Q. During a bathroom renovation, a careless tile setter left dried mastic that resulted in “cement” blotches of gray on my white bathtub. I’ve tried low-odor mineral spirits to dissolve it, but it didn’t touch it.
To make matters worse, the tub base is non-slip surface. Any suggestions?
Marsha Ulbrich, North Barrington
A. Mastic is the adhesive that holds the tile to the wall. When new tile is being installed, it’s important to clean up any spills as quickly as possible, because removing the dried material can be challenging, said Melvin Hurt, of Century Tile on Chicago’s Southwest Side.
“Old glue on the tub is a common problem,” he said.
There are specially formulated removers available in hardware stores. His store sells adhesive wipes that come in five different strengths, he said.
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