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How to Remove Soap Scum: 3 All-Natural Home Remedies

how to clean soap scum
Photo: CC0 Public Domain / Pexels - Karolina Grabowska

Dried-up soap scum in the bathroom is often stubborn and difficult to remove. We’ll take a look at how to remove soap scum using all-natural and eco-friendly home remedies.

Removing soap scum from the sink, tub and shower can be a very annoying task. When the cleansing substances are washed out of soap, there is often greasy residue left behind that settles on bathroom tiles and ceramics. To make things worse, these greasy soap scum residues often mix with hair and can quickly cause a clogged drain.

By drying glass surfaces and tiles regularly after showering with a squeegee or cotton towel, you can prevent soap scum from settling in the first place. If your bathroom is too far gone and needs a deep clean, you can also use some simple home remedies to remove the soap residue instead of resorting to aggressive cleaning agents.

1. Citric Acid and Baking Soda for Soap Scum and Lime

how to remove soap scum
Baking soda is one of the best and most versatile products for household cleaning remedies. (Photo: CC0 Public Domain / Pexels - Kaboompics.com)

Citric acid and baking soda are real all-rounders when it comes to household remedies. With the correct dose, they can be used to remove stubborn limescale and soap scum. To ensure that the mixture of the two agents starts to foam properly, you also need a bit of lemon water in a spray bottle.

How to remove soap scum with baking soda:

  1. Mix citric acid and baking soda in a small bowl.
  2. Brush or spoon the solution generously onto the dirty spots in the sink and shower. Let the soap scum soak briefly.
  3. Spray lemon water on the citric acid-soda mixture. Due to the reaction of the substances, the solution should begin to foam.
  4. Use a damp sponge to remove the soap scum from the surfaces while wiping the foam away.
  5. Rinse with clear water.

More tips for baking powder: Homemade Oven Cleaner: 3 DIY Methods Better Than Chemical Cleaners

2. How to Remove Soap Scum from your Showerhead

how to remove soap scum
Did you know that dish soap works on more than just dishes? Use it to remove soap scum, or to clean your glasses! (Photo: CC0 Public Domain / Pexels - Karolina Grabowska )

If soap scum has settled in on or in your showerhead, remove it as quickly as possible to avoid unsightly stains with this solution of vinegar, water, and dish soap. To remove the soap scum, follow these steps:

  1. Fill a large bowl or bucket with water, vinegar and dish soap.
  2. Unscrew the shower head and place it in the bucket so that the mixture covers all the dirty parts. The vinegar will also help loosen stubborn lime stains, and the dish soap will help dissolve the soap scum. 
  3. Dip a cotton cloth into the solution and wring it out thoroughly before using it to clean the rest of the faucet parts.
  4. Let both the shower head and the rest of the fixtures soak for a while.
  5. Rinse everything with clean water.

Did you know? You can also use baking powder and vinegar to unclog your drain.

3. Old Toothbrush for Stubborn Scum

soap scum toothbrush
Use a toothbrush as a last resort. Due to its rougher texture, it may end up scratching your bathroom fixtures. (Photo: CC0 Public Domain / Pixabay – Succo)

If you’re really struggling with stubborn soap scum on tiles or in the sink, you can use an old toothbrush as a last resort. In order to prevent damage to your bathroom fixtures, be sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions to find out whether or not they are scratch-resistant. You can also test the toothbrush on a small, inconspicuous area first 

  1. First, moisten the toothbrush and the surfaces to be cleaned with plenty of water.
  2. Then, scrub selectively over the dirty areas to remove the soap residue there.
  3. Finally, rinse the tiles thoroughly with water and dry them with a cotton cloth.

This article has been translated from German by Karen Stankiewicz. You can read the original here: Seifenreste entfernen: Tipps für Bad und Dusche

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