How To Remove Soap Scum From Glass

Unlike traditional shower curtains that are made of fabric and experience a build-up of mold and mildew, glass showers look great and are pretty easy to clean, too. That being said, sometimes soap scum can accumulate in glass showers and look unsightly. Below, we run through the best tips and tricks to clean soap scum from glass showers easily and swiftly. 

What Is Soap Scum?

Soap scum is the result of soap attaching to the minerals found in hard water. “The harder your water, meaning the higher the concentration of magnesium carbonate and calcium present, the faster soap scum forms,” explains Stephanie Booth, a home cleaning and organization influencer based just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. 

What You'll Need

• Baking soda
• Dawn dish detergent
• Liquid Bar Keepers Friend (for stubborn hard water build-up and soap scum)
• Plastic bowl
• Microfiber cloth or non-abrasive sponge
  

Assess The Damage

If you have a light amount of soap scum, Booth recommends using a DIY, budget-friendly mix of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and Dawn dish detergent. “This is even safe for showers with natural stone since these ingredients are non-acidic,” she explains. “For heavy amounts of stubborn hard water build-up and soap scum, liquid Bar Keepers Friend will power through it.”

DIY Shower Scrub To The Rescue

To make the DIY shower scrub, mix together enough baking soda and Dawn in a plastic bowl to create a paste that resembles the consistency of toothpaste. “I use a microfiber cloth to apply this, but a non-abrasive sponge works well, too,” suggests Booth.  

• To clean, start by wetting the inside of your shower. 
  
  
• Next, apply the baking soda mix or Bar Keepers Friend (for stubborn soap scum) to your cloth or sponge and rub in a circular motion. Start at the top of the shower and work your way down, finishing with the floor.  
  
  
• Once you’ve scrubbed down the entire shower, it’s time to rinse. “A handheld shower sprayer makes quick work of rinsing down the walls and floor,” says Booth. “If you don’t have one, I like to fill up a large plastic cup and pour water down the walls.” 
  
  
• If you have any baking soda/Dawn mixture remaining, store it in a lidded container for future use.
  

Tips for Preventing Soap Scum

Some of Booth’s best tips for preventing soap scum is to invest in a filtered shower head that removes hard water minerals. Plus, you might find that your skin and hair will even be softer, too. Another thing she swears by is a shower squeegee. “Squeegee down the walls and floor after every use to remove excess water, then towel dry the interior of the shower,” she says. “You’ll be amazed at how much this reduces soap scum and hard water accumulation.” You’ll be cleaning your shower a lot less often.