46% of Americans deep clean their bathroom more than any other room, but 52% said cleaning the tub and toilet is their most dreaded task.

One reason the bathroom is such a feared place for any housekeeper is the difficult process of soap scum removal. This nasty buildup is typically the result of hard water and is difficult to remove without the proper products.

It’s possible to scrub away soap scum on your own if you buy or create a dedicated cleaner. Hiring a professional cleaning service puts the burden of this dreaded task onto a provider with more experience.

Read our guide to learn how to remove soap scum, prevent it from building up, and find professionals to help keep your entire home clean.

What Is Soap Scum?

Finding the best way to remove soap scum starts with understanding what it is. It lets you know what you’re dealing with and the best way to attack it.

Water hardness refers to the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in your water. It leaves a nasty residue on your dishes, shower, and other important areas.

Soap scum forms when soap reacts with high amounts of calcium in hard water. 

Water hardness is measured in mg/L or milligrams per liter. The measurements range anywhere from soft (0-60) to over 180 (very hard).

Vinegar helps soften hard water and reduce soap scum. Its acidity breaks down magnesium and calcium particles, dissolving them so they become easier to remove.

Soap Scum Removal

You should deep clean your bathroom every two weeks. It’s a difficult but necessary process to prevent soap scum and germs from building up.

Soap scum removal is a multi-step process. You must find the right materials, begin in the right place, continue by cleaning your entire bathroom, and finish properly.

How to Find Materials

Start by finding the best products, including a quality soap scum remover. Find effective, non-toxic options that you enjoy using.

Specialized soap scum products are effective. You can also try a DIY soap scum remover like a vinegar and detergent mixture or baking soda and vinegar mixture.

Use equal parts vinegar and cleaning solution. It will break down the soap scum to make it easier to remove.

How to Start

You should remove everything from your bathroom before you begin to clean it. This ensures that any decorations or furniture you may have out don’t get in the way.

Your toilet houses 295 different bacteria on every square inch. Start by cleaning it to avoid spreading these germs throughout your bathroom.

How to Clean

Wipe everything down with a disinfectant. This removes germs and keeps your bathroom healthy.

Wet your shower walls to highlight any mildew growth. You’ll need to remove it with the right cleaner, which you should leave on the shower for at least 15 minutes.

Once you’ve disinfected the bathroom and removed any mildew, you can start to clean the soap scum. Start with the bathtub or shower. Spray it with the right cleaning products and let them sit before rinsing them off.

Removing soap scum from an acrylic tub requires a bit of extra care. Avoid using abrasive cleaners because they can cause damage.

Cleaners can help you remove soap scum from glass shower doors. This is just as important as cleaning the rest of the shower because soap scum can build up here as well.

Wash your shower curtains with your towels. This will prevent mildew buildup and help remove any soap scum they’ve accumulated.

Mop the floor or scrub it with a brush. This prevents unsightly stains.

How to Finish

Your shower can help create humidity that will improve the cleaning process even further. Run the water on hot for a short time.

Remember to dry and vent the room when you’re finished to avoid moisture buildup. Open the doors and windows to let the air circulate.

 

Soap Scum Prevention

Soap scum builds up in almost every bathroom, but there are ways to help reduce it. Watch your water hardness, use the right types of soap, and engage in regular cleaning.

Hard water is a major cause of soap scum. Get your water hardness measured regularly and work to soften it.

Bar soaps create the most soap scum. If you use a liquid gel, try to find one without paraffin because it increases soap scum production.

Regularly cleaning your bathroom is the best defense. Wipe down your shower walls after every shower. Wash out your tub with white vinegar and water and rinse it out afterward.

Why You Should Hire a Professional

The benefits of professional cleaning services include superior cleaning, reduced wear and tear, higher home resale values, and extra free time.

Reaching every area of your home while cleaning is almost impossible. A professional cleaning service can go over anything you missed and touch up anything you’ve already cleaned yourself.

Keeping your home clean is the best way to protect your investment. Built-up dirt and oil causes wear and tear on your surfaces. Prevent it with regular deep cleanings. 

If you keep your house as clean as possible, it will be worth more money if you ever try to resell it. A professional cleaning service helps you create the right first impression for potential buyers. 

Deep cleaning is a difficult, time-consuming process. Families that clean daily can gain 730 hours or 30 days every year by hiring a professional cleaning service to take on the task for them.

Where to Find a Professional Cleaning Service

Soap scum removal is the most difficult part of a bathroom deep cleaning. It requires the best possible tools, a great deal of patience, and knowledge of the materials in your bathroom.

Hiring a professional cleaning service to help with your overwhelming everyday housekeeping tasks. They save you time, increase your home’s retail value, prevent wear and tear, and provide a deeper clean.

Scrub ‘N Bubbles is a professional cleaning service you can trust to keep your house sparkling. Get a quote today to see what we can do for you.