Mrs. Darinski Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 So I had been reading about a bathtub cleaning solution and decided to try yet another cleaning experiment yesterday. Surprisingly, it actually worked really well! It is really simple, too! You take equal parts of plain white vinegar and original Blue Dawn dish soap. Heat the vinegar and then mix it with the dish soap in a spray bottle. Spray it on the bathtub, let it sit for a good long while, then rinse well. I tell you friends, it works like a charm! It removes soap scum wonderfully well. The tub sparkles and smells great. I may never 'scrub' the tub again! :001_smile: Maybe some of you already knew this, but it was quite an exciting revelation for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Huh, I'm gonna have to try that. Thanks! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I wonder if it would work on a grouted shower? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I have tried it, multiple times, on my shower......it didn't work or help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indian summer Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Yes! I love this solution. I've never tried it on tiles, but it works amazingly well on regular tubs and showers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Yes! I love this solution. I've never tried it on tiles, but it works amazingly well on regular tubs and showers. I agree. I used half vinegar and half environmentally friendly dish detergent, I didn't heat anything, and I even added extra water so it would spray in a mist instead of a straight line from my sprayer, and it works great. I do scrub a bit, just to be sure, but it's nowhere near the work it used to be when I was just using Dr. Bronner's and a sponge. Frankly, I think the key is the dish soap, since it's meant to break down oils. I remember cleaning my tub a few times with baby shampoo once or twice when oldest was a baby, and it worked like a charm then too. I keep meaning to try just warm water and dish detergent and see how that works. I still need to use some bleach on my grout and caulking though, grrrr :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I've tried it, but wasn't particularly impressed. It cleaned okay, but not better than almost any other cleaner I've used. And I found the vinegar fumes and odor to be horrendous. The odor went away with time, but I honestly thought I was going to pass out while I was spraying down our shower enclosure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I put dish soap and vinegar in one of those dish scrubber things with the refillable handle. Then, I "scrub" while I'm in the shower. :) I got it off Pinterest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 It works for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 After trying numerous things, I finally found fume free Easy Off baking something or other. I spray it on, let it sit for 15 minutes, and wipe off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpie Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 For those it did not work, what type of water do you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripley Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I just fill the tub with baking soda and let it sit overnight; all it takes the next morning is a simple, easy swipe to remove the grime. I take a bath most nights, including a baking soda soak once a week - kills two birds with one stone. ;) Our new home had grout and tile in the showers. I replaced two bathrooms with granite slabs, and the other two bathrooms with cultured marble slabs - no grout, no problem! LOL Each shower/tub has a spray bottle filled with vinegar, and two of us are good about spraying down the walls after every shower. One of us isn't as good about this, and definitely spends more time on the back end wiping off water deposits from the slabs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Frog Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 This works well for us in the shower, but only on the glass. I found spraying it on and letting it sit all day caused bleached streaks on the tile where the solution ran down the wall. Those streaks went away when the tile dried, but it's not worth using if it destroys the color in the tile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 How long do you have to let it sit? I read one website that said an hour, so I tried it right after my first post. Didn't do a thing even with scrubbing. :P Maybe we just have a super-resistant strain of soap scum. I know our water leaves a white film on everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Frog Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 How long do you have to let it sit? I read one website that said an hour, so I tried it right after my first post. Didn't do a thing even with scrubbing. :p Maybe we just have a super-resistant strain of soap scum. I know our water leaves a white film on everything. We have a water softener, so no really hard deposits on the shower door or walls. When I first heard about this, I was told to leave it on for a long time. I spray it on when I'm done with my shower (after I've squeegeed the walls and seat) and let it sit until my shower the next morning. I've found it works well for us, but as another poster said, the odor from the vinegar is very strong. I usually leave the bathroom and don't return to it for several hours. Be careful the next morning when you step into the wet shower. It can be very slippery! (I use a different product on the floor of the shower because the vinegar/Dawn doesn't seem to get that clean.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 It works fairly well on the tub, but does nothing for the grout in the shower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Haven't tried it, but I do sometimes clean the tub by filling it then sprinkling in a generous amount of Cascade dishwasher detergent. Let it soak overnight. Works well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 We have a water softener, so no really hard deposits on the shower door or walls. When I first heard about this, I was told to leave it on for a long time. I spray it on when I'm done with my shower (after I've squeegeed the walls and seat) and let it sit until my shower the next morning. I've found it works well for us, but as another poster said, the odor from the vinegar is very strong. I usually leave the bathroom and don't return to it for several hours. Be careful the next morning when you step into the wet shower. It can be very slippery! (I use a different product on the floor of the shower because the vinegar/Dawn doesn't seem to get that clean.) Please share what works on the shower floor! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinchick Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I used this solution on a cloudy glass shower door and it worked great. I didn't think it would ever come clean but it looks like new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susann Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I've used it for years and love it! Works really, really well with the hard water in central Indiana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 How long do you have to let it sit? I read one website that said an hour, so I tried it right after my first post. Didn't do a thing even with scrubbing. :P Maybe we just have a super-resistant strain of soap scum. I know our water leaves a white film on everything. I use coffee pot cleaner and a magic eraser, for my liquid rock induced soap scum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyontheFarm Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 After experimenting we found that if you do heat up the vinegar it really does work better. We made two batches and did have the bathtub at a time. The odor is strong, but that just helps you to remember to turn on the fan which does help to keep any mold issues down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Hm, we have very hard water and pretty icky soap scum. I make a paste of baking soda and Dr. Bronner's and I hardly even have to scrub, plus it is a pure delight to enjoy the peppermint fragrance while I clean! If I actually clean the bathroom at one week intervals as I always intend and occasionally accomplish, there is even less scrubbing. ;) Maybe I'll try the vinegar/detergent combo on my shower glass, I've tried everything there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-bex Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I use coffee pot cleaner and a magic eraser, for my liquid rock induced soap scum. This worked GREAT for me on my shower pan!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Hm, we have very hard water and pretty icky soap scum. I make a paste of baking soda and Dr. Bronner's and I hardly even have to scrub, plus it is a pure delight to enjoy the peppermint fragrance while I clean! If I actually clean the bathroom at one week intervals as I always intend and occasionally accomplish, there is even less scrubbing. ;) Maybe I'll try the vinegar/detergent combo on my shower glass, I've tried everything there. I use Dawn and Magic Erasers on my shower glass. Then once they're sparkly clean, treat with Rain-X. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Frog Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Please share what works on the shower floor! Thanks! I use Comet or Barkeepers' Friend. Not very environmentally friendly, but it works well. Wish I had something homemade to use instead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_JWM Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 I do this, but I use half the Dawn. More than that made it way too hard to rinse. We have regular grouted tile and a cast iron enamel tub. We also have hard water. I really like it for getting scum off the tub. Our tiles don't seem to get as soap scummy. Anothertip - I've been adding a 1/4 tsp. or so of tea tree oil to a big bottle of peroxide. I put a spray nozzle on the peroxide bottle and spritz the shower and vinyl curtain every other day. We used to get mildew on our shower curtain, but I last washed it in November and we haven't had ANY mildew since. I loveit!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnerd Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 I fill the tub with hotwater, mix in 3-4 scoops of oxiclean and 2 scoops of laundry detergent (make sure that the powder is distributed in the water and dissolves). Wait for 2 hours. Then drain and wash. My 1960's bathtub sparkles (we have hardwater). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 I put dish soap and vinegar in one of those dish scrubber things with the refillable handle. Then, I "scrub" while I'm in the shower. :) I got it off Pinterest. We must have pinned the same thing! I do this too. It's effective on the tile and the grout. I do a quick scrub down every other day or so while I'm showering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.