The BEST Soap Scum Remover {DIY Picture Tutorial}
OK guys, ready to get your socks knocked off? You HAVE to try this!! It is similar to the Tub/Shower cleaner but you don’t use as much soap. I had everything on hand so I made up a batch. I know many of you said how the Tub/Shower cleaner had a lot of suds, well this is the solution to that complaint! I’m just so excited to share this new recipe because you will fall in love with it!
(But, I still use my tub/shower cleaner! As long as you clean it all with a DRY cloth, you won’t have any sud problems!)
Here’s what you need:
- 1 cup white Vinegar
- 1 tbsp.
cornstarch - 2 tbsp. dish soap
- Spray bottle
That’s right, with just 3 ingredients you can make an AWESOME scum remover. I decided before doing this DIY I wanted to see how much the average scum remover costs, so I got on Amazon and looked. Everything was over $10! If you want a bottle that is a NORMAL size, you can pay anywhere from $15-$25! That is INSANE. You can totally make this for less than $10 using products that you already have in your home.
Let’s Get Started! Here is what to do:
Add 1 tbsp of cornstarch to 1 cup of white vinegar. Don’t add more cornstarch, the first time I made it I thought I was supposed to add 3 tbsp, it was so thick it wouldn’t even go down the funnel, much less spray from the spray bottle!
Stir the mixture together until it is all combined. I just used a fork! But you can use a spoon! It really doesn’t matter. Just stir until the mixture has become completely mixed. The cornstarch helps thicken the mixture so it will stay on your shower walls so the other ingredients can do the work for you!
As you stir, you will be able to see it thicken up! It happens fairly quickly. Keep stirring until you notice your mixture starting to change consistencies.
Your next step is to microwave for 2 minutes! So make sure that you mix it in a microwave safe bowl as you are mixing it! You won’t want to get to this step and have to change bowls!
While the mixture is being heated, add 2 tbsp. of dish soap to your spray bottle. As you all know I prefer blue dawn, but I had on hand and it worked AMAZING. I think it is the best, but use what you have on hand. Honestly any dish soap will do the trick!
Take the vinegar/cornstarch mixture out of the microwave and stir a few times. It will have changed to more of a gel texture by this point! And don’t be frightened if you see it starting to bubble inside of the microwave, that is normal.
Grab your funnel, or if you have a good aim like me, don’t use a funnel! Just add it to the spray bottle and shake gently to combine the mixture. After that, you are good to go.
I decided to try it on my boy’s dirty bathroom sink! It was SO dirty! All you need to do is spray the sink liberally and cover all the areas that are covered with scum! I sprayed and let it sit for about 10 minutes then wiped it with a damp washcloth. Everything came right off and it looked nice and shiny.
{PIN THIS}
There weren’t a lot of suds to deal with either {like with the tub/shower cleaner}. Also, I cleaned my glass shower doors. I have a hard time getting them clean and shiny and getting the water spots off. I sprayed them down then left them for about an hour. When I came back and wiped them down with a wet washcloth. I think next time I will only leave them for the most 30 minutes. The cleaner had dried on a bit and I had to apply more elbow grease than I did with the sink. Then I dumped water on them to rinse after I wiped them and they looked great. {I couldn’t get a good picture of my glass doors so you will just have to trust me.}
I like this cleaner a LOT. I loved that it was just 3 ingredients that I always have on hand. Are you buying vinegar by the gallon yet? It is the only way to go!! If you haven’t noticed it is in most homemade cleaner recipes.
Find more DIY cleaning Recipes:
Check out our tips for speed cleaning like a pro.
Comments
Leave a Reply
More Related Diys
Trending DIY Projects
- DIY
- Recipes
- Deals
- Blog
Report a Problem
Please select the problem you are facing with this deal:
- Price Increased
- Price Decreased
- No longer available
- Expired
- Link doesn't work
- Suggestion
- Compliment
- Other
Add more details:
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it.
Enter your email address if you would like to receive a follow up.
Please Try Again
Thanks for providing the email address.
We will reach out to you as soon as possible.
Popular
Recommended
About Us
At Fabulessly Frugal, our goal is to help you live HEALTHY, WEALTHY, and WISE! My team and I work hard to bring you the best, online deals, clean eating, DIY's, freezer meal recipes, and more! I LOVE coaching and inspiring people to improve their health in my fitness challenge! You should also check out my favorite cleanse! Learn more about me and the rest of my team.
Copyright © 2008–2024
Fabulessly Frugal: A Coupon Blog Sharing Gift Ideas, Amazon Deals, Printable Coupons, DIY, How to Extreme Coupon, and Make Ahead Meals. All rights reserved
So do you just use the dish soap and vinegar and cornstarch mixture or are you supposed to add water to fill the bottle? Seems pretty thick to spray from a spray bottle without adding water.
It actually sprays just fine through the spray bottle. You want it to be gel like so it will cling to the sides of your tub or shower. Good luck!
Hi, so I have a question do you think this would work on yhe walls in the bath tub. We have the paneling type in the bathtub if you get what I’m talking about…lol…and they have little specks in it(it’s the design and I dislike it!!) I’ve tried vinegar and dawn soap mixed with water but doesn’t seem like it helps alot. I need something powerful!! Help, tia!
G-
I have the same type of Formica paneling in my shower too, much to my dislike as well. I just tried this on them today, and you wouldn’t believe the amount of stuff I got off with this stuff. It was amazing !!!! It will forever be a staple in my house from now on. I did not heat up the corn starch like they said to, I just mixed it all up really well, sprayed it on, waited about 30 minutes because the flames were gagging me. I went back in with a wet cloth and rubbed down the walls. I couldn’t believe that there was so much stuff still on the walls, even after using Scrubbing Bubbles brand soap scum spray on them. They look fantastic now.
Let me know what you think of it after you try it !!!
J-
yay!
I was wondering if it would come out of the bottle. Thanks for your comment, it made me ready-to-go!
Used the cleaner and it works great. I used the dawn, vinegar and cornstarch but can you make a double or triple batch and can you just store it in the cabinet?
I don’t see why that would make a difference, but maybe start by doubling it, and making sure you don’t have any unforeseen complications. I’m excited to see how it turns out for you!
Not sure if this has been answered already but because the vinegar needs to be microwaved, what happens if we make too much and do not use it all? Can we then microwave the mixed contents the next time or toss it and make a new batch?
I think it can safely be used without microwaving it a 2nd time! It just might not cling as well, so you might have to scrub a little more 😀
I made a triple batch for my cleaning business. It’s held up very well. I would not suggest spaying it on when the vinegar is still warm. It burns the eyes quite a bit. I’m trying to come up with ways to mask the vinegar smell, cause it’s fairly potent.
instead of vinegar use citric acid; 1 cup water to1 tsp citric acid; vinegar is just a mild acid base, so it can be replaced with another mild acid. you can find it by the fruit canning items. you could use lemon essential oil too but you’d have to experiment with the measurements of water to essential oil to see what works.
So do you add the corn starch to the citric acid mix, and do you still microwave it, also will it turn into gel like the other. And could I use lemon juice as the acid?..?..?
I add lemon essential oil to my vinegar and water cleaner and it helps the vinegar smell a lot.
I just did that too, with eucalyptus EO.
I am a single father of 2 teenage boys. Normally when I clean the scum off our shower, I feel as though I have been through a 30 workout. Not so now! This recipe works great, is easy to mix, use and does a terrific job making a task I hate, much easier. Thank You!
So glad you love it! We do too!
I wiped it on with a cloth. This really worked!
Loraine – Isn’t it great?! We love it!
Just follow the directions ,, that are above it should work,I’m going to try it in a few minutes…
Good Luck
I don’t have a microwave. So I will have to heat on stove until gel consistency. Any suggestions as to the particulars? Low heat? Tks.
I would do it on medium heat and just stir it constantly. Mine bubbled up in the microwave while it was cooking. Hope it works for yo!
I just tried this and forgot to microwave it. Still works, just might not be as gelled. Still clings enough to be effective without cooking it. It even took rust stains off my shower walls! Great stuff.
Thanks for the info!
to be honest…the cheapest and easiest way to clean soap scum is to buy a cheap plastic shower pouf and lather it up with whatever soap you use when you shower. It removes the soap scum quick and easily. You can do it when you shower or at another time, but it really does work. You can buy a super cheap shampoo or bar soap instead if you like. I have tried them all. No mixing…
great idea! Thanks for sharing! I will have to try that!
I just tried this and forgot to microwave it. It still clings well & WOW does it work! It even took off months of rust stains from our well water!
I thought you can’t use vintage on natural stone. Looking for a soap scum remove that I don’t have to worry about coming in contact with my tavertine in my shower. Suggestions?
My mom’s tile dealer told her that the safest and cheapest option is Dawn dish soap by itself. It is gentle on the stone without having to buy their super expensive stone tile cleaner. Any cleaner other than Dawn with wear away the stone over time.
Doesn’t work with hard water and soap scum
I got a kitchen dish scrubber, the kind with a handle you put soap in that has a scrubby pad on the end. I don’t fill it but just use the scrubber end to clean my shower doors. It wipes it down & gets into the corners. Now I’lI try this new cleaner also. Love these ideas. I also keep a 2nd one to use on the toilet.
That’s a great tip Sandy! Thank you for sharing!
I’ll be sold when someone uses it on their tile shower and doesn’t end up with a sore neck from scrubbing soap scum. I detest this job, not just because it’s gross, but because it hurts my shoulder and neck!
I used it on my shower today and there is no scrubbing at all… Unless you miss a spot with the spray. I wiped the soap scum off with a sponge. It was completely effortless.
I couldn’t figure out how cornstarch could be helpful but keeping the cleaner stuck to the walls of the shower? So Helpful! Thanks for the tip
I am letting this sit as we speak on my marble and stone in my daughters bathroom shower. Looks like it’s going to work!!
So do you like this better than ‘The BEST Tub/Shower Cleaner’ or are you sticking to that one? These are great tips! Excited to try it (and bummed I just bought and used a new shower cleaner recently).
I’ve been using the warmed vinegar and Dawn for quite some time and LOVE it! What does the cornstarch do to the equation? Also, I use about half as much Dawn because it was a little soapy when I made it the first time.
To answer Athena’s question about adding water to fill up the bottle…NO!!!!
Also as a note, the cleaner works just as good after it had cooled – once it is heated the first time, no need to reheat.
I’m not positive, but I would think the cornstarch is just to help it adhere to the surface (especially shower doors) without dripping down.
i dont have corn starch at home. Is there anything i can replace with corn starch? i recently tried to remove stain marks on wood cabinets by combining dish soap, white vinegar nd warm water. the results are not so great…
This is a soap scum remover, not stain remover…
The corn starch does thicken it up, so it doesn’t drip. It’s super cheap at the store, or Amazon will deliver it to your house! 😀 But if you really want to get rid of the scum, you need the cornstarch to thicken it up so it won’t just drip down and not do the job. 🙁
Anybody have a good one for removing hard water deposits off clear shower door? And for the sink fixtures? I love the dawn, vinegar, cornstarch….works great for the soap scum!!
This worked on the calcium deposits in my shower head and around the base of the shower door.
I use a rag with straight white vinegar and it takes the hard water spots right off my shower doors! Once clean I use Scotguard glass door cleaner or Rain-Xonce a week. Then after each shower we squeegee the doors dry. If your doors are etched from the hard water they will be clean but never look clear.
If you’re still interested (just ran across this post today), someone posted about using liquid Bar Keeper’s Friend and a white scrub pad for water spots in the shower. It works GREAT! I use it on the glass, tile, and chrome in my shower and water spots really do disappear. The handle was so badly spotted, I was just about ready to buy a replacement for $600, but the BKF saved me! We have well water direct out of the ground, so I am very pleased to have something work so well. Good luck!
thank you so much!
After being very sick for a long while, I discovered that my guys had not been cleaning the shower or glass doors! SO GROSS! So after researching the internet, I tried a method I found that had pics & all & it worked for me. For the “1st cleaning” we’ll call it, you carefully & gently use a paint scraper. Get the cheap kind or I just used the spare razor blades from a utility knife after applying duct tape around the safe side (to help hold it). Then gently scrape the thickened film off your glass doors. {This is probably the only time you may have to do this step}. Rinse the glass with water. Then dampen a new fabric softener sheet & rub all over the glass doors. Rinse again with water. My doors came out crystal clear, I couldn’t believe it. Haven’t had to do anything but the dryer sheet since. Some suggested putting down a couple of towels at this point and applying synthetic car wax to the clean doors to make them stay spotless for even longer, but I haven’t gone that far yet.
That’s amazing, Kristi! Thanks for sharing!
Did this today, I doubled the recipe because of the big job I had. I did my master ….
First – let me say I am a LAZY housewife, soap scum doesn’t completely do my shower justice, it was more like soap cement.
Second – I DON’T SCRUB!
I have not been able to get our shower door haze free in the 12 years we have lived in our house……except today!!! and no scrubbing!!! This worked much better than I expected on the tile, plexi-glass, mildew, and chrome all is sparklely. I am so so so tickled.
I don’t use the cornstarch, nor do I heat anything up. I do add essential oil, though. Right now it’s a blend of clove, eucalyptus, lemon, thyme and cinnamon.
I hate cleaning the shower stall. I’m excited to try this, sounds just like what I’m looking for. I’ve spent so much money by trying all the different products out there and not finding anything that works.
This is amazing. The bottom of my shower was brown. I cleaner after cleaner that said they would work. No dice, It wasn’t until I tried this that my shower got clean. I am sold. Don’t care much for the smell, so next time will add some lemon juice
Please let me know how that turns out. The smell really got to me as well. My next thought was to put citrus peels in a glass Jar with vinegar for two weeks and use that instead.
Well, it worked well but wow was it stinky~ I don’t have a window in my bathroom so I was gagging! (store bought products would have been worse I’m sure)
Thanks, it was cheap at least.
I absolutely love this! So much easier than store bought products and I feel I am being green! Thanks for the tips.
Does it have to be Dawn? Or can it be another dish soap like Sunlight? I have a HUGE amount of Sunlight because I can buy it cheap in bulk. I’d like to use that if it works rather than going out and buying Dawn.
I haven’t actually scrubbed yet… my “concoction” is sitting on my walls now. I just wanted to say one thing… USE AN INDUSTRIAL BOTTLE! Don’t be an idiot, like me, and use one of those extra little $1 bottles from the dollar store… they melt! Ha ha ha!
I really hope this works, as my husband works in industrial work with rust and other black and red chemicals and he’s FILTHY every day he comes home… I cannot keep my shower clean.
Also, the smell is terrible, so if you’re asthmatic and have twitchy lungs like me, at the least tie something over your face… the vinegar is strong. Here’s to hoping it works!!
OMG thank you I thought I had accidentally put bleach in there the smell is so terrible I could barely breath!!
Used this today and it worked like a charm. I hate trying different cleaners and prefer to just use household ingredients (for those who are trying to peddle a store bought cleaner, lay off! Some of us just don’t like to waste money on store bought cleaners when we can mix them at home!) Did take several times tossing water on the shower after wiping to get the last of the cleaner off. Well worth it in my opinion. Also helped remove some of the scum from my fixtures that have been there since before I moved in. I do agree that the smell is strong, but if you leave it on for about 20 minutes it at least dies down before you start wiping!
I got overwhelmed by the steps…so, after scrubbing bubbles did zippo, I grabbed my toothpaste, a.k.a baking soda, and applied it directly and wiped off. Baking soda + water + minimal rubbing = clean bathtub. Works like a charm. Haha! 🙂
Well… I never thought that would work, but it sure did!
So, I have tried scrubbing bubbles, cleanser (scratched my tub…grrrr), bleach, a kitchen scrubby with other cleaners and STILL had horrible soap scum issues. I admit that scrubbing the tub is NOT one of my favorite things and it kills my back so I always end up waiting TOO long and it’s usually pretty gross. I don’t understand how you stand in a shower and CLEAN yourself with soap and water and RINSE it down the drain, and yet your tub is disgusting…BAFFLES me! lol
ANYWAY, sorry for the digression. The point being, I have tried everything and nothing seems to work and that is why I hate cleaning the tub! Today, I finally decided there had to have been SOMETHING that would work on soap scum, so I did what everyone probably does…I Google’d it! That is how I found this “recipe” and boy am I glad I did!!!
Can I just say, SERIOUSLY??? Really, it’s THAT easy to get rid of soap scum? This worked like a charm and yes, the vinegar odor is SUPER strong (use your bathroom fan), but it is no worse than many of the other cleaners I’ve tried. The only difference between them and this was that THIS WORKED!!! Literally, I sprayed it on and left it for about 20-30 mins and grabbed a kitchen scrubby expecting to use some elbow grease, but NONE NEEDED!!! I mean…yes I wiped it down with the scrubby and yes there were 2 little spots that needed another round of the spray, but within 45 mins to an hour I had a clean tub!!!!
I am in shock and awe at how amazing this works! I might have to google “how to get rid of a yard full of dandelions” next!
Thank you for posting this. I am SO happy (and not JUST from the fumes!) lol 🙂
You can probably spray this on the dandelions to kill them too! Vinegar is a weed killer as well.
This stuff is magic!! I mixed up a batch and sprayed it on the shower doors, let it work for 30 minutes, and it cleaned them right up. I then mixed up another batch, and tackled the tub…magic again. My tub sparkles. I also don’t like to use harsh chemicals, and make my own cleansers. This one is definitely a keeper.
What is the difference between this and the DIY Tub/Shower cleaner?
Does this keep in the bottle for what you do not use or do you make a mixture every time you want to clean?
I made this recipe today could not spray this . In stead I poorer it on a rag an spread it all over now I’m waiting for it to dry to see if it worked or not . Will get back to you soon to let you no .
Just could not spray it from the spray bottle . I got a rag an poured it on . Then wiped all the walls an tub area with it . Now waiting a little to see my results . Will let you no one way or another .
Just could not spray it from the spray bottle . I got a rag an poured it on . Then wiped all the walls an tub area with it . Now waiting a little to see my results . Will let you no one way or another . After waiting for 10 min I rinsed it off an wala it works very well . Did it twice an very clean . Very impressed with the job it has done . I could not spray it so I used a rag an spread it on .
You are my new hero!!! My husband works in an auto body shop so you can imagine what our shower looks like!! I have tried EVERYTHING to get it Clean…you just saved me hours of scrubbing!! THANK YOU!!!
I’m so glad!! Enjoy!
has the issue of vinegar on natural stone been addressed yet?
question asked again, how is this on stone and tile?
This stuff worked like magic getting hard water stains of my windows!
Yay!
I am excited to try this formula! I have been scrubbing the scummy shower door today but didn’t get it completely clean. Plus I am pregnant & wasn’t thrilled with having to use harsh cleaners. When I go to store tomorrow, I’m gonna buy a spray bottle & try this out. Thanks for the safe & “green” formula:)
I have been using this “recipe” for several years and love it! Just wanted to add that I keep mine in one of those scrub brushes that has a soap dispenser built into the handle. It has a scrubby end that works perfectly on shower walls and the cleaner is already in it. We leave ours on the shower caddy in the shower – makes cleaning easier! 🙂
That’s a great tip!!! Thanks!!
Does it leave an after scent?
The reason I ask is because I am using it on a glass soap dish and I would hate for an after scent to stay with the dish to get into the soap.
Otherwise, I can’t wait to try it. I’ve used so many things in the past and nothing has worked.
Thanks!
The overwhelming scent is of vinegar. As with all cleaners, ventilate the room. Vinegar does have an odor to accompany it many many uses, but one of the reasons I use vinegar is because the odor fades as soon as it dries. I even use plain vinegar to rinse my girls’ hair during active lice infestations within their school. No worries about your soap smelling like vinegar!
Thank you so much. I don’t think my shower has ever looked so good.
Yay!! We are so glad you love it!
I used 1 tbsp cornstarch with 1 cup of vinegar and microwaved it for a total of 2 minutes. I had to stop the microwave and stir in between, otherwise it would have boiled over. I didn’t use a funnel. I added 2 tbsps dish soap to the hot gel and stirred with a little wire whisk. I poured the gel from a glass cup to the spray bottle. It was very thick that I was only able to use the spray with just few squirts. I poured the gel into a brush and brushed it on the surface. I noticed that it was effective when it was still hot but not when the gel cooled down. The thickness made it hard to remove the gel from the surface. I think it would have been better if the cornstarch is cut down to either 2 teaspoons or 1-1/2 teaspoons, instead of 1 tablespoon.
Thanks for the tips!
This didn’t work for me. It didn’t remove the soap scum an it wasn’t enough to even spray out of the bottle so I had to pour it out of the spray bottle an apply directly. I will try again since I bought all the ingredients.
I am sorry that this did not work for you the first time around. Let us know if you have more success on your second attempt.
It really works! The corn starch did the trick, the vinegar didn’t just run and dried quickly as it usually does, so it was wet long enough to really soak the scum. Thank you!
Wonderful! Thanks for your comment, Roberta.
I do house cleaning for a side job. So I am always looking for cleaners that make my job easier especially in the shower with glass doors. Hard water Mark’s and soap scum are the worst to get off. I love making my own cleaners as I have health issues with my lungs so I try to use all natural ingredients this works really well and I also use orange peels with vinegar and dawn that works really good as well and I don’t mind the smell of the vinegar the smell doesn’t last long. Thank you for all the great hints.
Glad to hear it Millie!!
I just tried this on the bathroom sink that had horrible hard water stain and followed the directions to the letter and did not water it down as someone else asked and I let it sit for only 5 minutes and HOLY WOW! this stuff is AMAZING! I wish I could post a photo of the difference!
This is just unbelievable! I warmed up vinegar and starch on the stove ( no microwave) , sprayed on the gross tub ( I scrubbed it with all kinds of commercial cleaners) waited 15 min and the scum is just coming off, no need for scrubbing. I still don’t believe! Thanks to the sun and the moon 🙂
Hello! You didn’t have to add the cornstarch and still worked?
(that’s the starch she’s talking about!) 😀
Buy the Cleaning Vinegar at Walmart 3.25 a Gallon. Just a little bit stronger but cheaper then the Amazon.com. It is found in the cleaning products not grocery section. Cleaning Vinegar ask for it by name if you don’t see it.
thanks for the tip!
Just found this post and tried your recipe exactly as it is. It works like a dream! Yes, the smell will make you gag. I’m going to add some essential oil to it next time to try to help with that. I’m curious if you have a post about how to prevent soap scum in the future. I tried searching your website but didn’t find anything. If you can point me in the right direction, I’d appreciate it.
Charlotte – I’m so glad it worked for you! Essential oils are a great idea! I think a post on how to prevent soap scum is a great idea!
I used the exact measurements but replaced white vinegar with Cleaning Vinegar made by Heinz (could only find it at my local grocery store near cleaning products). I followed the instructions to a tee. This worked like a charm!!!!
Nice! Thanks for sharing your success with us!
I make a big batch of this concoction but use more cornstarch to thicken it. I keep it in old dishwashing soap containers and apply the thick goop to my shower walls with a sponge. It may not be quite as convenient as a spray bottle BUT by not using a sprayer, the vinegar odor is greatly reduced as it’s not being aerolized. My husband hates the smell of vinegar so it’s my compromise and it’s not as “breathtaking” for me either! This is also a marvelous degreaser for range hoods etc. However if you are working on a hood over a stainless stove top, put a few sheets of newspaper over it to protect the finish. This works great on stainless BUT if a few droplets land on the stainless and sit for long you’ll get brownish spots of discoloration. Definitely don’t leave this on a stainless surface unless it’s spread across the whole thing.
Good to know! The smell of vinegar really bothers my husband too. Thanks, Sharon!
I’ve made the vinegar quite thick as my well water is hard water and leave white deposits on the taps and hard scale in the toilet. Because it’s thick it’s very slow to succumb to gravity and does a great job after about 10 min. As for the toilet bowl, I plunge most of the water out then apply the mix to the scale then place a paper towel on it to help it stay in place. This works better than the harsh toilet chemicals.
Those are some great tips!! Thanks!!
Hello. Thank you so much for sharing… I wanted to try it right away but I have only some white vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Would that work as well, or does it have to be just white vinegar?
Thank you! Can’t wait to try it! Maria
I used white vinegar as it’s what I had. If hard water deposits are really bad, wipe on thickened vinegar and wrap in cling wrap.
Great tip! Thanks!
I tried it and it didn’t work for me… it loosened it a bit but not enough.. so I will try again tomorrow… 🙂
I bet it you let it sit a little longer, it’ll take care of it!
I did.. for about 1 hr.. still some areas loosened but not much else… 🙁
Oh, another update… I tried it again for the 3rd time but I didn’t use the starch… still worked the same… softened it a bit but hard to clean.. I finally got some of it off by scrubbing hard and even using a plastic spatula I have… Well, needless to say, I think I need to find something else for that.. however, I tried it on my other bathroom and MAGIC!! It worked perfectly. The other bathroom seems to have a thicker “film” of soap scum so I may have to go to a store and get me a commercial type cleaner for it. I got really tired scrubbing some of it off 🙁
I’m glad it worked in the 2nd bathroom!! If you use essential oils, you might try pure CPTG lemon oil on the grime… it is an amazing gunk be gone!
I had that same “thickness” problem. I made the solution as directed, sprayed it on and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then made a fresh batch and sprayed on another coat and let it sit for 20 minutes. Used a brush on it after that and most of it came off. I think it’s best to get it on the soap while it is hot too – but that may just be my imagination. Good luck,
As the vinegar works on hard water scale it absorbs it and becomes more alkaline. It’s done all it can do in about 20 min. then needs to be refreshed.
Thanks for this Jo!! Love that longer isn’t better! 😀
I used this on 1 of our bathrooms and it worked perfectly. Now for the other 1. I used equal parts of dish soap and hot vinegar (plus the cornstarch) and it worked like magic ; ). Thank you
Thanks for the review and feedback Mary!
Do you have anything to use for hard water on windows?
Use a paste that consists of vinegar and baking soda to remove hard water stains
Wow, wow, wow it actually works, I’ve tried everything but nothing worked like this does. Almost effortlessly
In the past, I have literally had to scrape soap scum cement off my shower with a plastic scraper (it came off looking like bar soap shavings).
This weekend, I was so desperate I even tried using a rotating paint scraper attachment in my cordless drill. When it became clear that wasn’t a viable solution and I was faced with scraping by hand again, I finally said to myself “There has to be a better way..!”.
At that point, I searched and Google sent me here. Thank God it did! I This stuff works like a charm! I had to use a brush, but was a piece of cake compared to scraping. Thanks y’all!
Can you use a dry microfiber cloth or does it need to be a wet cloth?
how do you print these off
print what off?
My problem isn’t soap scum (I use goat’s milk soap which never leaves residue), but I have hard water and a water softener that leaves deposits on the shower walls. Anyone have success with getting the mineral/salt deposits off the tiles with this solution?
This ate through my hard water spots like a dream
Thank you SOOOOO much! We just decided to sell our house and trying to clean with 2 toddlers running around leave little time for elbow grease. This is a lifesaver and my shower doors sparkle! Lol. You’ve saved my bacon… and I REALLY like bacon lol
This worked wonderfully. I have an old house with a cast iron tub. I can’t tell you how many products I’ve bought to clean this not to mention how many jars of comet over the last 30 years! It has never been this white!!! Now….what’s a good grout cleaner?????
This didn’t get your grout clean too? It worked great on mine, but I used a scrub brush to get the gunk out from the grooves. Still a fairly effortless project.
I am making my 2nd batch. I made my first batch months ago and have been using it ever since. I keep it in a squirt bottle, not a spray bottle (an old bottle from Dr Bronners.) I made a double batch the first time and I am doing so again because the first one kept just fine under the bathroom sink.
For anyone considering to try this, I can offer several reasons to go for it:
1) It costs pennies to make
2) it is easy to make
3) it works better than any commercial product I have tried, including abrasive bleach cleansers (e.g. comet)
4) it is environmentally correct
5) it is safe for you and your skin: it is made with 2 edible ingredients and 1 that you use to wash the dishes you eat upon!
I’m so glad you love it!! We do too!
I’ve decided to purchase a 4L jug of white vinegar. I’ve added citrus peels to the vinegar and now it smells so much better! I also purchased orange scented dish soap to add to the mix. I make a triple batch once a week to use for my cleaning business. The orange oil from the peels adds to the efficacy. I love this recipe so much!!!
Yes!! I frequently add Doterra Wild Orange oil to mine! It’s AMAZING!
I don’t know if you’re even active any more but you just changed my life. Living in the mountains on an iron-rich well wreaks havoc on my fiberglass shower walls. This is like a miracle on them! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
will this harm an acrylic shower stall?
Shoot! Tried this and then had to leave the house for an emergency for 24 hrs.. the cornstarch etc ‘gelled’ everywhere… shower walls etc…. how do I get this off now??? Anyone else have this problem?
Oh no!! Would a lot of hot water work? Did you find a fix?
Do you think this would work to clean the drain for bathroom sink which gets grungy and smelly and is difficult to clean. We take this apart every so often to clean the whole thing, but there must be something easier. Any suggestions !!
Hi Pat! I’d give this drain cleaner a try first! https://fabulesslyfrugal.com/ingredient-natural-drain-cleaner/
I can’t believe it, this worked like magic! Smell is awful but my 15 yr old tile looks new!
Ha ha! And that smell will go away. 🙂 So glad it worked for you!
I just can not believe what happened in front of my eyes! Who knew I could get so excited about a shower LOL.
My 12 year old shower stall now looks friggin brand new! THANK YOU!!!
That’s awesome Bonnie! So glad to hear it!
My tub is surrounded by ceramic tile that is grouted. Will this spray do any damage?
I can’t imagine that it would, but if I were you I would test it in an inconspicuous spot and then decide. OR just avoid the tile/grout and do the tub only.
I tried and it works wonders!!! But…..What is the difference between ALL PURPOSE CLEANING VINEGAR & DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR? Can the all purpose cleaning vinegar be used?
The cleaning vinegar is a little more acidic, which makes it stronger (and you’d never want to use it for cooking). You can use regular distilled white vinegar, it might not be quite as powerful. Which did you use, Elsa?
I was pleasantly surprised with how well this worked. 2 minutes was too long to cook in the microwave. However, the boil over did a unexpected & fabulous job of cleaning up my microwave plate. I didn’t use a spray bottle. Just scrubbed it all over my tub. Lots of stains came off that have been there way too long. Thanks for the recipe & 👍🏼👍🏼!
Well, sounds like you killed two birds with one stone! So glad to hear it worked great for you!
I have never found anything that cleans the tub/shower as well as “Scrubbing Bubbles “, until now. This stuff is AMAZING!
I love it! Thanks for sharing your review, Kathy! 🙂
should it maybe be 2 TEASPOONS of dish soap instead of tablespoons? I’m rinsing & wiping & wiping & rinsing, … never going to get all the soap off some surfaces, i.e., sink & toilet – I’ll maybe just use this in the shower as I can spray that down.