10 Best Soap Scum Removers 2024 in the United States

Introduction

It’s estimated that 85% of Americans have “hard water” in their homes. Hard water has a high level of calcium and magnesium salts. You’ll see these salts accumulate in your tea kettle, washing machine, and other appliances. But hard water has another undesirable trait: these mineral salts react with soap, creating “soap scum” that adheres to your sink, bathtub, shower, and more. Fortunately, there are soap scum removers that you can purchase, that can remove soap scum with ease. Let’s look at what options exist to keep your bathroom and kitchen spotlessly clean!

What Causes Soap Scum?

Soap scum is a white-gray film that gets left behind when the fats in soap combine with the minerals in your water. You’re especially prone to see this film if you use solid bars of soap, instead of liquid soap or detergent. The fats in the soap combine with your body oils, bits of dead skin, and bacteria. The first time this film forms, it’s relatively easy to wipe it off.

The problems originate if you don’t wipe off the film when it starts. If you neglect cleaning off this film, it slowly calcifies and hardens. Eventually, you have to put in a lot of effort to scrape it off. And the longer you wait, the worse it gets. This soap scum can combine with mold as well, causing it to discolor and even start to smell bad.

There are products on the market that are meant to prevent soap scum build-up. Then there are products that are more penetrating when there is already some accumulation. And there are also products made for heavy-duty jobs when the soap scum has formed a hard, cement-like layer.

Do-it-Yourself Cleaners

Before resorting to one of the commercial soap scum removers, you may want to try a method using common household ingredients:

• Baking soda + vinegar

This creates a paste that helps you scrub off the soap scum, using abrasion.

1. Mix 1 cup of baking soda with 60-75 ml of vinegar, and stir it to create a paste.

2. Apply the paste with a sponge to the areas where the concentration of soap scum is the worst.

3. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

4. Wipe it off with a non-scratch sponge in a circular motion.

5. Rinse with water.

• Vinegar and dish detergent

This is a more gentle spray mixture, which works well on glass, such as shower doors.

1. Combine equal parts of vinegar and water.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of dish detergent.

3. Spray the solution on soap scum.

4. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

5. Scrub with a soft bristle brush.

6. Rinse with hot water, and dry the area.

There is another spray method for ingrained soap scum, using hot vinegar:

1. Boil vinegar in a pot.

2. Add the hot vinegar to dish soap in a spray bottle.

3. Mix the two well, and spray onto the soap scum.

4. Leave it on the surface for a half-hour, and scrub it off.

• Cleaning with a pumice stone

This utilizes the abrasive quality of a pumice stone to remove soap scum. The problem here is that you have to be careful not to scratch the surface, especially if you’re cleaning fiberglass or acrylic.

1. Wet a pumice stone and the surface you wish to clean.

2. Gently rub the wet stone on the soap scum.

3. Use a stiff-bristle brush to remove the soap scum

What Types of Soap Scum Removers are There?

You’ll see that soap scum removers come in a variety of forms. We can distinguish between sprays, foams, and pastes.

• Spray form

There are many products that you simply spray onto the surface of your bathtub or shower stall where you have the accumulation of soap scum. You wait for a bit for it to break down the soap scum, and then rub off any remaining soap scum with a non-scratch scrub pad. One very popular product is the Rejuvenate Scrub-free Soap Scum Remover.

Rejuvenate Scrub-free Soap Scum Remover

• Foam

Foam soap scum removers have the advantage that they don’t run. Once you spray the foam cleaner on a vertical surface, such as a bathroom wall or shower cubicle, the foam remains there and works to break up the layers of soap scum. An example is the CLR Brilliant Bath Foaming Action Cleaner.

CLR Brilliant Bath Foaming Action Cleaner

There is also the Kaboom Foam-Tastic Bathroom Cleaner. When you spray it, it comes out of the can as a blue foam. As it reacts with the air, it starts to penetrate the soap scum and calcium deposits, turning white in the process. You let it sit for a while, and then wipe it off!

Kaboom Foam-Tastic Bathroom Cleaner

• Cleaning Pad

There are also cleaning pads that are designated for removing soap scum, without damaging the surface. A very popular example is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser series. In particular, the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Bath Scrubber has a larger and more durable scrubbing surface, being specially designed for removing soap scum. You wet the magic eraser, squeeze out any excess water, and rub off the soap scum. However, it shouldn’t be combined with chlorine bleach. It’s also not recommended on glossy metal surfaces, or bare or polished wood. Wear gloves when you use it, and make sure you use it only on tubs, tile, shower doors, and sinks.

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Bath Scrubber

What are the Possible Dangers with Cleaning Agents?

When using a commercial cleaner, you’ll notice warning messages on the package, telling you not to combine different cleaning agents together. For example, many cleaning agents contain chlorine bleach. Potentially dangerous combinations with chlorine bleach include:

• Chlorine bleach + ammonia = chloramines, which can be a serious irritant, producing a burning sensation in your eyes.

• Chlorine bleach + alcohol = chloroform, a known anesthetic. It can cause unconsciousness.

• Chlorine bleach + acid = chlorine gas, which is also very caustic. Thus, mixing chlorine bleach with vinegar (acetic acid)a is a dangerous risk.

For this reason, many people prefer eco-friendly cleaners that don’t entail these risks, and also are safe to use around children and pets. An example is the Pardo Naturals Scrubbing Paste. It uses baking soda, castile soap, and essential oils, coming in a number of different natural scents: citrus, lavender, lemongrass, and more.

Pardo Naturals Scrubbing Paste

What Ways Are There to Avoid Soap Scum Buildup?

• Apply a product to prevent soap scum buildup

One way to prevent the buildup of soap scum is to apply a gel gloss or even car wax to the surfaces of your bathtub, shower, or shower curtain. (You can find some of these products on the MSN Best Products site.) If no soapy film can adhere to these surfaces, you can’t develop a soap scum problem!

• Avoiding using bar soap

There are certain soaps that don’t leave a film. If you use only liquid soap, gel body soap, or shampoo in the shower, you shouldn’t have a problem with soap scum. These contain detergents that break up water’s surface tension. By breaking up fats into small globules, they prevent the oils in these soaps from ever forming into a film.

Soaps in a bar form are more likely to leave a soap film. But even here, there are exceptions. One example is Zest Bar Soap. Its marketing pitch is that it doesn’t leave any soapy film on your skin--or on your bathtub!

Zest Bar Soap

• Commercial products

If you find soap scum build-up is a recurring problem, there are even commercial products that protect the surfaces in your bathroom. An example is EnduroShield Glass Treatment. It forms a layer on your bathtub, shower glass, or shower curtain, that repels hard water and the grime that builds up into soap scum. It makes the surface much easier to clean. One application of the EnduroShield can protect your bathroom for up to three years!

EnduroShield Glass Treatment

Wrap Up

We’ve seen what allows soap scum to accumulate, and what measures we can take to properly remove it. All told, whether you’re looking for a soap scum remover for your bathroom, or even a product to prevent soap scum buildup, our list of the top soap scum removers is sure to be able to help!