How to Replace a Ceramic Soap Dish
Did your ceramic soap dish break? Maybe you are just looking to replace it with a more stylish model. Either way, you may want to consider replacing your ceramic soap dish yourself. Here’s how to complete the task:
Supplies Needed
In order to replace a ceramic soap dish, you will need a cold chisel, a hammer, a tape measure, a drop cloth and a tub of ceramic tile adhesive. You’ll also need an adhesive spreader, a putty knife, a roll of duct tape, old towels and a container of ceramic tile grout. Of course you will need to have a pair of safety goggles, a pair of work gloves and your replacement ceramic soap dish handy as well.
Ready Your Work Space
Start the project by preparing your work area. In order to prepare the work area, you will need a drop cloth, old towels and a roll of duct tape. Place the drop cloth underneath the area where the old ceramic soap dish is located. Then put the old towels over top of the drop cloth. I like to use the towels in addition to the drop cloth for two reasons. First, it helps to keep the ceramic shards from splintering and flying across the floor when they fall. Second, it provides an extra layer of protection for the inside of the tub. After all, if a piece of the old ceramic soap dish falls into the bathtub hard enough, it could cause cracks or chips in the tub’s surface.
Once the drop cloth and old towels are in place, cover the tiles around the old ceramic soap dish with the duct tape. Doing so will help to protect the tiles as well as hold them into place during the installation of the new ceramic soap dish. Don’t worry about getting duct tape residue on your ceramic tiles. You can always remove it later with Goo Gone or another similar product.
Remove the Old Soap Dish
After the drop cloth, towels and duct tape are in place, don your safety goggles and work gloves. Then grab the cold chisel and the hammer. Using the cold chisel and the hammer, carefully remove the old ceramic soap dish. Once the old ceramic soap dish has been removed, use the putty knife to scrape away any old tile adhesive. The goal is to get the work surface as clean and level as possible. If the old adhesive is very thick, you may want to try sanding some of it away as well. If you do decide to break out the sand paper, make sure that you put on a dust mask in order to keep the dust from entering your lungs.
Install the New Soap Dish
Proceed by removing your new ceramic soap dish from its packaging. Using your tape measure, make sure that it will fit in the space desired. If it will fit, go ahead and apply the ceramic tile adhesive to the back of the ceramic soap dish. Once that’s done, firmly press the ceramic soap dish into place and duct tape it to the wall. The duct tape will help to keep the ceramic soap dish in place until the ceramic tile adhesive has a chance to cure. Once the ceramic tile adhesive has had a chance to cure, remove the duct tape and examine your work. Afterward, go ahead and grout the joints located around your new ceramic soap dish. When the grout has had a chance to cure, your ceramic soap dish will be ready for use.
Source: Personal Experience
Killeen Gonzalez has a history of completing DIY home improvement projects with her family.
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