If you take showers and baths as regularly as you should, you’ll probably encounter soap scum. It’s one of the biggest ironies that our cleaning and personal hygiene efforts should actually cause grungy residue to be left behind on our appliances.
The stubborn, scaly deposits build up when the fatty acids, talc, and other ingredients in washing soap react with the minerals in hard water. To make things even worse, soap scum also contains body oil, dirt, bits of dead skin, and bacteria. In short, it’s not a good idea to leave it sitting around for too long – especially as if soap scum is left to harden, it’s incredibly difficult to remove from your tub or shower.
Luckily, there are plenty of methods you can try out to remove soap scum, and you don’t need to pay out of pocket for an expensive commercial cleaner to get the job done, either. Here are some of our favourite tried and tested approaches to removing soap scum that should have your shower or bathtub sparkling in no time:1. Baking soda and vinegar
Anyone who knows anything about household cleaning will have a good stock of baking soda to use in all manner of emergencies. To use this product to remove soap scum, it’s most effective when paired with vinegar.
Pour a cup of baking soda into a small bowl and add enough white vinegar to make a paste. The mixture will fizz like an impressive science experiment, so give it time to settle down.
Once the mixture has stopped fizzing, dip a sponge into the solution and apply it to your shower and tub. Leave it to it set for about 15 minutes, before wiping the surfaces down with a non-scratch sponge. Finish by rinsing thoroughly with water, then dry with a soft towel.
2. Vinegar and dish detergent
Vinegar can be used with almost anything as a cleaner, thanks to its acidic properties, which help it to cut through tough grease, grime, and mineral deposits. You can use vinegar with dish detergent for a sure-fire remedy against soap scum on your bathroom surfaces.
Combine equal amounts of vinegar and water into a spray bottle, then add one tablespoon of dish detergent. Spray the solution on the soap scum, and let it sit for at least 15 minutes.
When you return, scrub the surface with a soft-bristle scrub brush, and rinse with hot water. Dry thoroughly with a soft towel.
3. Pumice stone
If you have a porcelain tub, you can use a wet pumice stone to remove soap scum—but make sure to proceed carefully. You can probably imagine that an improper technique or a dry stone could cause all sorts of damage to your surfaces, especially glass doors or tiles.
To give this method a try, dampen both the pumice stone and the surface you’re working on. Then very gently rub the wet stone over the soap scum.
As the soap scum transfers to the pumice stone, use a stiff-bristle brush to clean it off, then continue with the process. If a pumice stone isn’t enough, or you’re dealing with a surface with very bad soap scum, you can try scraping it off with a razor.
Again, be very careful not to scratch your surfaces – that’s a lot more difficult to fix!
Preventing soap scum
Soap scum isn’t actually an inevitable aspect of showering or taking a bath, and there are things you can do yourself to prevent it from forming in the first place. This involves:
- Using liquid soap, which is far less likely to leave sticky residue than bar soap. It’s the talc and fatty acids in bar soap that are responsible for the majority of scum.
- Keeping your shower unit or bathtub dry. If you have a bath, for instance, instead of leaving the bubbly deposits at the bottom of your tub, rinse them away and follow with a quick dry with a clean towel. This little bit of extra work will save a much bigger effort in the future.
- Installing a shower head water softener. Admittedly, this one is a little niche, but soap scum is so much worse in water with high hardness. Soft water lathers better with soap and doesn’t leave limescale deposits, which soap scum may stick to.
- Using a daily cleaning product, because little and often proves far more effective than lots and rarely. The best way to keep your tub sparkling clean at all times is to commit to a cleaning schedule.
Conclusion
So, there you have it – there really is no reason to buy the most expensive “quick fix” chemical cleaner to tackle your soap scum stains in your shower or bath. Most likely, you have the equipment and ingredients you need for the job in your own kitchen cupboards right at this moment.
Just make sure to tackle your cleaning with caution, and don’t go too OTT with your formulas – a little goes a long way in all instances!
If want to see some ready-made products then click on one of the below
- Deep Cleaning Action: The Pink Stuff Bathroom Foam Cleaner is specially formulated to tackle tough bathroom stains and grime, leaving your bathroom surfaces sparkling clean with minimal effort.
- Effortless Foam Application: The easy-to-use foam spray clings to surfaces, allowing for maximum contact time to break down dirt and soap scum. Simply spray, let the foam work its magic, and wipe clean.
- Versatile Bathroom Use: Perfect for a variety of bathroom surfaces, including tiles, sinks, tubs, showers, faucets, and even toilet exteriors. One product for all your bathroom cleaning needs.
- Removes Limescale and Soap Scum: Effectively removes stubborn limescale, soap scum, and hard water stains, leaving surfaces shiny and clean without harsh scrubbing.
- What You'll Get: One 20oz trigger bottle of Scrubbing Bubbles Rainshower Mega Bathroom Spray. Bottle Made from 100% recycled content
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- excluding dye, trigger, and label)
- Removes 100% Limescale & Soap Scum: this specialized bathroom cleaner is specially formulated to clean tough bathroom grime and build up in showers and tubs
- Rejuvenate Scrub Free Soap Scum Remover Non-abrasive Cleaning Formula - Spray and Rinse for Streak Free Finish on Glass, Ceramic Tile, Chrome, Plastic and More
- Effective to use on glass, ceramic tile, fiberglass, natural stone, plastic, chrome and porcelain
- Easy to use, just spray and rinse, for a streak finish
- The no scrub soap scum remover is the winner of multiple cleaning product awards
- Powerful Clean: CLR Brilliant Bath cleans surfaces with a formula that rapidly eliminates dirt; Its foam has the capacity to fight all kinds of bathroom dirt and grime buildup
- Many Uses: This versatile cleaner foams to remove even the toughest buildup from sinks, faucets, showerheads and bathtub surrounds; Safe for glass and stainless steel
- Easy to Use and Effective: Effectively remove stains in two steps; Just spray the solution onto the sink, shower door, or faucet, and wipe clean; CLR Brilliant Bath cleans one of the dirtiest rooms in your home with less effort
- EPA Safer Choice Certified: This daily cleaner is recognized as a safer alternative to harsher chemicals by EPA's Safer Choice Program; Contains zero ammonia, bleach or phosphates