How To Restore Shine To Fiberglass Shower?

Regular cleaning is the fastest, easiest, and simplest way to hold your fiberglass shower shine. On the other hand, if there are too many disgusting stubborn stains that aren’t removable with regular cleaning, nothing but re-painting is the ultimate solution.

Restoring the shine of your fiberglass shower mostly depends on how much dirt, grime, and scratches are accumulated on its surface, making it dull, dingy, and unpleasant. 

So, to restore its shine, first, you have to identify the dirt or discoloration level. And then you have to take action according to that. 

Don’t fret! We discuss both regular cleaning and the refinishing process step by step. Just don’t leave us here, as something interesting is waiting for you. 

How To Make a Fiberglass Shower Shine Again?

As we don’t know what the dirt layer of your shower has. We’ll break down the process into two groups for your convenience.

In the first group, we’ll discuss cleaning. The second group is dedicated to refinishing the tub. In that case, you can follow the instructions that you need. 

Before that, you should know when to clean and when to re-paint. So let’s check it out. 

How To Identify Your Fiberglass Shower’s Accumulated Dirt Level?

If your fiberglass shower looks slightly dull or yellow, regular cleaning is the potential solution. Because using hot water during bathing, soap and shampoo scum, hard water, rust and corrode from old fixtures make the shower yellow. 

Group A: Cleaning Yellow Fiberglass Tub 

As regularly used products make the tub dirty, using regular kitchen products is worthwhile to clean it. Even kitchen products are organic, non-toxic, and pet-safe. So you can undoubtedly use them though you have allergic-prone or sensitive skin. 

White vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, salt, or soft drinks effectively rejuvenate your fiberglass tub’s shine. So there is no need to spend your hard-earned cash to clean the tub.  

However, here is the best homemade tub cleaner recipe and how to clean the tub with it. 

You’ll Need 

• 3 cups white vinegar
• 2 cups baking soda
• ½ cup liquid dish soap
• A small glass bowl 
• A putty knife 
• A scrubber sponge
• A towel

Step 1 : Apply vinegar 

Close the tub’s drain hole lid, and make it dry. Pour 2 cups of white vinegar into the tub by clinging it to its walls. Otherwise, the vinegar will drain through the sewerage line. 

Step 2 : Make deep cleaner 

Pour the left 1 cup white vinegar and ½ cup liquid dish soap into the glass bowl. Add baking soda into the bowl, and you will discover the mixture makes some fizz. By stirring the mixture with the putty knife, make a paste. 

Step 3 : Apply the cleaner 

With the putty knife, apply the paste on the stubborn stains that need deep cleaning. 

Note: If the tub doesn’t have too many stubborn stains here and there, you can skip steps 2 and 3. 

Step 4 : Scrub the shower 

After leaving plain white vinegar or paste for 15 minutes, scrub the tub surface with a soft bristle scrubber. Don’t scrub abruptly to avoid scratching the surface. 

Step 5 : Rinse the shower 

Once you complete the whole tub scrubbing, rinse the tub with water. You can use a hand shower to rinse its wall, crave, and flat edges, where the debris stores more. 

If you want more homemade remedies or commercial fiberglass cleaner to clean your yellow shower. Check this post as we dedicatedly discuss this point here. 

Group B: Refinishing To Restore Old Fiberglass Shower

So, you are unlucky that cleaning can’t restore your fiberglass shower. You still find the shower looks yellow or not that much white as its pristine condition.

Don’t lose hope. Though, re-painting your fiberglass shower is a longer process. But it’s not a heavy job, yet it’s fun and interesting. So involving yourself in this DIY task enhances your life skills and confidence. 

However, check this guideline, as we’ll demonstrate the process as simply as possible. So that you can easily understand and follow. 

You’ll Need 

• Tub and shower repair kit 
• 80-grit and 120-grit sandpaper 
• A vacuum cleaner
• TSP heavy-duty cleaner
• Rust-Oleum Topside Paint
• Wrapping paper
• Multipurpose masking tape 
• Painting roller and brush kit
• Respiratory mask

Step 1: Planning 

Since it’s a long process and requires many tools and time. You should  plan it on your weekend, instead of weekdays and get ready for everything nearest your hand. Make a shopping list, and buy the necessary ones that you don’t have. 

Step 2: Repair the damage

If your tub is 3-5 years old, it must be damaged somewhere after using it for many years. And as you are going to repaint it, it’s better to repair them. 

Check if there are cracks or crevices on the tub surface or hardware. If you find it, repair the damage with a shower-repairing caulk. Let the caulk dry before going to the next step. 

If needed, replace the old fittings, which are too rusty or leak water. 

Step 3: Prepare the workplace

Remove your shower accessories (soap, shampoo, etc.) from the shower space. 

When you sand the tub, it releases lots of dust that crawls into the air. So it’s better to wrap the fittings, like the shower head and faucet, with wrapping paper to avoid making them dirty with air dust and debris.

Step 4: Wear safety gear

Wear your respiratory mask, as when you sand the tub; there is a high chance of inhaling the dust. That may clog your respiratory tract. So it’s wise to stay in the safe zone. 

Step 5: Sand the tub

Grip the 80-grit sandpaper and sand all the surfaces of the tub. If some spaces have too much grime, sand it with 120-grit sandpaper. 

Sanding the surface makes it rough. So that when you apply the primer, it will easily sit in space like a magnet. 

Step 6: Vacuum the shower 

Once you complete sanding the tub, you’ll discover lots of sanding dust hither and thither. Use your vacuum cleaner to clean this sanding dust. The more perfectly you vacuum, the better it will be. 

Step 7: Clean the shower

As the TSP heavy-duty cleaner comes in powder form, you have to make a paste by distilling it with lukewarm water to use it.

Half fill a bucket with lukewarm water and pour ½ cup cleaner into it. Mix them well and rinse the tub with the mixture. 

After waiting 5-10 minutes, scrub the tub with a scrubber and rinse with clean water. 

Mostly, it can clean your tub’s greasy grime, soot stains, mildew stains, and smoke stains. Let the tub dry, or use a ventilation fan for fast drying. 

Step 8: Apply Masking Tape

Apply a fine layer of masking tape around (top, bottom, right, and left) the tub. Ensure there is no space left without masking tape. Because if there remains any little space. When you apply the painting primer, unconsciously, the primer may be applied there, which looks odd.  

Step 9: Use The Primer

Open the primer container; you will see a thin layer on its top as primer particles accumulate at its bottom. Sir it with a stick to mix the particles and bring its thick consistency. 

Now, dip the painting roller into the primer and paint the tub. Start from one corner and gradually cover the whole tub. 

Smooth vertical strokes will be fine to apply the primer. Immediately after the primer application, you may see some air bubbles created. 

But, nothing to worry about; those will vanish within a few seconds when the primer reacts with your fiberglass shower. 

You find it difficult to apply the primer with the roller to its carved and flat edges. You should use a small painting brush to apply primer to that space. 

Step 10: Let the  shower dry

It takes at least 2 days to dry the primer coat of your tub. So, use another bathroom this time and let it dry. 

Step 11: Apply a second coat

If you find the first coat of the primer won’t be as worthwhile as you desire. You can apply a second coat of the primer the same way as the first coat. And again, let it dry for 2 days. 

Step 12: Remove the wrap, and tape

It is the last step of this long process of rejuvenating your fiberglass shower shine. 

Remove the wrapping paper from the shower head and other fittings. Release the tape from the tub’s surroundings. 

Now, you’ll find the gorgeous fiberglass shower with its pristine look. So congratulations, you are done. 

Is It Worth DIY Restoring Your Fiberglass Shower?

Yes, it’s worth DIY restoring your fiberglass shower, and it’s not just our floppy words. There is strong logical ground behind this statement. 

In terms of investment, you will need a maximum of $150 and 2-3 days for the task. Even the task won’t take up the full time of your day. 

On the other hand, according to Forbes, to refinish a fiberglass tub, you should pay a range of $300 to $1000 bucks based on its size. 

You may save $150 to $850 from this DIY job. 

In contrast, the fun, enjoyment, and skill you get throughout the entire process is immensely priceless. 

But here is a twist. On average, a fiberglass tub lasts approximately 10-15 years. If your shower is already more than 10 years old and has many imperfections (shallow cracks, leaks, mold, and mildew). 

In that case, re-painting is nothing but a waste of money, time, and energy. Here, the best solution is to replace the tub under a home improvement project. 

Shine Your Fiberglass Shower Like New

A fiberglass shower not only easily becomes dull, but also it easily becomes shiny and glazy with a little elbow grease.  

Just using it in the right manner and maintaining it correctly can make it durable with its prestigious color. 

However, if you discover your fiberglass shower is not good looking. Clean or repaint, that it requires.