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Are your tubs and showers filled with soap scum? Remove it quickly and easily with a laundry stain treatment such as Spray N' Wash. Simply spray on and wipe scum off. Works like a charm!
By Irishwitch from Aurora, CO
I have not been a member very long, but I love this site and have put to good use many of the tips. I want to tell anyone reading this, that the tip about a paste of baking soda and Dawn dish-washing liquid to clean shower walls has given me the cleanest shower with the least effort in many years.
We recently went back to using bar soap, because the body wash products were giving us a musty drain smell. As you know bar soap will give a build up. Simply wipe it off with this paste for a "brand new" smooth feel. It even worked on the heavy shower curtain; it is like new and squeaky clean. I took the extra step of spraying everything with a vinegar and water rinse and used a squeegee and towel to shine.
By Jean F. from Maritime, Canada
For soap scum removal I've never found anything that works better than Dawn Dishwashing Liquid. A little bit on a wet rag is all it takes. For shower doors, follow with a rinse and a quick swipe of a squeegee (you can find one at the dollar store). For everything else just rinse and wipe dry.
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What can I use to remove soap scum?
A magic eraser is great for this. It can be a knockoff.
Combine 1 part white vinegar and 1 part grease-fighting dish soap. Spray the solution on the soap scum and close to allow the solution to set.
You do not say where your soap scum problem is but generally, it will be in your tub/shower, shower doors, and fixtures.
If the build-up is heavy, it will take some elbow grease along with some DIY cleaners or store-bought cleaners.
DIY Scum-Buster Cleaning Solutions
Place one cup of baking soda into a small plastic bowl and add about one-fourth cup of distilled white vinegar, enough to form a thick paste.
Let the mixture fizz and when it stops, dip a microfiber cloth or sponge into the paste and apply it to the soap scum. Let the paste remain on the surface for at least 15 minutes. Then rinse well and dry completely to prevent spotting.
Remember, bar soap and hard water are the main culprits that make up soap scum, so if you discontinue using bar soap, your cleaning will be a lot easier; even if you have hard water.
Check out these sites for more suggestions.
www.bobvila.com/
www.thespruce.com/
Soap scum is frequently formed by combining minerals in hard tap water with soap (calcium stearate, magnesium stearate and others). It is much easier to remove thin layers of soap scum. Soap scum that left for too long can get as hard as concrete and be difficult to remove. It can be combined with mold or mildew.
Removing soap scum from glass shower doors:
1. Homemade daily cleaning solution
Mix 1 cup of distilled white vinegar, 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle, spray the solution on the glass after every shower, allow it to work for several minutes, then rinse with hot water, use a squeegee to remove water or dry the glass completely with a microfiber towel.
2. Scum-buster cleaning solution
Pour 1 cup of baking soda into a plastic bowl, add distilled white vinegar to form a thick paste (about 1/4 cup of vinegar), when it stops fizz, dip a microfiber cloth or sponge into the paste and apply it to the glass , give the cleaner plenty of time to work (at least 15 minutes), then wipe down the surfaces with a microfiber cloth and plain water, rinse very well and dry completely.
Removing soap scum from fiberglass showers:
1. Homemade daily cleaning solution
Make a paste of 1 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar, when it stops foaming, spread the paste with a non-abrasive sponge or microfiber cloth, allow it to work for 10 minutes, then rinse away, dry the surfaces completely with a soft towel.
2. Scum-buster cleaning solution
Make a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, spread the mixture on the fiberglass enclosure and let it work for 15-30 minutes, then rinse well and dry.
Removing soap scum from metal:
For chrome fixtures use a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water.
For stainless steel surfaces use undiluted vinegar - wipe down. Always rinse fixture surfaces well after cleaning and dry with a soft cloth.
For crusty showerheads, fill a plastic bag with vinegar (or vinegar and water solution), completely submerge the showerhead into the vinegar (or vinegar and water solution) in the bag and attach the bag, allow the vinegar (or vinegar and water solution) to work for at least one hour, then remove the bag, rinse the surfaces with plain water and dry with a soft cloth or towel.
For fixtures with oil-rubbed bronze or brass finishes, it is recommended only water for cleaning.
Cleansers can damage a specialty surface, always test a cleaning product on an inconspicuous part of the fixture.
Removing soap scum from ceramic tile:
1. Make a paste of 1 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar, when it stops foaming, spread the paste and let it remain on the tile for at least 15 minutes, then wipe down the surfaces with a microfiber cloth and plain water, rinse very well and dry completely.
2. To remove particularly heavy soap scum, after dipping your sponge or cloth into the homemade baking soda mixture, then dip it in the table salt and begin cleaning. The table salt will add a bit more abrasiveness to the mixture, which will help to cut through the build-up. Be sure to keep the salt away from any natural stone surfaces.
To remove soap scum from natural stone tile use a cleaner for a natural stone, follow product instructions.
www.thespruce.com/
Soap scum tips:
remove all soap scum in the tub, shower, and other surface areas as soon as it begins to develop,
apply a gel gloss or car wax to surfaces,
use a daily shower cleaner,
use liquid or gel body soap instead of bar soap,
make weekly cleaning using products like Dawn's dishwashing liquid and white vinegar.
You may use the cleaning agent Borax, it can as well as kills and prevents mold and mildew. Borax, or sodium borate is an alkaline mineral salt, so it softens water. It's a naturally occurring element and has been found as safe to use as a cleaning product if you take the appropriate precautions, it can be irritating when exposure occurs through skin or eye contact, inhalation or ingestion:
avoid inhaling borax powder by always keeping it a safe distance from your eyes, nose, and mouth,
use gloves when using borax,
fully rinse the area you're cleaning with water after washing with borax,
never leave borax in the reach of children and pets.
This is a page about cleaning soap scum from a bathtub. Removing soap scum on bathtubs is waking nightmare for us all.
This page is about removing soap scum from ceramic tile. Soap film can be difficult to remove from bathroom and kitchen tiles.
Soap scum build up on a tub can be very difficult to remove. This is a page about removing soap scum build up from a plastic tub.
This is a page about removing soap scum from a dishwasher. Removing the built up residue in your dishwasher from detergents can seem daunting.
This is a page about cleaning soap scum out of a washing machine. Some detergents can leave a layer of soap scum inside your washing machine.
Fiberglass bathroom fixtures are common in our homes. Care needs to be taken when cleaning them to avoid scratching the finish. This is a page about how to remove soap scum from fiberglass.
Soap scum is a white film that builds up in showers and bathtubs. It can be extremely frustrating when your trying to have a sparkling clean bathroom and the soap scum just won't go away. This is a page about removing soap scum from shower doors.
We have used Easy Off Fume Free over cleaner (for cold ovens, no heat required) to clean years of soap scum and hard water build up off showers and tubs, both fiberglass and tile.
