozzles to clean the internal pipes.

Do you have an old or outdated bathtub and would like to replace it with a new, designer one?
Read our post to find out how.
As with any other part of the bathroom, a regular cleaning routine can help you avoid having to resort to more aggressive methods to get rid of more stubborn dirt, saving you precious time in the long run.

Were you familiar with these tips for looking after your new bathtub? If you need help understanding what material your tub is made of and how to look after it properly, check the bathtub section of the Disenia website, contact one of our retailers or get in touch with our after-sales service . An remember: our blog contains a whole section dedicated to maintenance tips for our products.

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Designing the shower area can be a surprisingly complex task, considering the many different possibilities available today for every single element of the shower (such as the shower tray, drain, taps, shower enclosure, wall cladding, etc.). We will outline the criteria for choosing the shower door and give a quick overview of different design options in this article.

To begin with, let’s identify the elements that can guide the choice, which are:

• the width of the shower
• the clearance in front of and inside the shower
• style and design

1. Width of the shower door

It is necessary to measure the width of the shower space from wall to wall before choosing the size of the door. Based on the size of the shower space, a fixed glass panel may be needed next to the door to reduce the opening (and therefore the clearance required in front of the shower). For people of average build, the shower should have a net clear opening of approx. 50 cm.

Measuring your shower alcove:

1 – Measure the distance between the walls on both sides (with the wall tiles or cladding already in place). The width measurement must be taken at three different heights (one at the level of the shower tray, another at mid-height and another at a height of approx. 2 metres) to verify whether there is any unevenness.

2 – A shower enclosure frame’s thickness can be determined by measuring the edge of the shower tray.

3 – It is also important to consider the type of wall (plasterboard or masonry), which will determine the maximum weight of the enclosure and how it will be fixed.

2. Shower door clearance

Regardless of the type of shower door, before focussing on aesthetics it’s important to carefully consider how it opens and closes, so as to understand the clearance needed.

Moreover, the presence of furniture, windows, doors, sanitary ware, protruding radiators, or any other element sitting directly in front of the shower dictates the choice. The door should be chosen also taking into account when the shower will be used typically, as well as whether another person may be in the bathroom at the same time.

The size of the interior shower space also matters when it comes to inward opening doors (such as swing or bifold doors): pay attention to the location of wall-mounted taps and fittings in this case.

3. Design

Here are the different types of shower doors you can choose from as possible solutions:

• hinged door
• swing door
• sliding door
• pivot door
• bifold door
• fixed panel + hinged door
• walk-in

The hinged door is the one that takes most floor space in front of the shower, as it shouldn’t interfere with the safe use of the cabinets or any traffic flow in the bathroom. It is very elegant and minimalist, and indeed one of the most popular solutions. It is perfect for small and medium-size alcove showers, but less suitable for ones that are wider than 90 cm. Make sure you choose a door opening direction that allows easy access to towels and bathrobes.

A sliding shower door, on the other hand, takes up no floor space but reduces the shower’s usable opening by more than half its width. This solution is preferable for showers that are at least 110 cm wide.

A swing shower door consists of two door leaves with 180-degree opening both inwards and outwards: this is a practical, elegant solution for alcove showers up to approximately 130 or 135 cm in width.

A similar alternative is the bifold door, with a folding mechanism that splits the door in two and glides to the right or left of the shower enclosure, taking up hardly any space on opening. A bifold door can open both inwards and outwards and is ideal for small or medium-size showers.

Alcove showers with particularly large openings can be reduced by adding a fixed side panel next to a hinged door.

If the alcove shower is wider than 150 cm you may consider opting for an open shower enclosure with just one fixed glass panel. This is known as a walk-in shower enclosure, an elegant, minimalist solution perfect for any modern bathroom (and for people who don’t like shower doors). 

Still in doubt? Our online configurator is here to help!

The Disenia website features an online configurator, a useful tool for selecting and visualising the shower enclosures that best meet individual requirements in terms of dimensions and style preferences. Try it now: design your shower with just a few clicks!

Check out our mini guide on choosing the ideal shower enclosure, or let our Pinterest board inspire you.
If you prefer to visit one of our showrooms, ask our dealers for advice on choosing your shower door.

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