How to Make the Absolute Best Affordable DIY Soap Scum Remover
Homemade Soap Scum Remover with Distilled White Vinegar and Dawn Dish Soap
Do you dread
One of my personal
This homemade soap scum remover recipe works better at getting rid of stubborn soap scum buildup and grime than any
This is by far one of my favorites bathroom
No scrubbing is required, usually, unless you have quite a bit of soap scum buildup to get rid of.
Homemade Soap Scum Remover That Really Works!
I was a little skeptical when I kept seeing this homemade shower and bathtub
When I originally posted this
I now use Dawn in this recipe as opposed to less expensive dish soap.
I buy the big containers from Sam's Club to save money. The Dawn does work a noticeable amount better but the less expensive options work as well.
One caveat. There is a fairly strong vinegar smell while doing this and if that scent bothers you, turn on your bathroom fan or open a window. The smell clears up quickly so no worries about any lingering aroma.
The disgusting picture above is of my bathtub before.
Hideous, I know, but look at the afters!
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Homemade Soap Scum Remover Recipe:
The recipe is super simple!
Ingredients:
4 ounces (½ cup) of Vinegar
4 ounces (½ cup) of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
Spray Bottle
Scrubbing Wand (optional)
Microfiber Cloth (optional)
For use in the spray bottle. Measure out 4 ounces of vinegar and heat in a microwave for about 30 seconds. DO NOT OVERHEAT!
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.
Place the lid on the bottle and shake thoroughly.
Now, spray the surface you wish to clean and let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes. Once the time has elapsed scrub or wipe off the
Why It Works
Vinegar is naturally acidic and that's what makes it so good for
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 (even a glass shower door), 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
FAQs:
What Causes Soap Scum?
This is the burning question, right? Soap scum happens when you have hard water and the minerals in the tap water combine with soap, primarily bar soap, and dirt to create soap scum. We have very hard water where I live and that leads to not only soap scum buildup but hard water stains on just about any surface water touches and stays on.
Can you spray this on your shower curtain?
Yes, you can. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes and then rinse thoroughly.
Can you add baking soda to this recipe?
No, you cannot. The
Do I have to use a spray bottle?
I personally think using a spray bottle is much more convenient to use and apply to the various bathroom surfaces I'm
Will a microfiber cloth help to clean my surfaces better?
Once I allow the mixture to set on the surface I'm
If using a microfiber cloth should it be wet or dry?
Microfiber works best when it's dry. The microfibers are what do the actual
If I don't want to use a microfiber cloth will any clean cloth work?
Yes, absolutely! I use microfiber because I prefer the durability of the cloth and the extra scrubbing power that a microfiber cloth provides.
Do I have to use distilled white vinegar?
You don't. I've been in a pinch and used apple cider vinegar and gotten the same great results.
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.
What are some of your favorite ways to use Vinegar (or Dawn)? I'd love to hear your tips.
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Best DIY Soap Scum Remover
The best soap scum remover and tub and shower cleaner ever. There are only two ingredients in this Homemade Soap Scum Remover with Vinegar and it works great to not only remove soap scum but to clean your tub, shower, and glass doors. It works!
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.