Fixing a Hole in a Bathtub Cover with Shoe Goo (and the Trick to a Smooth Finish)

This is the English edition of a video from my Japanese YouTube channel, iestaLife. I review gadgets and household fixes from my home in Japan, so product links go to Amazon Japan.

Quick take

A falling clothes-drying pole punched a 2–3 cm hole in our insulated bathtub cover. Replacement covers like ours cost roughly ¥30,000–40,000 for a set, so I filled the hole with Shoe Goo, the shoe repair adhesive. Nearly six months later, it is still holding up in daily bathroom use. What worked for me was building it up in thin layers and, for the smoothing, a finger wet with saliva rather than water. The repair is still visible up close.

A bathtub cover repaired with Shoe Goo — The repaired spot after nearly six months of daily use

What I tested

Shoe Goo (white)
An insulated bathtub cover with a polypropylene surface and a hollow core
Smoothing with saliva versus water, side by side on a black tray

How I fixed it

Keep a wet wipe nearby for your fingers
Squeeze out a small amount of Shoe Goo into the hole—don’t pile on too much at once
Smooth the surface with a well-moistened finger
Let it cure for about half a day (it’s usable if nothing heavy sits on it)
After a day or two it shrinks by about 10–20%; add another thin layer where it dips
Take extra care to smooth only the final layer

A small dab of Shoe Goo on the bathtub cover — Fresh out of the tube, it holds peaks like thick paint

What I found

It survives the bathroom. Shoe Goo is made for shoe soles, so it handles water and impacts. The repair has stayed put for nearly six months.
It’s like a very thick wood glue. Spread it with a dry finger and it just sticks and strings.
Saliva works, water doesn’t. A finger wet with saliva glides over it without sticking. With water, it stuck almost as badly as a dry finger.
It starts to set fairly quickly. Work in one go and focus; mine got a little lumpy while I was filming.
Sanding is harder than it sounds. It’s easier to get it smooth while it’s wet.

Smoothing Shoe Goo with a finger — Smooth it with a properly wet finger, not just a dab

Finger wet with	Result when smoothing
Saliva	Doesn’t stick, spreads smoothly
Water	Sticky and messy, almost like a dry finger

Use enough saliva that your finger is properly wet, and wait a while after brushing your teeth so there’s no water left in your mouth. Switch to a different finger rather than licking the same one again. Once it has cured, there’s nothing to worry about.

Who it’s for

Anyone with a small hole or chip in a plastic item around the house or outdoors that’s too expensive to replace
People who don’t mind a repair that’s visible up close
Not for anyone who needs an invisible repair—you would need careful sanding at the end

Watch the video

The video is in Japanese, but the technique is easy to follow. Useful moments: around 5:00 for applying and smoothing, and 8:00 for the saliva-versus-water comparison.

Limitations

This is one repair on one bathtub cover. I haven’t tested how it holds up beyond about six months or on other materials. The bathtub cover I linked is sold in Japan, comes in many sizes, and is shown only as reference for the type of cover I repaired.

Products

Shoe Goo (white): on Amazon Japan

LIXIL (INAX) thin insulated bathtub cover (Japan only; choose the size for your tub): on Amazon Japan

The Amazon Japan links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Check the listing for the exact model, current price and shipping availability in your region.

More reviews in English