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This homemade shower cleaner is one of my all-time most popular pins on Pinterest, so chances are you’re looking for an effective, natural shower cleaner you can rely on. You can keep a clean shower clean with a simple daily hydrogen peroxide shower cleaner, but you’ll need something stronger if your shower is as grimy as mine used to be!
Between hard water stains, mildew, and soap scum, cleaning a dirty shower can be a lot of hard work! Without an effective cleaner, it may be impossible to get your shower as clean as you’d like it to be, no matter how much scrubbing you do!
Luckily, this two-ingredient DIY shower cleaner is inexpensive to make and erases tough stains, soap scum, and hard water deposits with ease. All you need is white vinegar and Dawn dish soap to make it, and the resulting cleaner can help with other cleaning tasks too — another reason why it’s one of my favorite homemade cleaners!
Table of Contents
Why Are Hard Water And Soap Scum So Hard To Clean?
All water contains trace minerals, but the higher concentration of minerals in hard water makes it more prone to leaving behind water spots and crusty mineral deposits. An estimated 85% of our water in the U.S. qualifies as hard water, meaning most of us are familiar with the stubborn mineral buildup and stains that come with it.
In addition to combating the effects of hard water, you might also be dealing with slimy, pink soap scum in your tub or shower. Effectively tackling both grimy substances requires a powerful cleaning solution (or a great deal of vigorous scrubbing, but I prefer to let my cleaners do the hard work for me!)
Note: If there’s mold or mildew in your shower, focus on getting rid of mold before worrying about hard water or soap scum.
What Makes This The Best Homemade Shower Cleaner?
The first time I tried this amazing DIY shower cleaner, I was honestly shocked at how well it worked! It had done what so many other tub and shower cleaners had failed to do: dissolve the stubborn, grimy layer of soap scum and reveal the clean, shiny surface underneath.
This truly is the best shower cleaner spray I’ve ever used. It works wonderfully on glass shower doors and enclosures, acrylic and fiberglass shower surrounds, and even tile and laminate surrounds. (I don’t recommend using it on natural stone showers or tubs, as vinegar can damage porous stone surfaces.)
Jillee’s Take:
How To Make The Best Homemade Shower Cleaner & Soap Scum Remover
This shower cleaner DIY couldn’t be simpler: combine equal amounts of Dawn dish soap and white vinegar in a spray bottle and shake gently to mix. Spray your shower with it, wait half an hour, then rinse clean!
For more detailed instructions, read on!
Start by heating a cup of white vinegar in your microwave until hot. (Heated vinegar combines more readily with dish soap than vinegar at room temperature.)
Carefully pour the heated vinegar into a spray bottle, then add the dish soap and replace the spray top. Gently shake the bottle to mix.
This shower cleaner recipe is included in my cleaning recipe spray bottle labels set. These stick-on labels are designed for use on dark-colored bottles and make it quick and easy to whip up another batch of your favorite homemade cleaners.
The set also includes labels for my favorite all-purpose cleaning spray, window and mirror cleaner, granite cleaner, and dusting spray.
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I’m not the only one who loves these labels! Take it from these OGT readers:
“I didn’t know I needed these until they arrived! I love that I have the recipe on the label and don’t have to hunt for it online. SO glad I got these… you should, too!”
– Nancy
“Thank you for creating these—they are so helpful. Definitely not something I wanted to have to DIY—it would have taken me forever! Such great quality. I’m confident these will hold up for years.”
– Jeanette
How To Use This Homemade Shower Cleaner
Spray the cleaner liberally around your tub or shower, then let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour. After waiting, use a scrub brush (if necessary) on spots of stubborn grime, or try my painless sponge mop hack for shower walls. Rinse thoroughly, and you’re done!
This shower cleaner recipe is perfect for tackling stubborn grime at the bottom of your bathtub. If you need a bit of extra scrubbing power, use a broom and you’ll be done in a jiffy!
Before using this cleaner, ensure your bathroom is well-ventilated — turn on the fan and open any windows because the vinegar smell can be quite potent! (The smell will dissipate as soon as you’re done and the results will be more than worthwhile!)
Once your tub and shower are sparkling clean, use a simple daily shower spray to keep it clean and shiny for weeks!
How This DIY Shower Spray Works
This homemade shower cleaner is effective because it combines two powerful cleaning agents uniquely suited to tackling grimy tubs and showers. White vinegar helps eliminate odors, dissolve tough messes, remove stains, and break down stubborn mineral deposits.
Dawn dish soap, on the other hand, not only cuts through grease and grime but thickens this homemade shower cleaner so that it can cling to your tub and shower. Combined, these two ingredients make the best shower cleaner ever, and once you try it, I’m sure you’ll agree!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use This Shower Cleaner On Unglazed Tile?
Because unglazed tiles stain easily and are rather delicate, I wouldn’t recommend using this cleaner on them (or any other vinegar-based cleaner, for that matter!)
How Long Can I Store This Cleaner?
Vinegar doesn’t expire, so you can keep this cleaner for up to a year if you store it in a cool, dark place.
Can I Use This Cleaner On Sealed Grout?
According to Floor Techie, vinegar is safe to use on sealed grout. It should not be used on unsealed grout or grout that needs to be resealed.
Can I Use This To Clean My Fiberglass Shower?
Absolutely! This cleaner works great on fiberglass tubs and showers.
Do I Need To Reheat It?
The purpose of heating the vinegar is that it helps it combine with the soap more easily. Once the two ingredients are mixed, you shouldn’t need to reheat it (though there’s no harm in doing so).
This Shower Cleaner Is Clogging Up The Spray Bottle — What Do I Do?
This cleaner is thick by design because thicker cleaners cling more effectively to shower walls. But if it’s too thick and clogs up your spray bottle, you can easily fix it by adding more vinegar.
Can I Use This Cleaner In A Plastic Spray Bottle?
You can certainly store and use this cleaner in a plastic spray bottle, though I recommend using a sturdy one.
Is This Cleaner Hard To Rinse Off?
This cleaner requires more rinsing than others due to the amount of soap in it, but it’s nothing a handheld sprayer attachment can’t handle! (No sprayer attachment in your tub or shower? Increasing the amount of vinegar in the cleaner will make it easier to rinse off.)
Conclusion
This effective shower cleaner DIY is simple, inexpensive, and uses simple household ingredients you probably already have at home. Dawn dish soap and white vinegar are powerhouse cleaners in their own right, and, when combined, help eliminate stubborn tub and shower grime with minimal scrubbing.
This easy shower cleaner contains no bleach or harsh chemicals — just two pantry ingredients that work like magic! Give it a try, and I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do!
More Dawn & Vinegar Cleaning Tips
- These 28 uses for Dawn dish soap range from fun to functional (and some are both!)
- Learn about the best ways to use vinegar around the house.
- Use these 8 vinegar cleaning tips to make your bathrooms sparkle.
Do you have any favorite shower and tub cleaning tips?
Homemade Shower Cleaner (Recipe)
Equipment
- 16 oz spray bottle
- Microwave safe measuring cup
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dawn dish soap
- 1 cup white vinegar
Instructions
- Heat the white vinegar in your microwave until hot, then pour it into your spray bottle.
- Pour the dish soap into the bottle, then replace the lid and shake gently to mix.
Video
