Help! rust stains (I think) in fiberglass shower, Ive tried EVERYTHING

Help! I am ready to scream. I have been fighting the good fight against this brownish orange staining for over a month now. I swear I have tried everything (the short list: Barkeepers friend, Kaboom, ZEP, Bon Ami, Vinegar, Lemi Shine, CLR, Lime Away, Lemon Juice, Comet, Softscrub........and many more). I have used the above products repeatedly. I have tried soaking overnight, scrubbing, screaming, praying, crying and more. I think the Comet made the stains a little brighter orange . The shower is only a year and a half old. The stains appeared over about a one month period despite constant cleaning. I noticed at the same time that our water flavor was getting increasingly rotten . Our well tested high in Manganese but not in Iron. PLEASE HELP!!!!!

 

My first thought would be Barkeepers Friend. That has always worked for me. I would suggest you contact the manufacturer of the shower to see what they recommend. This might be helpful.
http://answers.google.com/answers/th...id/259611.html

Please let us know if any of this stuff works.

Good luck,
Newt

 

CLR works great for me. I have also used Whink. Both are liquids. Great for tubs and showers.

 

If nothing made for rust is removing the stains...it could be sulfer. Does the water smell like rotten eggs? Do you have well water?

We lived out in the country once and had a sulfer well. The only way to stop the smell and the stains (in the toilets, tubs, and on our clothes ) was to install a water storage tank and let gas disipate out of the water before it came to the house. Then an inline filtration system to filter out the particles of all the minerals present.

I think you can order a 500 gallon tank from a farm and ranch supply like TSC. The well should pump into the tank. Then the water goes from the tank, through the filtration system, and on to the house. At least that is how we set it up.

 

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news----You're not supposed to use scrubbing cleansers like Comet on fiberglass.

Why? Because the silica scrubber makes tiny little scratches in the fiberglass and those tiny little scratches will then HOLD onto the dirt, minerals and grime even better than a smooth surface would.

OK----damage is done so now what to do? Try powered dishwasher detergent like Cascade. Try letting it soak. Scrub a little but don't go crazy. Let it soak over night and see what happens.

Did you try anything like Scrub Free Shower Soap Scum cleaner? That has stuff like CLR in it and is designed not to scratch fiberglass.

As for your well water, have you looked into installing a water purifier into your water system---or maybe a water softener?
That might be expensive but if your water is smelly it might be worth it.

Don't use Comet anymore or any of those powdered scrubbing cleaners. They are for tile and stainless steel, not for fiberglass.

 

Manganese will cause reddish brown stains on bath fixtures and laundry. Powdered cleansers like BarKeeper's Friend and Zud contain oxalic acid which bleaches stains. There are other products available that contain rust remover and mineral deposit stain removers. The trick is to let cleaner set on stains giving the acid time to dissolve the stain. Repeat applications may be required.
Products that contain chlorine bleach will set stains. Abrasive cleaners should not be used on fiberglass. On fiberglass where protective gel coat has been worn away can make it difficult to remove absorbed soils and stains.
According to the manufacturer of Comet Cleanser, it is safe for fiberglass. It does contain a minute amount of silica dust, but not enough to damage surfaces like fiberglass, plastic laminate, porcelein, etc. If in doubt, contact the manufacturer.
A local water treatment professional can make recommendations for the best method for removal of undesirable minerals from household water supply.