As we’ve said before, 85% of homes in the US have hard water. That means that most of the country will also be affected by soap scum, which is caused by soap mixing with hard water. Soap scum looks ugly and can clog up the works in your bathroom. Read our guide on how to get rid of soap scum.

 

How to Clean Soap Scum

 

Shower Doors

Spray the shower doors with the window cleaner of your choice and scrub the scum with a brush. Rinse the doors by spraying with cool water and dry with a paper towel or clean rag.

 

Tile

Sprinkle a good amount of baking soda over the tile. Dampen a sponge or clean rag and add baking soda to that as well. Scrub the tile until there’s no more scum. Rinse with water and dry with a clean towel.

 

Faucet

Baking soda is the hero again. Sprinkle baking soda onto a toothbrush and use that to scrub the faucet. Then use a wet sponge or cloth to wipe off the loosened scum and baking soda. Rinse the faucet and dry.

 

Sink

You guessed it! Sprinkle baking soda on the scummy surface and wait a few minutes. Then scrub your sink with a wet sponge or cloth. Keep going until no more gunk is on the sink, then rinse and dry.

 

How to Clean Soap Scum - Maids by Trade

 

Plastic

Boil 1/2 cup of water in a pot and then carefully pour it into an empty spray bottle. Add 1 1/2 cups of vinegar and a squirt of dish soap to the bottle as well. Screw the lid on tightly and give the mixture a little shake. Spray the plastic with the solution and wait 5-10 minutes before scrubbing with a sponge or cloth. Rinse well with clean water and repeat if necessary.

 

Soap Scum is Gone!

Soap scum is annoying, but worse is how it never seems to end. It’s an ongoing battle. If you have a particularly bad soap scum problem, consider taking down the culprit: hard water. Softening your water  may reduce soap scum in your home and make your cleaning chores that much easier.