As much as I enjoy unwinding in the bath after a long day, I find cleaning my bathtub a lot less relaxing. Fortunately, I’ve discovered a bathtub cleaning trick that this particular chore a lot easier!
You only need a broom and some dish soap to do it (although if your tub is seriously grimy, I’d recommend upgrading to my two-ingredient tub and shower cleaner). Ready to see how this trick works?
How To Clean Your Bathtub With A Broom
You’ll need:
*I recommend using a new broom for this purpose, because a dirty broom won’t get you very far! Pick up the cheapest one you can find and reserve it for cleaning your tub.
Directions:
Step 1 – Add Soap
Grab a bottle of dish soap and squirt some onto the bottom and sides of your bathtub.
Step 2 – Scrub With The Broom
Get the broom slightly wet, then use it to scrub the soap around the tub. The scrubbing action of the bristles and the grease-cutting action of the dish soap will break up any soap scum, mildew, and other residues that may have built up in your bathtub.
Step 3 – Rinse The Tub Clean
Finally, grab a cup, bucket, or your shower wand (if you have one), and use it to rinse all of the soap and loosened grime down the drain. Then stand back and admire your clean, shiny bathtub!
Less Bending & Reaching = Less Pain!
While anyone can use this cleaning trick to get their tub clean in a flash, it can be especially beneficial for people with limited mobility. Using a long-handled broom to scrub your bathtub eliminates the need to bend, stretch, or kneel to get at those hard-to-reach spots, making it a lot less painful!
So if you or someone you love has limited mobility due to arthritis, injuries, age, or any other mobility-restricting condition, make sure they know about this tip! After all, you shouldn’t have to endure discomfort or soreness just to keep your tub clean.
BONUS: 2 More Bathtub Cleaning Tips
Tip #1 – Use Baking Soda To Erase Stubborn Stains
Can’t seem to get rid of a particularly stubborn stain? Take a handful of baking soda and add enough water to create a paste, then apply the baking soda paste to the stain.
Let it sit for a few hours to dry, then wipe up the paste and try scrubbing the stain again. You’ll be able to erase it much more easily!
Tip #2 – Wipe Out Your Tub Frequently
About once a week, take a few seconds after getting out of the bath to wipe down your tub with a microfiber cloth. The cloth will pick up lingering water and soap residue and keep your bathtub cleaner over time.
What’s your best cleaning trick for bathtubs and showers?
More Ideas You'll Love
Here’s my trick/hack to keep the tub clean. I have a shower squeegee that I bought at Home Depot. After I shower, I use it on the sides of the tub (as well as the tile walls and sliding shower doors). This really helps to stay on top of the soap scum/grime that accumulates. My tub has lost the smooth glazing, so this daily hack makes it a lot easier when I do the “big” tub cleaning. Also, I’ve use toilet bowl cleaner (in place of Dawn) on the tub as well.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love the broom for cleaning the tub! I use a scrubber with an extension handle. I am going to use Dawn next time though.
As far as the broom, my mother had linoleum floors 50-60 years ago, and I remember her using a broom to scrub the floor then mopping. I recently used this method to clean my kitchen floor. It worked great.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I hired a team for cleaning the house from NILMAR It’s less expensive and did very efficient work!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi, I love this idea, but my comment has more to do with the “dawn” soap you referred to using. I love dawn and if dawn won’t clean it then throw it away . However I just learned that Dawn tests on animals. All those commercials about using dawn to help animals then to find out they test on them, I was shocked & immediately sent an email, although I haven’t received a reply. I just wanted to mention this because I don’t know how many are aware of this. Thanks so much
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would love to know how to get a yellowish tub,white..I think I read one time if you use any kind of chemicals in your tub, they can go into the pores of the tub and make it look yellow.Maybe it’s th e bleach I have used on it,not sure.Any ideas from anyone on how to get it to look white again?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It depends on what material your tub is made from. Acrylic, fiberglass, enamel, etc. may use different products. Find out what yours is and check labels or ask janitorial store personnel for help.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Ok, this is totally unrelated to the post, but Jillee, I love those pants!! I love chino ankle pants, but have such a hard time finding ones that are not to snug fitting. I’ve often bought them a size too big and then taken up the waist, just to keep them from being clingy on my butt and legs.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Will this work on glass shower doors? It’s nearly impossible to get them clean (especially where they overlap).
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sure Deborah, I would definitely give it a try. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have been using this trick for a few years now. It is so great! I have Fibromyalgia and arthritis so having this trick to use makes it much less painful to clean my tub. Plus it makes it quicker and easier than any other method I’ve tried! I wouldn’t advise using a dollar store broom though. I tried that and those brooms tend to bend easily as the handles are made of aluminum (I believe).
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks, Jillee! Great idea. I started using one of those dish scrubbers that you can fill with soap. It has a scrubby on the face if it and works really well. If it was longer, it would be even better.Love your post, keep up the good work!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I found this scrubber with an extending handle to clean my tubs with. I love it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.https://amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Extendable-Scrubber/dp/B00L9X4WCE/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2MJNATNEFLEZP&dchild=1&keywords=long+handled+scrubber&qid=1595344553&sprefix=lond+handled+scrub%2Caps%2C208&sr=8-3
Thank you! Now can you help me find a very long and narrow bottle brush? I have a bottle from France that has a very narrow neck and is 13″ high. I can not find a bottle brush that will clean it.
Try a straw cleaner.
The last time I read this post I incorporated the broom trick. It’s great! Now I am going to try the baking soda trick to remove a stubborn stain. Thanks, Jillee!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Glad you have had success with this trick, Jo. I think you will love the baking soda addition.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Another tip for clearing slow drains is to drop a couple of denture tablets down the drain followed by a couple of cups of heated vinegar. Let sit for an hour or so and rinse with boiling water. Pick up the tablets at the dollar store, usually 16 in a box for $1.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for re-posting this. I’ve tried to explain this trick to my mom and she had a hard time picturing it. I’ve been trying to tell her this would be much easier on her knees and arthritis pain.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Girl this is absolutely genius. I have back problems and cleaning my tub has been a chore to say the least. I can do this with hardly any problems. Thank you so much for sharing this insanely way of cleaning my tub.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A friend of ours uses a Swiffer wet pad to clean the tub surround. It’s not much for the tub itself, as it is not flexible, but works a treat on the walls.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My first husband was a hairy fellow and his shower could get rather furry. The first step to clean it was VACUUM IT. With the hair gone, any cleaning method was so much easier!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We have about 6 hard blue plastic 5 gallon bucket lids. I dislike just putting them into the garbage. Do you have any idea how we could use them. They have a nice rim and they are tough, not really flexible. Thanks to anyone with an idea.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Use them under potted plants inside/outside. The lid will catch any excess water.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve never thanked anyone for a pin before, but just had to this time. The Dawn worked like a charm!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use the wash and wax car wash soap on my acrylic tubs. After 5 years they still look new.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That’s so funny! I don’t use a broom; instead I have a toilet brush that’s used specifically for cleaning the tub and shower. It has been so much easier on my back since I started doing it this way.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.For the tub cleaner, do you start with water and then add the dawn and vinegar? If so, how much water? Or, just combine the dawn and vinegar, no water added to the mix?
Will this also remove the mildew that gathers along the edge of the tub and tends to be under the caulk? Or do you have some other DYI cleaner for this?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I do not add any water. :-) Yes, it is great for mildew. However, if you have mildew inside of/underneath your caulking, then I would recommend replacing the caulking – not many cleaners can fix this issue once it starts.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Where was the vinegar in this post? I just saw Dawn and a broom. I’ve started using a room, so much easier and the tub gets ral clean, even my old tub!
I only have Dawn ultra apple harvest scent. I hope it works.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use dawn and a mr. clean eraser, to clean the tub. It works like magic, lol
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have been using dawn for years, I have several tricks I’ve discovered over that time by using it as a last resort in cleaning something, it ends up cleaning many things really really well. I’ll list some I use off the top of my head.
1. Stubborn grease stain or food stain on fabric. Apply undiluted to the spot and agitate gently with your fingers. Toss in laundry wash. Sometimes I just add a squirt to laundry wash when I’m washing my clothes from the restaurant job.
2. Shower, bath and floors, stripes the dirt right off the floor in usually one pass. Leaves most floors without streaks.
3. To wash paint brushes especially oil paint. This tip works if you wash immediately after painting. If you can’t wash right away, fill a small container with water and mix in a squirt of dawn, let the brushes soak until you can get to them. When ready to wash apply undiluted dawn to the brushes. Works well with latex paint brushes too. Extra tip, I found wd-40 works to remove enamel paint if you don’t have paint thinner.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My shower floor is small tiles. Is there any reason not to just pour bleach over it and let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing !
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Bleach is pretty heavy-duty for regular cleanings! That method is great every once in a while, but I would clean with something a little more gentle for most regular cleanings :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I will use dawn on my husbands shower, with a broom. I did use a broom one time on my basement tub once when we had a flood and it really helped get to the back of the tub where the sliding doors are in the way.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My grandkids made crystals using borax. Well after a few weeks on the counter it was time to clean up those mason jars. I soaked them, scrubbed them and the layers of borax crystals would not budge. So, I decided well I will try the dish washer and see if they come clean. If not I would throw them away. WELL! not only did they come clean but everything in the dishwasher including the inside of the dishwasher SPARKLED. Now I always add borax to my dish washer and the dishes and glasses are amazingly shinny and clean.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Been using dawn to clean my tub the last 40 years I shared tip with friends & family never thought to post.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You are a genius!!! Best cleaning tip of all time!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Having been in the rental business for 30+ years, I have found that the easiest way to clean the scum and yuck out of tubs and off shower walls is with Liquid Dial Soap.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wet an old wash cloth, add some dial to the cloth and scrub the tub. You don’t have to rub hard, just in circles. The scum comes off pretty easy. Then put on a coat of Gel Gloss to protect the finish. I put Gel Gloss on the stoves and refrigerators also.
Another time saving tip: Put wax paper on the top of your upper cupboards. When it’s time to clean the grease and grime up there – throw away and put down new. I have literally had to use Comet and a scrub brush to get all the built up grease off in some rentals.
Blue Dawn, how do I love thee, let me count the ways. I’m in the process of replacing household cleaning products with less expensive DIY substitutes but Blue Dawn stays. There is no substitute for that.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I agree! It’s the best!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Everybody is so hooked on blue Dawn. Has anyone ever tried other dish liquids. Ajax, for example, is less expensive than Dawn. Ever tried Ajax ?
I LOVE Ajax! I find it work s just as well as blue dawn imho.
I have tried them all, and Dawn is my very favorite! It cuts through grease and thick messes better than any other soap. But feel free to use any dish soap you like. :-)
Ajax is very poor quality and does not clean well. That’s why it is much cheaper.
my weird trick also involves a broom. i use diaper pins to pin a microfiber small towel over the broom. i now can dust/sweep behind the toilet and around the pipes and base of the toilet without out getting bent out of shape or on my knees (which i can no longer do). i can also wet it if i need to.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How clever!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I bought a swiffer sweeper years ago and got tired of buying the cloths that go with it so I use small microfiber cloths instead! I bought cloths that aren’t very thick so they are easy to insert in the sweeper. I clean my ceramic tile and laminate flooring with it all the time! With a shedding dog in the house I find it so easy and helpful and I save money too!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Would this method clean a tile shower (walls and floor)?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is a great tip, however, the one that I particularly love is one that I got from this site – baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. I use it for everything, including the tub, and it works when nothing else did; but I will try this, too.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Could this work for the walls as well as the tub? I get a lot of soap scum stuck on the walls.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Definitely!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Question: do you wet the tub or broom first? Or is this Dawn on a dry tub with a dry broom? Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A little water on the broom helps it sud up – either way works, though! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The broom cleaning is best tip I have ever heard of. I can’t wait to try it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Do you have any tips on preparing my home for my sister who is a n a wheelchair. She is 62 and since June of last year “can’t walk”. I don’t have a clue how to make my home comfortable for her.
I actually don’t know much about getting your home prepared for someone in a wheelchair, but I did a bit of research and found a bunch of great information here: https://jillee.co/2FdZjAr :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You have such great tips!i have limited mobility and am going to try your broom trick for cleaning the tub!The only problem is my husband is scent sensitive and I can not use scented cleaning products in my home,therefore Dawn is out.Is there anything else naturally scented that I could substitute for the Dawn that does not have an artificial scent.He can handle things like vinegar and rubbing alcohol and baking soda.if there anyone out there who might have a suggestion please email me.I would really appreciate it.Thank you.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.While Dawn is renown for its grease cutting ability, I would think that any dish liquid that has similar qualities would do the job. There are unscented varities now.
Another thought is to use Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds. It is super concentrated, has no scent, contains only natural ingredients and leaves no residue. Here is the link to the 16 oz version on Amazon. You can also find Sal Suds locally in health food stores or retail outlets such as Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Earth Fare, etc.
https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bronners-Organic-Liquid-Cleaner/dp/B00A2F1MBO/ref=sr_1_6_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1546772186&sr=8-6&keywords=Sal+suds
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Any dish soap will do the trick – Dawn is just my favorite!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.i use white vinegar spray after each use of the shower. walls and tub. i too am sensitive to smells of most cleaners. i have also used soft scrub and not had a problem.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use old shampoo works great for me and you can get the unscented kind like baby shampoo
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I DO HAVE A DISABILITY I CAN ONLY GET ON ONE KNEE DUE TO AN ACCIDENT I SHATTERED MY RIGHT LEG AND HURT MY BACK IN A FALL OFF AN 8 FOOT LADDER THAT”WALKED” ON ME WHEN I WAS AT THE TOP, ANYWAY I HAVE TROUBLE CLEANING THE TUB AND WE ALL TAKE A SHOWER OR USED TO BUT I AM ALONE NOW AND I WILL DO THIS TRICK FOR SURE THANK YOU SO MUCH AS I NEVER THOUGHT BOUT THIS..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Best of luck to you, Karla!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I live in the country and have lots of minerals in my water. My handicap friend does also. Her Shower floor had rust staines for years I told her I could clean it
Please log in or create a free account to comment.She bet me I couldn’t. I used Lime Away I squirted lavishly and scubbed wita a nylon broom. It looks a new one..
I tried this with the dollar store broom and the bristles just are too flimsy so scrub it totally clean. My broom left soap scum and shaved hair in the tub. Not effective. I think you need a tougher bristled broom to do the trick if you want to try this way. It’s going to cost you more than that dollar you thought you would spend. Do admit it saved my back, but just didn’t get clean for a dollar plus the Dawn.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use a dollar store string mop- I leave it on a suction cup hook in the shower. After each showering I mop down the tub with Dawn. Once in a while I have to use a Mr. Clean eraser but otherwise it works great
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve been doing this for years, but I use a shop broom – short bristles, about 2″ wide. It hits every spot.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That’s a great idea, Betty!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This may have been asked already, but how do you let this broom dry after cleaning and where do you keep stored?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.you could just hang it on a hook in your garage
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I let it dry in the bathtub, and then store it dry in the bathroom closet :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite weird but it works is using yogurt to clean copper pans. Smear some yogurt on the copper bottom and let it sit until it gets a bit drier and rubbery. Scrub it off gently and you will have shiny pans again! Another is to use the spent dryer sheets to clean the detergent residue from the top of my washer and dryer, they are the perfect scrubby texture and I was going to throw them away anyway!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Will try this idea. I do not have a disability or mobility issues…..just vertically challenged. Never liked cleaning tub b/c of my shortness. I am 4’9″.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My weird shower cleaning tip is to clean the shower floor with an old dish towel with a design on it. I toss in the towel and use my foot to scrub the shower floor. If the floor is still wet, it cleans better than a dry floor
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like to let texture work in my favor too, like using old socks with more elastic to remove old bugs/dirt from windowsills/patio door tracks.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have used magic eraser in the shower and use my foot to clean the bottom and sides ( hands to clean higher up the sides. WORKS WONDERFULLY …………………
Please log in or create a free account to comment.me too!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This method has worked for me for a couple years now. I’ve gotten to old to get down on my hands and knees to scrub the tub. Learned this from an elder Aunt of mine. Her tub stays sparkling clean.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Blue Dawn is THE best cleaner for everything. After many back surgeries and hardware in my back I cannot get down on my knees to clean the tub or shower. So, thank you for the great idea of a broom and Dawn. Keep the ideas coming.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This idea has been a huge help and I keep wondering where it’s been hiding all these years. As you say, it’s a real gift to people with back /shoulder/problems. The one thing I had a bit of trouble with was rinsing out the soap suds, but I sprinkled some white vinegar around the tub and it rinsed easily after that. Thanks, Jillee!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.To rinse the tub of suds I use the cup that came with my bathroom decor items and use the water from the tap. I keep a clear plastic cup in the shower and use that after cleaning to rinse.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I find that when rinsing suds down, cold water works faster than warm or hot. Don’t know the science behind it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wow I just printed your bathroom tub cleaner trick with Dawn . I’ll be going to the dollar store for a new broom today. I don’t remember my tub being such a chore but I dread it. I’ll try this is maybe I’ll clean it more often.Thanks for all the god tips
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I used to do this with a mop from the dollar store! I’ve graduated to the spin scrubber! I find it works waaaay better!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have that too and I don’t feel like it scrubs hard enough…. maybe if I try it with some Dawn though…. lol
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am one of the few that just don’t like Dawn dish soap. I don’t feel it cuts grease as well as Ivory liquid.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You are not alone. I have a friend who told me years ago she didn’t like Dawn…..that it doesn’t work but I love it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Any dish soap will do the trick – I just prefer Dawn. I love that stuff!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Where I lived before I preferred JOY dish liquid … sometimes Ivory. Here DAWN seems to be the best. Dish liquid choice may well depend on the local water. ☺
Interesting theory Jeanne! I had never thought of that!
I use a child’s broom and mop for places hard to reach with a big broom.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have an antique bathtub. does it work for that? I don’t want to buy a new broom if it doesn’t. My tub is old and somewhat pitted on the bottom.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.So is my tub. An old tub won’t be like new of course, but this way will be the easiest, and it will be clean with a lot less wear and tear on you.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Definitely!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, I use a broom for many cleaning chores. I’ll even put a rug in the tub and use a variation of your method. I like all of your tips and none of them seem weird to me (unlike all the ads for cures for removing belly fat, toenail fungus, and every gross ailment on the planet with “try this one weird trick”). Look forward to each and every email. Thanks Jillee.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hahaha! I am so sick of the animated belly fat ones!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Haha. Thought it was just me! Leave the belly fat out of it!
Thanks Mary!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Will be trying this tip! Does the Dawn/vinegar shower cleaner need to be made fresh each time so the vinegar will be hot when used? Can the mixture be reheated in the microwave?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.No need to reheat it – just heat it up for the initial mixing :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Appreciate the idea of a broom/mop because of mobility issues but the soft/flexible water guard on the bottom of my over bath shower screen has marked visible (though not ‘feelable’) lines on the surface of my good quality acrylic bath so I use a soft cloth to clean mine, with what we in GB call washing up liquid – usually Fairy! Can American Jillee followers please help a Scot with explanation as to difference between Dawn dish soap and any other dish washing liquid?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Dawn is a grease cutter. If you soak anything in Dawn for 10 minutes, all the grease just disappears. It’s so good that environmental groups use Dawn to wash birds caught in oil spills. I couldn’t live without it…hope that helps.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Beth..there are other good dish liquids out there but Dawn is noted for cutting through grease and grime so much better.My sisters use it religiously on laundry stains,they love itI believe it’s one of the best for many different things.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve read in the past that Dawn and Fairy are pretty much the same thing. Don’t know it for a fact.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for that Pam because the cost of Dawn in UK is prohibitive! I’ve used Fairy washing up liquid for years to clean all sorts of things, (as did my mum) so I can now continue without feeling deprived!
They are!
Fairy liquid is very similar to Dawn – it will work really well!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use the swifter mop and attach a micro cleaning cloth. I’ll have to try the broom, sounds great!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Can you use a rubber broom or does it have to be a “normal” broom? I have dogs, so I purchased a rubber broom a few years ago, and never went back to the “normal” brooms, but would love to give this a try in my tub.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Although I haven’t ever tried one, I think a rubber broom will work wonderfully!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve been using my string mop for years to scrub my tub and the tub surround. I’m going to give the broom a try to see if it’s as good.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I think the mop is better because it can hit the curves of the tub ! Used to be my method too until I got the spin scrubber
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Very good, For real I will now be showering with my BROOM!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.(I wish I could vote on my own comments.)
I love ideas outside the box in life, keep them coming.
I use my drill & attach a round brush to it! I also use this method to clean the grout in my kitchen floor then I reseal it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have one of those, just haven’t tried it yet! It still involves getting down on the floor or edge of the tub and my body parts just can’t take it anymore. I like this broom idea!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.i use shampoo that i don’t like. i heard the cleaning people in motels use shampoo.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I do,too, Jill! I’m “differently- abled” and have limited mobility. It helps to sit in my shower chair while cleaning my tub/shower with my trusty drill with a 12″ bit extension and brushes. I also use it to clean my cabinet doors with Murphy’s Oil Soap.
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