This bath and shower spray is one of the essential cleaners I use for naturally cleaning my bathroom. It’s great at cutting through tough rust and soap scum and might become your go-to cleaner. Plus, it’s easy to make and quick to put together!
This recipe is concentrated and doesn’t use any water, so you don’t have to worry about microbes growing in it. A little goes a long way, which is super convenient!
When dealing with tough messes, your cleaner needs to be equally strong. Luckily, we don’t have to resort to harsh synthetic chemicals to tackle bath and shower grime. Natural cleaners can be just as effective as the usual chemical options.
Soap scum forms when hard water minerals combine with soap, creating a filmy, white layer. Hard water can also leave rust-colored stains. The best approach to deal with hard water stains and soap scum is to prevent them from forming in the first place.
Using a water softener with a whole-house filter can help prevent hard water deposits from harming your surfaces. If that’s not feasible, a bathtub or shower filter might be useful. But sometimes, you just need a good bath and shower spray to tackle the cleaning.
I suggest storing this cleaner in a glass spray bottle because vinegar’s acidity can break down certain plastics over time, and we generally try to avoid that. You can find some cute, functional glass spray bottles online.
While I have a scouring powder for tough jobs, sometimes I prefer a different option. This bath and shower spray contains no abrasives, so it won’t scratch delicate surfaces. It’s safe to use on tiles, acrylic, and fiberglass tubs and showers, but avoid using it on metal fixtures or marble because of the vinegar.
While scouring pads might help with stubborn stains, they can scratch surfaces, eventually damaging the protective coating. With the right cleaner, there’s no need to scrub away rust and soap scum too harshly!
For extra cleaning power, spray the bath and shower cleaner and let it sit for about fifteen minutes before wiping with a damp cloth.
If you need a little more cleaning strength, sprinkle some baking soda on tough areas and spray them before scrubbing with a cloth or sponge.
We’re using simple ingredients, but choosing the right ones is key. Vinegar is acidic and helps break down hard minerals. Dish soap helps lift away soap scum and other stuck-on dirt. However, regular soap, especially castile soap, won’t work for this recipe.
Dish soap is a detergent and works differently at a chemical level than castile soap. While I love using Bronner’s castile soap for hand washing, baby wipes, and plant spray, it’s not the right choice here.
Mixing vinegar and soap can cause an undesirable chemical reaction, making the soap ineffective. Instead of a powerful cleaner, you end up with a goopy white mess. Since dish soap is a detergent, it works well with vinegar to create a strong cleaner. If you don’t have a natural dish soap, Sal Suds will also work. I’m talking about regular dish soap for handwashing dishes, not dishwasher detergent.
For cleaning, I use plain white vinegar. It’s affordable, natural, and effective. Save the good apple cider vinegar for things like salads or spicy fire cider.
Vinegar, combined with dish soap (or Sal Suds), works well to clean tubs and showers. I like to add a few essential oils for extra cleaning and disinfecting power, and they smell great too!
Here’s how the shower looked before cleaning. It’s usually not this bad, but I let it get a bit dirty to show the results after cleaning. And here’s how it looked after. Quite the difference, right?! I sprayed the cleaner, let it sit for 10 minutes, and then scrubbed with a microfiber cloth. I did need to add some baking soda to a few stubborn spots.
What are some of your favorite tricks for getting your bathroom sparkling clean? Leave a comment and let us know!
