Blog

How to Remove Soap Scum From Tubs and Showers - Bob Vila

By Jennifer Noonan and Phillip Tinner | Updated Jan 27, 2023 12:46 PM

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Plastic Injection Mold Die

How to Remove Soap Scum From Tubs and Showers - Bob Vila

If you are your household’s designated bathroom cleaner (or if you pay attention to your surroundings when you’re in the shower or bath), you’ve probably seen your fair share of soap scum. It’s a sad irony of housekeeping that a substance that gets your body clean can make your shower or bathtub so grungy.

Soap scum forms when the fatty acids, talc, and other ingredients in bar soap react with the minerals in hard water, and builds up on your bathroom surfaces. Soap scum also contains body oil, dirt, bits of dead skin, and bacteria. When it’s left to harden, the buildup is incredibly difficult to remove from a shower or tub.

When it comes to how to get rid of soap scum, there are many successful methods and products that you can try to get the job done. Read on to find the approach that’s right for you.

Trying to solve the problem of what removes soap scum reveals no shortage of cleaning solutions, including both ready-made formulas and homemade soap scum remover recipes. Some of these substances and materials can be used simultaneously for particularly thick or tough buildup.

Some popular commercial cleaning products have cracked the code on how to clean years of soap scum. These two options are effective, easy-to-use, and readily available.

Store-bought formulas aren’t the only solutions when considering how to clean soap scum in the bathroom. You may find that the best ways to remove soap scum are also some of the cheapest. Try these recipes and solutions for DIY soap scum removal that use materials you probably already have at home:

For soap scum, as it is with most cleaning tasks, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. These ideas about how to prevent soap scum can help you manage gross buildup in the tub and shower by preventing it from forming in the first place.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service.

How to Remove Soap Scum From Tubs and Showers - Bob Vila

Double Shot Injection Moulding © 2023 Recurrent. All rights reserved.