Soap scum build-up doesn’t look appealing at all. It makes glass doors, tubs, and sinks look old. If not removed for weeks, it can accumulate mold, dirt, and serve as a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. Also, if you allow soapy build up and hard water stains on shower surfaces for an extended period, it will cause permanent damage and etching on glass and stainless steel.
If you are not sure what soap scum and hard water accumulation look like, take a good look at your glass doors to see if they have a cloudy appearance because this is the first sign of soapy door and hard water build up.
Fortunately, there are many ways to clean a bathtub and remove soap scum build up on bathroom surfaces without spending too much on store-bought cleaning products.
How to Clean Showers and Make a Powerful Homemade Soap Scum Remover
Here are seven easy-to-make DIY soap scum remover recipes for glass shower doors, stainless steel shower heads, glass doors, the toilet bowl, shower curtains, and other parts of your bathroom.
1. Wipe Shower Walls with Microfiber Cloth
Using DIY soap scum remover can undoubtedly help, but prevention is the key to bathroom cleaning. If it is too late, removing hard water spots and etching may be irreversible. To prevent damage from happening to your glass shower stalls, wipe them down after each use with a squeegee or a microfiber cloth.
2. Use Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Dishwashing Soap
Glass shower doors are prone to harboring soap residue and scum now and then. To clean soap scum build up on a glass door and shower walls, here is the perfect baking soda based DIY scum remover recipe.
Homemade Soap Scum Remover Recipe for Glass Shower Doors
- 1 empty spray bottle
- ½ cup of white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of baking soda
- 2 tablespoons of Dawn dish soap
- Sponge or scrub brush
Pour the ingredients into the spray bottle and shake well. Spray generous amounts onto the soap scum build up on the glass doors. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes. Scrub away soap scum and rinse thoroughly with water.
3. Mix White Vinegar and Hot Water
Hard water is one of the reasons why soap scum gets stuck on tubs, sinks, and other bathroom surfaces. Hard water contains high levels of minerals.
Elements such as magnesium and calcium cause stains and strengthen soap build up on walls. To remove hard water stains and soap scum combinations, use vinegar and hot water.
This mixture serves as a water softener. To try this homemade soap scum cleaner, prepare the following homemade cleaner.
Hard Water Stains and DIY Soap Scum Remover Recipe
- 1/2 cup of white vinegar
- ½ cup of hot water
- 1 large glass spray bottle
Carefully pour hot water and vinegar into the glass spray bottle. Shake the mixture thoroughly and spray copious amounts into the bar soap suds and residue build-up. For tough stains, let the mixture sit for five to ten minutes. After that, wash it clean.
4. Use Dawn Dishwashing Soap
Dishwashing liquids are potent cleaners. Aside from eliminating grease and grime, it is handy for removing tough stains and hard water spots.
Vinegar Based Easy-To-Make Soap Scum Remover
- 1 empty spray bottle
- 1 cup heated white vinegar
- 1 cup Dawn soap original
To create your DIY soap scum remover, mix equal parts of the dish soap and white vinegar and shake well. Once thoroughly blended, spray generous amounts of the mixture on the shower doors or shower curtains that you want clean. Let the mixture sit for at least thirty minutes.
Rinse thoroughly with water and wipe clean with a microfiber cloth. No scrubbing is necessary, but for stubborn spots, use a soft bristled brush. Do not use this recipe on natural stone or granite walls.
5. Use Isopropyl Alcohol and Dish Soap to Clean Granite
Many DIY cleaners are made of vinegar and lemon juice, but these cleaning products damage natural stone and granite surfaces. However, you do not have to buy expensive cleaners to shine, disinfect, and clean your granite bathroom floors!
DIY Bathroom Granite Cleaner Recipe
- 1 spray bottle
- 3 cups of water
- 1 cup plain isopropyl alcohol
- ½ teaspoon Dawn dish soap
- 1 soft damp cloth
- 10 drops of lemon essential oils (if desired)
Combine and pour all the ingredients in the spray bottle. Shake well before each use. After spraying on marble or granite surfaces, wait for about thirty seconds to wipe clean with a soft damp cloth. No rinsing is necessary.
6. Clean Showerheads with Vinegar
If you noticed that your showerhead is not spraying evenly, soap scum and hard water residue might be clogging the nozzles. The best way to keep the water flowing as it should is to clean a showerhead with vinegar. Vinegar’s acidity level aids in dissolving mineral deposits that are found in hard water.
DIY Soap Scum Remover for Showerheads
- 1 cup of baking soda
- 3 cups of pure white vinegar
- 1 large pail or container
- Soft cloth or paper towel
Pour the vinegar and baking soda into the container. It should start to bubble due to the chemical reaction occurring between the two cleaners. Next, submerge the showerhead into the solution. Make sure that it is thoroughly soaked.
Leave it for one hour or, if your showerheads are excessively dirty, let it soak overnight. After that, rinse the showerhead with warm water and turn it on to allow the water to flow and clear the nozzle.
Make sure to wash all of your DIY soap scum remover mixture off the showerhead. Wipe it dry using a soft cloth or a paper towel.
7. Coat your Stainless Steel Sink and Faucets with Baking Soda
Keeping stainless steel faucets and sinks clean is a tedious job. Toothpaste, soap suds, facial creams, hard water spots, and other stuff gets stuck on the surface easily. To get rid of this grime on your sink and stainless steel faucets, use this recipe.
Stainless Steel Sink and Faucets Soap Scum Remover Recipe
- 1 cup of baking soda
- 1 cup of undiluted white vinegar
- 1 spray bottle (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cream of tartar (optional)
- Sponge
First, rinse the sink or faucet with water. Then sprinkle ample amounts of baking soda to cover and coat eighty percent of the stainless steel area. Use the sponge in the direction of the steel grain.
Pour the vinegar in the spray bottle or directly sprinkle on the surface. If desired, apply a paste of cream of tartar. Wash thoroughly and rinse well.
Why Use Homemade Soap Scum Remover?
For many individuals, DIY soap scum remover is the best way to clean soap residue and stains on bathroom surfaces. Homemade soap scum cleaners are the weapon of choice against hard water spotting and grime build up because they are safe and are chemical free. They don’t give off an intoxicating smell which may cause lung problems and irritation.
With a little bit of elbow grease and some everyday household products, you can make a safe solution for bathroom cleaning. So, try the recipes above, let the homemade soap scum remover do its job, and stop worrying about cleaning your bathrooms.
If you found these homemade soap scum remover recipes useful, please share these simple hard water spot and scum remover tips with your friends on Pinterest and Facebook. These smart and easy cleaning tips will leave your house sparkling clean while keeping the cost under a few pennies!
