Soap Scum

[Dixie]

The hard water theory has merit. If I use salts (which I do often, or milk baths) I have less scum. But I will also say that some of my soap has more scum than others.
In the long run, it is worth it for the benefits you get.

 

[Dixie]

P.S. a quick hot rinse of the shower/tub is all it takes.

 

[gekko62]

P.S. a quick hot rinse of the shower/tub is all it takes.

Yes! And I assume even non-soap-users DO clean their tubs occasionally!

I think of scum as the hard calcified buildup,everything else is really just grime,a mix of oils & dirt.The calcification def. happens more with hardwater...

 

[honor435]

i dont notivce any more scum, i did finally clog my kitchen sink though! Not bad for soaping for a year, and i do try and scrape out crock first, cp def. is easier to clean up!

 

[Cortney]

i dont notivce any more scum, i did finally clog my kitchen sink though! Not bad for soaping for a year, and i do try and scrape out crock first, cp def. is easier to clean up!

how did you unclog it?

 

[Melodee]

Hi All, I'm a newbie here; this in only my second post. But as a professional housekeeper for 13 years, I found this topic very interesting.

I clean (on average) 8 houses a week and everyone of them has soap scum, regardless of the type of soap used, and the water type (although hard water mineral deposits do compound the problem).

If anything I've found that the hair products are the biggest problem with soap scum. If a person insists that homemade soap dirties their shower; I would mention (as some members have posted) That real soap re-liquifies and can therefore be used to actually help clean the shower.

And perhaps I've been off my rocker for years, but IMHO, I feel that if you have to clean a shower every week, it really doesn't matter how much soap scum there is - the shower NEEDS to be cleaned, period. It doesn't add or subtract any time from the process.

Melodee

 

[tincanac]

Agrees with melodie

All it takes is just regular cleaning, my biggest soap scum culprit is hair goo -

I use a botched batch of MP Salt bar - which I grated ad added washing soda too - to clean the shower - I live in a very humid environment so there is mould too, this works like a dream.

Handmade soap scum seems to wash off really clean anyway, I always leave the containers that I make soap in to harden for a day and then add in a little water and add the grated saltbar/washing soda mix to that water and wash away, it comes out really clea and sparkly.

I still say I'd rather have soap scum than chemically saturated dry skin!

 

[TheSoapyEwe]

I had a customer at Farmer's Market tell me that she loved my soaps but her tub was getting dirtier faster.
I told her that my soaps don't have detergents in them as store brand bars do and that you just have to weigh it out for yourself.
Cleaning with a real soap that leaves your skin feeling amazing and a little more often tub scrubbings vs. cleaning with store brand detergent bars that strip your skin but keep your tub cleaner longer.
She gave me a look, thought about it for a minute and bought 3 more bars..LOL

 

[honor435]

cortney
I wanted to use lye, but hubby put a hose on lower pipe and blasted it through? it worked, for now.

 

[holly99]

We've always used bar soap and I don't notice any difference between the scum of handmade or commercial. It all just needs a good cleaning every now and again.

 

[Bnky]

I have ceramic tile and it does get soap scum, but not much more then before. I know I will not go back to a store product only to wash and then get out of the shower and add lotion everyday (since the store product strips the oil from your skin). With my handmade soap I don't have to add lotion to my skin so I save time daily. I'll clean the shower a few more times a year if needed to avoid the daily lotion routine, not to mention the cost of the lotion, chemicals in store soap, etc. I wish I would have learned earlier about handmade soap...it's a luxury for my skin and I've noticed a big improvement and so have others who use it.

On my shower doors, I use a small bathroom squeegy daily; but I used that before I started using handmade soaps. It works well for any type of soap. Thanks for the vinegar cleaning tip, I really like the idea of 1/3 dish detergent and 2/3 vinegar spray. I will have to try this.

 

[carebear]

So what's the chemical in the store bought commercial stuff that prohibits it?

commercial soaps add chelating agents like EDTA, and also often are really detergent products (that don't form soap scum) or a blend of soap and detergent.

I wash my tub and shower regularly - good scrub every weekend. And I still found soap scum a real pain when I had hard water - especially when there were several in the house taking showers.

I wouldn't even consider telling anyone that they should wash their shower/tub more often. I don't think it would ever occur to me to think it.You have NO idea why there is scum forming besides their complaint on the soap - they could have many people using the shower, it could be of a less polished material (older tubs can be problematic) or a dark color, they could have super hard water, they could have physical difficulties that make cleaning difficult.

It's very judgmental, condescending and very presumptuous. In my opinion.

 

[rubyslippers]

.. though when I made my "all purpose cleaner" (1/3 dish detergent & 2/3 vinegar in a spray bottle)

Kittywings I have been using that same recipe for general all purpose cleaning for about a year and I love it! I was always buying every new cleaner on the market - spent a small fortune in doing so, thinking this will be the one I really like. HA! Now, I make my own, just add a little orange and/or clove essential oil to help the vinegar scent from being so strong and it works for almost everything in my house. I add tea tree oil to a similar solution to make a disinfectant for bathroom.

Now back to the scum issue - also noticed we get a quicker accumulation of scum with my homemade soaps but agree it is easier to clean than the type of scum from commercial bar soaps.

 

[kittywings]

I haven't bought any commercial cleaners in years ever since I found out about the vinegar/detergent trick it works in the shower on my stove top, the only thing I can't seem to make myself is dish washer detergent... apparently if you use borax and washing soda (I think that was the combo I read about) it makes this white film that's hard to get off. Being a natural skeptic, I had to try it for myself... and yup! It also took a fair amount of cycles for the dish washer to stop adding the film even though only 1 cycle was done with the combo.

The good thing about the vin/detergent is you can spray in all over your shower a little while before you're going to take a shower, bring in a scrubber sponge or the like and give it a little wipe/scrub while you shower and the shower is sparkling clean upon your exit!

I used to spend AGES cleaning the shower and bathtub... now it's 2 minutes maybe.

 

[Milla]

I haven't bought any commercial cleaners in years ever since I found out about the vinegar/detergent trick it works in the shower on my stove top, the only thing I can't seem to make myself is dish washer detergent... apparently if you use borax and washing soda (I think that was the combo I read about) it makes this white film that's hard to get off. Being a natural skeptic, I had to try it for myself... and yup! It also took a fair amount of cycles for the dish washer to stop adding the film even though only 1 cycle was done with the combo.

The good thing about the vin/detergent is you can spray in all over your shower a little while before you're going to take a shower, bring in a scrubber sponge or the like and give it a little wipe/scrub while you shower and the shower is sparkling clean upon your exit!

I used to spend AGES cleaning the shower and bathtub... now it's 2 minutes maybe.

Ditto on the dishwasher film. I think that it's the phosphates in the detergent that keeps the film off. I've heard that you can add vinegar during the rinse cycle. Someone said a cup, someone said 1/4 cup. Who knows. People with hard water said it worked, people with soft water said it didn't. The odds that I'm at the dishwasher when the rinse cycle is running is about zero.

I'm definitely going to try the detergent/vinegar cleaner for my shower. Bad soap scum!

 

[gekko62]

All this soap scum talk got me thinking...I reckon we need a home cleaning recipe thread.So Im gonna start one. See you there!

http://soapmakingforum.com/forum/viewto ... 857#120857

 

[Bubbles Galore]

You know, maybe I'm crazy but I actually have to scrub my tub LESS since using handmade soaps.

I thought my shower had LESS soap scum too. :wink:

 

[Ollieblue]

I...................

 

[dagmar88]

Since soap reacts with minerals in water, maybe people with harder water have more of a problem with soap scum. It is no trouble to clean the showers here.

We have super duper hard water and I have not noticed any difference after we both started using handmade soap. (aside from having a soft and clean smelling hub)

That said; I use oldfashioned green soap, a spritzer of soda and vinegar to clean the whole house and that works perfectly. Also, because I have very long hair I tend to throw all the little bits of NaOH leftovers down the drain...

I agree with Carebear; you can't tell other people how to run their household. It wouldn't work with your best friends, let alone customers :roll: Guess it's a really private thing.

 

[Fairydittle]

I have noticed that if I use a soap that has cured more, I have less soap scum.

I bought a scum buster and when the shower needs cleaning I push the button and let it do all the work. I do not have to use as much arm power. I love it, it takes less time to clean my shower and I can clean it a lot faster.