Simple Apartment Cleaning Tips: Soap Scum

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Simple Apartment Cleaning Tips: Soap Scum

Staff Writer · Apr 14, 2010

When it comes to apartment cleaning, there are a number of products you can use that are inexpensive and effective in taking soap scum off the tiles and walls of your tub or shower area. You can also prevent soap scum build-up in several ways that are effective too.

Preventing Soap Scum Build-up

Soap scum can be removed in a variety of ways. Applying car wax will prevent the build-up of soap scum as it causes the water on the walls of your bath or shower to bead and, therefore, stops the production of any soapy residue. Use the product twice a year for maximum results. Another way to stop the build-up of soap scum is to use a liquid soap when you shower rather than a bar soap. Bar soaps contain the ingredient talc, which is one of the primary reasons for the accumulation of soap scum. Adding Epsom salts to your bath water is also an effective method to reduce soap scum build-up. A sprinkling of baby oil on the doors of your shower area will keep them clear of scum too. Just make sure you confine the oil to the doors and don’t accidentally dispense some of the product on the floor to avoid accidents.

Make a Paste of Laundry Detergent or “Shout It Out”

A good, safe product to use for removing soap scum is a powdered laundry detergent. Moisten the detergent into a paste and apply to the walls of your bath and shower area, scrubbing the tiles and doors using circular movements. Use a squeegee to remove any watery residue. Some people also like to use laundry stain removers such as Spray and Wash or Shout.

Lemon-Scented Furniture Oil

Lemon oil, generally used for polishing furniture, is a good soap scum eliminator as well. It is also a useful product for preventing any future soap scum from developing. Use a mildly abrasive pad, like a scrubby, to remove the soap scrum and clean away any residue with a soft cotton cloth.

Use Borax or Baking Soda to Annihilate Soap Scum

Borax is also a good product to use when you want to eliminate soap scum from your bath or shower area. Apply the product with a sponge, again, using circular movements. Baking soda can be applied the same way as well. Rinse with water after the soap scum is removed.

Vinegar or Ammonia Remove Soap Scum Too

Distilled white vinegar is a good remover of soap scum too. Put it in a spray bottle or apply it directly and scrub away the mess with a scrubby. You can also remove soap scum with ammonia and water. Add about ½ cup of the powerful solvent to a gallon of water. Spray the mixture on the walls of your bath and shower doors and use a soft cotton cloth to remove the scum and ammonia solution.

If you have a soap scum problem in your bath area, use of any of the above ingredients should keep it soap scum free.

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