Wear rubber gloves while you work to protect your hands. You shouldn’t have to pay more than $10 for the caulk-removal tool.
If you can’t get all of the caulk off, that’s okay—you’ll be sanding down the tub later and can work off any bits that are stuck then.
This is also a great time to give those fixtures a thorough cleaning. Submerge the fixtures in warm water and dish soap to loosen any hardened grime. Use an old toothbrush to scrub away any remaining dirt.
You can also wear a respirator if you’re concerned about the fumes.
Fill up the bucket in the bathroom near the tub so you don’t have to try and transport it from another room.
Don’t forget to scrub the exterior of the tub, too—you’re going to be painting the entire thing, so it all needs to be cleaned. Part of the painting process involves getting the tub as clean as possible beforehand so that the paint adheres to the surface better. [8] X Expert Source Kevin SnowCommercial Painting Professional Expert Interview. 23 March 2022.
If you don’t have Comet, you could sprinkle and scrub away baking soda for the same result.
If there was any remaining cleaner, grease, or grime, the acetone will get rid of it.
If you can’t find epoxy putty, buy a similar kind of tub-repair paste from your local hardware store.
At this stage, it’s okay if the putty isn’t flat with the rest of the tub’s surface.
If your working on a curved area, you may need to adjust your knife’s position a few times to get the entire area smooth.
The wet-sanding will eliminate a lot of dust, but it’s a good idea to keep wearing your respirator, especially if you’re working in a small space.
The tub needs to be 100% dry before you start painting it, so use as many towels as you need to.
The paint you’re going to use is an acrylic spray paint, and the “dust” from it will settle on the walls and floors.
Remember to keep a window open or a fan running during the painting process.
For fiberglass tubs, you can also use a two-part epoxy paint instead of the acrylic. The epoxy paint can be used on porcelain and ceramic tubs, too. [20] X Expert Source Kevin SnowCommercial Painting Professional Expert Interview. 23 March 2022. The easiest option for DIYing the paint job is to purchase kits that are designed specifically for that purpose. Some companies even provide spray cans of acrylic urethane enamel that you don’t have to mix at all.
If you don’t want to use a spray gun, you could also use paint brushes and rollers. In that case, you wouldn’t need to load anything and could just mix the paint in its can to prepare.
Spray painting is generally an easier process because you won’t have to lean over the tub and risk smearing the paint. Similarly, if you’re painting the tub by hand, use long, even strokes to coat the tub’s entirety.
“Drying” and “curing” are two different things. Paint can be dry but not yet cured—the curing is when the paint dries and also hardens, and it generally takes a much longer time than just drying. Proceed with the second coat of paint once the first coat has simply dried.
Some sites say you can also use a heat lamp to speed up the curing time, but that could also cause discoloration in the paint.
You may also want to mop the floor and give the rest of the bathroom a thorough wipe-down to catch any dust or dirt left behind from the painting process.
Caulk can take 24 hours to cure, but it’s generally safe to expose it to water after a few hours.
