Plumbing backup in bathtub - Home Discussion Forums

View Full Version : Plumbing backup in bathtub

Suzie-Q

10-12-2005, 07:19 PM

Okay, I know this is gross. I'm a horrible housekeeper and all that.

Not long ago my plumbing backed up. I called a plumber, got the problem
fixed. But the plumbing backed up into the bathtub (which is in horrible
shape and which I never use) and left a residue that has now dried to the
hardness of cement, approximately. I have soaked with hot water and bleach
twice, but the stuff won't come off easily.

Am I going to have to get a hammer and chisel, or can someone suggest
something that will soften the disgusting mess?
--
8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail)
~~~~~~
"I reserve the absolute right to be smarter
today than I was yesterday." -Adlai Stevenson

http://www.suzanne-eckhardt.com/
http://www.intergnat.com/malebashing/
http://www.intergnat.com/pussygames/

Vox Humana

10-13-2005, 01:06 AM

peggo

10-13-2005, 01:06 AM

"Suzie-Q" <sme617x@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:sme617x-3A850B.12300912102005@news1.west.earthlink.net...
> Okay, I know this is gross. I'm a horrible housekeeper and all that.
>
> Not long ago my plumbing backed up. I called a plumber, got the problem
> fixed. But the plumbing backed up into the bathtub (which is in horrible
> shape and which I never use) and left a residue that has now dried to the
> hardness of cement, approximately. I have soaked with hot water and bleach
> twice, but the stuff won't come off easily.
>
> Am I going to have to get a hammer and chisel, or can someone suggest
> something that will soften the disgusting mess?
> --
> 8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail)
> ~~~~~~
> "I reserve the absolute right to be smarter
> today than I was yesterday." -Adlai Stevenson
>
> http://www.suzanne-eckhardt.com/
> http://www.intergnat.com/malebashing/
> http://www.intergnat.com/pussygames/

This is almost too gross for me to think about.
You've got shit stuck to your bathtub?
You let it dry on?
If you never use your bathtub, does that mean you never bathe?

peggo
wondering what was on that pussygames page.

Nan

10-13-2005, 01:06 AM

On Wed, 12 Oct 2005 15:31:01 -0500, "peggo" <peggo666@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>This is almost too gross for me to think about.
>You've got shit stuck to your bathtub?
>You let it dry on?
>If you never use your bathtub, does that mean you never bathe?
>
>peggo
>wondering what was on that pussygames page.

ROTFL!!! I just love your wit :-)

Nan
--
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month...
Please help fund Mammograms for underprivileged women
clicking here (no cost to you):http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

Choreboy

10-13-2005, 01:06 AM

Suzie-Q wrote:
>
> Okay, I know this is gross. I'm a horrible housekeeper and all that.
>
> Not long ago my plumbing backed up. I called a plumber, got the problem
> fixed. But the plumbing backed up into the bathtub (which is in horrible
> shape and which I never use) and left a residue that has now dried to the
> hardness of cement, approximately. I have soaked with hot water and bleach
> twice, but the stuff won't come off easily.
>
> Am I going to have to get a hammer and chisel, or can someone suggest
> something that will soften the disgusting mess?
> --

I'd call the plumber again and ask what in the pipe could harden like that.

I was once a sailor. The toilets used to flush into the sea, but then
they installed a septic tank. When the water in the tank reached a
certain level, a microswitch would turn on a pump.

The microswitch failed. I had the best rack in the berthing area. It
was below the water cooler, which meant I had access to an electrical
outlet. The septic tank overflowed through the water cooler. It was
stormy, as usual where we sailed, so the effluent covered my bed.

It smelled as sweet as honey. I was tired, so I had a drink from the
water cooler and went to bed. Sweet dreams. It was safe because a
septic tank kills pathogens almost as fast as bleach.

So you should have a nice bath as you think about your problem.

10-14-2005, 07:12 PM

On Wed, 12 Oct 2005 17:30:09 GMT, Suzie-Q <sme617x@earthlink.net>
wrote:

>Okay, I know this is gross. I'm a horrible housekeeper and all that.
>
>Not long ago my plumbing backed up. I called a plumber, got the problem
>fixed. But the plumbing backed up into the bathtub (which is in horrible
>shape and which I never use) and left a residue that has now dried to the
>hardness of cement, approximately. I have soaked with hot water and bleach
>twice, but the stuff won't come off easily.
>
>Am I going to have to get a hammer and chisel,

No, but a plastic putty knife, for sale at paint stores for maybe 60
cents won't damage your tub. Hold it almost parallel to the tub
surface so that you are attacking the stuff and not the tub.

But before that I would soak it some more**. Don't bother with bleach
until there is a stain that bleach removes.

OTOH, I used to think, or it used to be true, that porcelain tubs and
sinks were invulnerable. Maybe, but what most places have now is
enamel?-covered steel, not porcelain-covered iron. So thinking there
was no rush, I damaged the sink by letting water or maybe wet shaving
soap sit in it for weeks when I was away. Not sure how to repair it.

And I damaged the tub by letting my foam cushion rest against it for
months and months. Not sure how to repair that. The tub looked
comfortable, but I lay down in it before I bought the house and saw
that the top rear corner really hurt my back. After I bought the
house, I couldn't find a position where it didn't hurt, so I bought
some foam rubber, which would have been fine but I cleverly cut it so
that it went 8 inches below the top of the tub. The bottom inch never
drained, never dried, but it didn't smell bad or anything. Finally I
took the cushion out and the tub was damaged at that inch. (This is
all the sadder since now I use a cushion that goes 8 inches above the
tub top, butt notbelow and it is just as comfortable, every
comfortable, by the way. So if you leave the tub wet for months,
you can ruin it.

But a day or two, periodically chipping away whatever can be chipped,
will be ok. I probably wouldn't use the putty knife too hard at the
bottom, for fear you'll take the tub sufrace with it. Rather, chip
off the top so that water will be better able to soak the lower layer.
The edges at the bottom should soak up water too. Don't bother
draining the water between chippings. I don't know what this crud is,
but I'm assuming it is water-soluable. All human waste is afaik.

BTW, if you ever buy Carnation Natural malted milk powder, to make
malted milks with, keep the lid on tight as much as possible. That
stuff will last months also, but eventually I guess it was the
humidity that made it solidify, and it was harder than a rock, and it
stuck to the glass too. It's pretty hard to get things to stick to
glass. It was incredibly hard and wouldn't di
or can someone suggest

BTW, I'm sure you were using the other bathroom. And
People use manure to fertlize all the time, including the lawns of
private homes. You can get used to it.

>something that will soften the disgusting mess?

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

miracatta

10-16-2005, 01:05 AM

First of all, stop beating yourself up about your housekeeping....just
do the best you can and blow off other people's standards.

About the tub: I'd make a paste out of Cascade Complete, which I've
discovered is da bomb for many formerly impossible messes. Failing
that, try something called Zep sold at Home Depot, or CLR
(Calcium-Lime-Rust) sold in hardware stores. Then, after about 12-18
hours, see what has happened. Hopefully this will help. The plumbing
residue could be mineral or organic. Since it is so difficult, mineral
sounds more like it.
Good luck!!!!