I had cast iron kitchen sinks when I was younger and they do loose their shine, they are harder to clean, cleansers will remove the finish......but don't remember it scratching. They are a lot heavier.

Regarding a bath tub I don't think it will make any difference because you can clean them with soap and water, a kitchen sink often has to scrubbed to get rid of stains. I have inserts in all 3 of my bathrooms and no trouble cleaning them at all.

What kind of insets do you have?

If it helps you, I have two boys 4 and 2 and have bathed them just fine in a cast iron tub. I think each one has slipped and fallen, with a minor bruise to the ego more than anything. I think the tub spout poses more of a injury hazard than the hard surface does.

Our cast iron tub is 90 years old and with the original finish. It is not high gloss everywhere but looks pretty great.

I have cast iron voyager in our baths now, have had them for 15 yrs. Haven't had acrylic though. I should probably go to a store and take a look. Do they feel plastcy?

I have had cast iron tubs for my entire life until about 15 years ago when we moved into a home with a cultured marble tub. Never had a problem - ever - with cast iron, no chips or scratches and I always found it held the finish well. (At least the older tubs did, not sure about today's manufacturing processes.) The cultured marble however, as well as the high end acrylic tubs my kids have in their homes, have not held their shine as well. I also find they are so much harder to clean. Just think about how difficult it is to get something oily like spaghetti sauce out of a plastic container as opposed to how easy it is to wash it off a china plate. Bathtub rings are the same. I find it is easier to get them off the porcelain finish on cast iron than it is on the plastic like acrylic tubs. They are really pushing the lighter weight tubs as they are easier and cheaper to ship but my money is on cast iron. I just ordered a Cheviot tub for our MB.

Thanks Dion, you solidified my decision to go with cast iron for the kids bath, just feels more solid to me when you are standing in it taking a shower.

Also, if you are prone to soaking or taking long baths, cast iron holds the heat longer then the acrylic tubs. We have cast iron claw foot tubs in 2 of our 3 bathrooms. They are both at least 100 years old. Still shiny up the sides and on the rims, a more flat appearance on the bottom.