Getting rid of soap scum in the bathroom can be a real challenge, especially when it has been ignored for a while. Soap scum becomes like concrete when it hasn’t been cleaned off on a regular basis.
If any of the cleaning products you purchase contain bleach or ammonia as an additional cleaner, remember these two are highly toxic when mixed together so be extra careful when using either of these not to accidentally use these together. I am very serious about this-
For those of you with back problems, try using a sponge mop to do the floors and around the ceiling. Mops with long handles make great cleaners and will save your back a lot of aching.
Preventing Soap Scum
To prevent soap scum there are several things you can do- #1 is to switch to liquid soap in the shower or bath.
Since the soap is a liquid and not a solid, it won't adhere to surfaces when dry. But of course, (since you are reading this, I assume it's much too late for that bit of advise-) keep that cleaning tip in mind if you want to avoid having to chisel off soap scum in the future.
Waxing the walls and hard shower doors with regular car wax will make the water bead up and slide off—preventing any soap scum build up. This only has to be done about once every six months and will also work on the countertops and shower doors.
Another product that works well for the walls, shower doors and even shower curtains is RainX ™. This is an automotive product found in most stores with automotive sections. The purpose of this product is to cause rain water to bead on cars—but works very well on shower water.
One trick to keeping the soap scum from attaching is to add a bit of Epsom Salt to the bath water every time you bath. Something about the salt keeps the scum from attaching and will soothe away those aches and pains from all the cleaning!
When you use baby oil in the shower, spread a bit on the shower doors to keep them scum free. Just remember that baby oil makes the shower very slippery so reconsider if you have young ones who may slip slide their way around the tub.
Homemade Soap Scum Removers
There are a lot of methods and products available for getting rid of the soap scum once it has built up. If the first one doesn’t work, don’t give up—just move on to the next one.
Lemon Oil
Lemon oil (as in lemon furniture oil) will clean well and prevent further build up as well. Apply the lemon oil with an acrylic scrubby in a circular motion. Wipe away with a soft cotton cloth—cloth baby diapers work well for this. Borax works well as a scouring powder instead of harsher, chemically toxic cleaners.
Just pour the Borax on a sponge and apply to the soap scum with a touch of water. Rinse well when soap scum is gone. Circular motions when cleaning soap scum always work better than the back and forth motion many of us use.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is another non-toxic abrasive that can be used in the bathtub. Once you have rinsed the baking soda, follow it with a cup of white vinegar down the drain to clean the drain. Some people swear by laundry stain removers like Spray and Wash ™. Spray the liquid on and leave for 15 minutes, then rinse well.
Laundry Detergent
Powdered laundry detergent, works well as a non-toxic cleaner. Just work into a paste and scrub in circular motion. A squeegee always helps just because it removes most of the water where the soap scum is.
Ammonia
Ammonia works on the worst soap scum build up but you must wear gloves to protect your hands. Use about 1/2 cup of ammonia to a gallon of water, spray and wipe away.
Be sure to rinse well and keep the kids away from the ammonia. Straight white vinegar works well too. Just spray it on, use a plastic scrubby and work away the soap scum.
