Non-toxic bathroom cleaning products that work?

[TrixieB]

I'm looking for non-toxic cleaning products -- specifically for tub/shower and sink use -- that really work. The tub/shower perpetually has mildew & soap scum problems that I'd love to get rid of. Most cleaning products designed to address these issues have major warning labels on them.

 

Have you tried "natural" or non-toxic/less-toxic cleaners that are effective?

[TXMomof4]

At Walmart there is a cleaner called Holy Cow. There's a pink multipurpose cleaner and a blue glass cleaner. It's organic, non-toxic and REALLY works. Plus - it's cheap compared to so many others.

I did see it at Sprouts a few weeks ago if you're not a Wally World fan!

[Jen500]

Baking soda, a damp rag, and elbow grease works great on soap scum. :001_smile:

[ekarl2]

I just started using Melaleuca products. They work well, smell great and are non-toxic.

[melissel]

I can't get the mildew out of my grout with anything organic yet :glare: But for general mildew, I liked this.

 

For soap scum, I just use a squirt or two of Dr. Bronner's liquid soap, a scrubby sponge, and some elbow grease. For me, this works better than plain baking soda (but I don't clean my tub as often as I should :blush:). For everything else, I use vinegar and water.

 

HTH!

[Blessedfamily]

I have found nothing that works on mildew. But Method, sold at Target, works great on soap scum in the tub. It is much less toxic, but does have fragrance in it so it's not totally organic. It's in a blue pump bottle and is called "Method tub+tile".

Edited November 6, 2008 by Blessedfamily

[partyof5]

Love my Melaleuca here. Non-toxic and truly effective. The Tub & Tile cleaner is amazing.

 

P.S. Love your avatar TrixieB! I have that whole book series upstairs on my dd's shelf...she's not as enthralled with it as I was. :)

[ChrisN in NY]

We've been using this, this and this after seeing the products a couple years ago in a demo at our State Fair. It cleans VERY well, and there is NO odor at all (which we love!). The products are all non-toxic; all the info is on the webpages.

 

 

I have used Melaleuca before, but it got too expensive with their minimum monthly orders. The products worked well. But I don't believe they are fully non-toxic. I've read many, many times where people THINK they are, but it seems to me if they really were, Melaleuca's website would say so. I just check on the Tub and Tile cleaner... it says no toxic fumes (which is great), but it doesn't say non-toxic. The MelaMagic Heavy Duty cleaner says nothing about not being toxic. Trying to make folks aware here, not trying to flame anyone.

 

HTH

[joannqn]

Plain old dish soap gets soap scum off easily.

 

My all purpose cleaner for everything else is:

 

1 T dish soap

30 drops tea tree oil

water to fill the spray bottle

 

I don't have grout so I have no idea how to clean that.

[momofkhm]

I have used Melaleuca before, but it got too expensive with their minimum monthly orders. The products worked well. But I don't believe they are fully non-toxic. I've read many, many times where people THINK they are, but it seems to me if they really were, Melaleuca's website would say so. I just check on the Tub and Tile cleaner... it says no toxic fumes (which is great), but it doesn't say non-toxic. The MelaMagic Heavy Duty cleaner says nothing about not being toxic. Trying to make folks aware here, not trying to flame anyone.

 

Thanks for bringing this up. I use Melaleuca, but I've noticed that you can't find an ingredients list on line. Everywhere else I've looked does. Not that I've looked far and wide, but you know...

[Cheryl in NM]

Mildew is not a problem in NM, but most places have hard water so we have hard water soap scum. I started spraying my shower after every use with a mix of 1 cup vinegar in a squirt bottle of water. I've been doing this for about a month and when I wiped down the walls today I was surprised that a major problem area didn't have ANY soap scum.

[lighthouseacademy]

My mom has extremely hard water and wipes her walls down after every shower with a little hand cloth that is dedicated to this (she has a small pile in the bathroom and then throws them in the wash). They are just cheap cheap terry towels. She hasn't had a problem since.

 

I really like Bon Ami but I don't know if it is totally non-toxic but they do sell it at Whole Foods. It works better than baking soda for scum.

[nmoira]

I use baking soda, sometimes with vinegar. It cuts through soap scum and leaves surfaces shiny.

[Mekanamom]

Method works great on my tub and shower tile. But, it doesn't get rid of mildew in the grout by itself.

 

I either use that new sonic scrubber thing with the Method tile cleaner to clean the grout, OR I use my Euro Shark steam cleaner. Both work well for me.

[Mabeline]

I agree, I also mix in some borax for extra scrubbing power. I scrub with one of those plastic scrubby things with a handle. The baking soda mix does a great job with soap scum and leaves my shower smooth and shiny.

[nmoira]

 

I use baking soda, sometimes with vinegar. It cuts through soap scum and leaves surfaces shiny.

Forgot to say, I buy huge bags of baking soda at a local feed store, so ongoing costs are next to nothing.

[3lilreds in NC]

I will also endorse Melaleuca Tub & Tile - that stuff is amazing!

 

If you don't want to join and make the monthly commitment, though, I really like Comet Bathroom Cleaner. It says the active ingredient is citric acid. I've used it for years and like it a lot. It comes in a white bottle with a green label and sprays on.

[OnTheBrink]

Another Melaleuca user here. The Tub and Tile is the best thing I've ever used for soap scum.