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
- Scrubbing Bubbles Mega Shower Foamer Spray is a foaming, grime-busting shower cleaner that works on your tiles, tubs, and shower doors
- Removes 100% of soap scum, tackles limescale and smells amazing
- Wide-range, adjustable shower spray that quickly covers showers and tubs
- Specially formulated for tough bathroom grime
- HEAVY-DUTY CLEANING POWER: RMR’s Xtreme Soap Scum Remover comes in a simple spray and rinse formula that begins working instantly, cutting through buildup and grime to refresh and rejuvenate bath and shower surfaces for a dazzling, streak-free sheen
- VERSATILE & MULTIPURPOSE: Our multisurface cleaner can be used on any shower, tub, or bathroom surface including stainless steel, fiberglass, chrome, porcelain, marble, granite, plastic, tile, and glass doors; Apply to ceramic stovetops to treat caked-on messes
- SAFE & EFFECTIVE: This bleach-free, non-abrasive spray begins working immediately to eliminate stubborn buildup including limescale, calcium, soap scum, and hard water stains with a powerful foaming, no-scrub formula that leaves surfaces sparkling
- QUICK & EASY CLEANING: Removes tough soap scum in minutes without rigorous scrubbing or repeat applications; Spray the desired area from 6-8 inches away, wait 2-3 minutes as the cleaner penetrates the surface, rinse with water, and allow to fully dry
- 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 – 24 Ounce
- Scrubbing Bubbles Mega Shower Foamer Aerosol has a foaming, grime-busting formula and a wide spray nozzle and kills 99.9% of viruses
- and bacteria*
- It's a disinfectant spray that works on contact to remove limescale and 100% of soap scum for a powerful clean that smells amazing
- This bathroom cleaner is a penetrating foam with our widest spray and our fastest clean to quickly cover tough bathroom grime on your shower and bathtub