soap scum Archives - Graceful Order

Today I want to share with you how I clean my shower and tub and remove soap scum naturally. First let’s chat a bit about this evil foe we call scum. It’s basically what we call the mineral deposits that accumulate in the shower/bath area due to hard water and talc build-up. The easiest way to clean the shower is by not allowing soap scum to build up in the first place. This way you can clean without using too much elbow grease.

I mentioned talc buildup and guess what contains talc? Bar soaps. Making the change to liquid soap will diminish considerably the amount of scum build-up in the shower area.

The following recipes are easy, effective and natural.

Daily Cleaning to prevent soap scum build-up:

I like to spray down my shower as soon as I finish showering. I keep a spray bottle in the shower with just vinegar and a few drops of lemon essential oil.

Lemon is great for cleaning but it also helps to counter the vinegar smell. The vinegar smell will evaporate, but the clean lemon scent remains.

Keep a squeegee in the shower area. My squeegee adheres to the wall and I use it every time I shower. It’s quick and saves me so much time cleaning.

Cleaning the shower when soap scum has already taken hold:

If you already have considerable soap scum build-up, like in my boys bathroom since they don’t wipe down their bathroom, then we need a stronger cleaner. As Emeril would say, let’s kick it up a notch. I combine a mixture of 1 1/2 cups of vinegar and 1/2 cup of dish soap and a few drops of essential oil. I spray down the whole tub, including the fixtures and I allow it to work for a few hours. Then I scrub and rinse the shower area. You may have to rinse a few times since there is soap in this mixture. I usually scrub and rise right before taking a shower so that I can really get in there since I’m…well…in there.

The difference is pretty amazing and proves that you don’t need toxic cleaners to keep a clean home. I guess that scum won’t mess with us!

Note: I would not use this recipe to clean marble, since it stains so easily. I would use this recipe for soap scum on bathroom tile, tub, and fixtures.