The Best Homemade Soap Scum Remover (2 Ingredients, No Scrubbing!)
This homemade soap scum remover with Dawn and vinegar is the only cleaner I reach for when the tub, shower walls, or glass doors need a serious reset - and it outperforms every commercial product I have ever tried.
In this post, you'll learn the best way to remove soap scum buildup from not only your bathtub, but your shower walls, glass shower doors, and other bathroom surfaces using this homemade cleaner. So read on and get ready to have a sparkling clean bathtub in no time.
This simple
It also works much better than a magic eraser which gives less than acceptable results in my experience and can be annoying to clean up especially once it starts to break apart.
Of note, no scrubbing is required, usually, unless you have quite a bit of soap scum build-up to get rid of. In that case you may need to use a bit of elbow grease and I'll give some tips for that later on in this post.
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Supplies
- Clean Spray Bottle - I use either a good quality plastic spray bottle or this glass spray bottle
- 4 ounces (½ cup) of White Vinegar
- 4 ounces (½ cup) of Dawn dish soap or other good quality liquid soap (dish soap)
- Scrubbing Wand (optional)
- Microfiber Cloth (optional), clean cloth, or clean towel
- Rubber Gloves (optional)
*It's important to use equal amounts of vinegar and dish detergent
Directions
- For use in the empty spray bottle: Measure out 4 ounces of vinegar and heat in a microwave for about 30 seconds. DO NOT OVERHEAT! Keep in mind that the smell of vinegar will be noticeable and can be a bit potent.
- Once the vinegar is heated carefully pour it into the spray bottle. I like to use a funnel for this task.
- Add 4 ounces of the dishwashing liquid.
- If a total of 8 ounces seems like a bit too much or too little, make any amount you think will do the job using equal parts vinegar and dishwashing liquid for the best results.
- Place the lid on the bottle and shake thoroughly.
- Next, spray the surfaces you wish to clean and let the mixture sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Once the time has elapsed scrub (if necessary) or wipe off the
cleaning solution and rinse thoroughly focusing on the shower floor. Next, stand back and enjoy the glow!
*To maintain your clean shower and bath tub I recommend using a daily shower spray after every shower. The best product I've found for this is this is Method Daily Shower Cleaner. It's a great way to prevent annoying white film from accumulating and will help to cut future
The disgusting picture above is of my bathtub, shower surfaces, and tub walls.
Hideous, I know, but look at the shiny afters!
Why It Works
Vinegar is a natural acetic acid and that's what makes it so good for
This is exactly why this homemade soap scum remover works so much better than store-bought sprays. The vinegar dissolves the buildup chemically while Dawn lifts the grease.
Adding Dawn makes it that much more powerful. The full recipe for Dawn isn't readily available. It is known that Dawn contains chemical compounds that reduce the surface tension of a liquid. When that liquid is dissolved, grease and ickiness are gone!
What Surfaces Can This Mixture Be Used On?
This effective mixture will clean soap scum from the following surfaces:
Shower door (glass doors), tub, shower curtain, shower walls, and other bathroom surfaces with the exception of the below surfaces which are ONLY an example of surfaces this should not be used on. Always follow the manufacturer's recommendation for your particular surfaces.
Because of the acidic nature of vinegar, I would avoid using this
This homemade soap scum remover is safe for glazed ceramic, glass, tubs, and shower walls. Always test on an inconspicuous area first.
Best DIY Soap Scum Remover
Supplies
Instructions
- For use in the spray bottle, measure out 4 ounces of vinegar and heat in a microwave for about 30 seconds. Once the vinegar is heated carefully pour it into the spray bottle.
- Add 4 ounces of the dishwashing liquid. Place the lid on the bottle and shake thoroughly.
- Now, spray the surface you wish to clean and let the gel sit for about 1 hour. Once the time has lapsed, scrub or wipe off the cleaning solution and rinse thoroughly. Next, stand back and enjoy the glow!
- If using the wand, follow the above directions but use 2 ounces of vinegar and 2 ounces of Dawn dishwashing liquid.
As with any of my recipes, calorie counts and nutritional information varies greatly depending on which products you choose to use when cooking this dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes soap scum?
Soap scum happens when hard water minerals like calcium and magnesium combine with bar soap and body oils to form a stubborn residue. The minerals in tap water bind with the dirt and oils the soap is trying to wash away, hardening into the filmy buildup you see on tubs, tiles, and shower doors.
Can you spray this homemade soap scum remover on a shower curtain?
Yes, spray the Dawn and vinegar solution directly onto the shower curtain, allow it to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with warm water. Warm or hot water works better than cold for rinsing this solution.
Can you add baking soda to this soap scum remover recipe?
No, do not add baking soda to this recipe. Baking soda and vinegar combined create a volcano-like chemical reaction that cancels out the cleaning power of both ingredients. If you want a baking soda based cleaner, try my homemade soft scrub recipe instead.
Do you have to use a spray bottle?
A spray bottle is the most convenient option especially for vertical surfaces like shower walls and glass doors. If you only need to clean a small area you can mix the solution in a bowl and pour it directly onto the surface instead.
Should a microfiber cloth be wet or dry when using this cleaner?
Dry. Microfiber works best dry because the fibers themselves do the actual cleaning work. There is no need to wet the cloth first - just use it dry to wipe away the solution after the dwell time.
Do you have to use distilled white vinegar?
No, apple cider vinegar works just as well in a pinch and produces the same cleaning results. Distilled white vinegar is preferred because it has no color that could potentially stain surfaces.
What are some of your favorite ways to use Vinegar (or Dawn)? I'd love to hear your tips.
That looks fabulously clean. I've seen another tip that uses dampened dryer sheets to wipe off soap scum, and that works pretty well too. I'll have to give this a go and see which I like best. Thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by, Jelli! I will have to try the dryer sheet tip...p.s. I love your name. : )
Thought I would share a cheap easy trick for cleaning the toilet with you since you got the sink and tub covered there. Pour some baking soda in the toilet, a little or alot depending on how bad it needs cleaned. Then pour vinegar into the toilet. It creates a chemical reaction you should remember from elementary school science. As the carbon dioxide is being created it actually cleans the toilet. When it stops fizzing just running the toilet brush around, and everything should come completely clean. If not, add a little more vinegar. Then toilet brush again and flush. So easy!
Thanks for the great tip, Julia! I will have to try this.
I use the vinegar and baking soda to clean and deodorize the drains.
I tried the vinegar and dawn, however I guess it was too hot and melted my bottle.
I have got to try this! I was thinking the other day after i cleaned that shower doors that thye didn't look any better! I have the same Shaklee bottle. Love their products too but have ran out!
Those bottles are awesome...they seem to last so much longer than other spray bottles I've bought. Thanks for stopping by. : )
I don't have Dawn here. I will use the dish washing liquid I have and hope it will also will work.
I'm wondering if it is just the 'blue' that makes the difference....let me know if it works for you. : )
Will this work on the mineral deposits on glass shower doors? If not, what will? I'm afraid I might have to replace the entire glass in my shower because it looks so bad.
Sue,
I'm not sure if it will work or not but the vinegar and the dish soap won't hurt the glass so I would give it a try. If it does work, once the shower doors are clean, I would coat them with a layer of car wax. I used to do that all the time and it kept mine nice and shiny for months.
I would appreciate it if you could let me know if that works ~ fingers crossed and hoping it does!
Thank you so much for stopping by.
Mary Beth
You're welcome, Anne ~ thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and comment! Have a wonderful day. mb
Years ago, way before we had city water, our shower would get "orange" from the hard water...so hard to clean and we were going to have company...and I was going to let them use our bedroom and bath...well someone said.."clean it with Snowbowl" (toilet bowl cleaner) well yeah worked great but so strong, from then on Ive had the worst time cleaning my shower and shower floor, think the Snowbowl took the finish off...I will try this....its so embarrassing and I dont have money to rip out and retile.....thanks!
This product sounds great, but does it have to be hot to work?
Hi Patricia ~ It did cool down as I used it so I'm not sure if perhaps the reason to heat it is that it changes something chemically with the vinegar. I don't know enough about chemistry to figure that out. It may be that it needs to be warmed so that the dishwashing liquid mixes better with the vinegar. I would say to try a smaller amount at room temperature and see what kind of results you get if you don't want to warm up the vinegar.
Thanks so much for stopping by! mb
regarding Dawn detergent...I know Dawn has safe degreasers that other many dish detergents do not have. (We use it to clean wildlife after oil spills).
Don't know if it makes a difference cleaning the shower, but maybe if you had to clean a really cruddy one?...
Hi Anne,
I had another comment over at Hometalk regarding using an organic dishwashing liquid and the commenter said she had a good result so I think most soaps will work well.
Have a wonderful weekend! mary beth
Dawn kills fleas and ticks on your pooch as well, Just remember to use a conditioner after...you know those little bottles you get in motel rooms?
This stuff is a miracle!!!! I love it! the best part is that it doesn't give asthma or allergies!!! I can't thank you enough!!
Vinegar is THE BEST! Sometimes I clean apartments between tenants... not a fun job and rarely does anyone leave their tub squeaky clean. What has worked for me is a Dobi scrubby... the one that's thin with a sponge side and a scrubby side and straight vinegar. In a flash, I can get the built-up soap gunk off the shower walls. And because there's already soap on the shower walls just straight vinegar does the job for me. I have had some that had something other than soap... maybe grease of some sort... I really don't want to know... so with those I also use BonAmi another old fashioned cleanser that doesn't scratch. Usually, between the two it makes pretty fast work of some tough jobs and no harmful chemicals. As always... I LOVE your tips, Mary Beth! You're the BEST!!!!
Thank you so much, Diane, and I love your tips, too! I use BonAmi often and Bar Keepers Friend for scrubbing sometimes if I need a little extra somethin'. <3
Mary Beth,
I understand that I need to heat the vinegar but if I don't use all of it do I need to heat it up before I use it again or is just to combine the ingredients initially?
Hi, Vicky. You only need to heat the vinegar once. I think heating it adds a little more "power" (for lack of a better word) to the initial cleaning process but after that, you can use it as is.
You say not to use this on ceramic tile, yet your pictures show "smooth shiny tile". Which one is correct?
Hello, Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I corrected the article to say that it should NOT be used on unglazed ceramic. With that in mind, it is safe to use on glazed ceramic but I would test it first on an inconspicuous area to be sure there is no negative interaction.
I found that not heating the vinegar got the soap scum off.
When I have time, I will see if heating it up does a better job.
I used a toilet brush.
I will look for a long handled brush to minimize bending over. 🙂