Prepare a Bathtub for Painting
- 1). Scrub soap scum and grime from the tub's surface with a trisodium phosphate cleanser, using a coarse brush. Rinse the bathtub with clean, wet rags. Wait two to four hours for the clean tub to dry.
- 2). Cover portions of the tub you do not want painted with painter's tape. Cover surrounding walls with masking paper. Tape the paper in place with painter's tape. Cover the bathroom floor with heavy-duty fabric drop cloths.
- 3). Stimulate adhesion by abrading the bathtub with 120-grit sandpaper. Scour the tub's surface until it feels slightly gritty.
- 4). Coat the sanded bathtub with acrylic latex spray primer. Hold the can 8 inches from the tub's surface as you spray. Wait four hours for the primed tub to dry.