Bathroom Cleaners

If you are into green, then use some baking soda and make a paste to get rid of the hard stuff. Do you have hard water or use bar soap? That will always be a challenge then. Switching to botanically based liquid soaps is so easy and you'll never want to go back. Install a shower filter if you have hard water. Many "green" products are not as user friendly as one may think. I use products from Young Living Essential oils that work great, smell wonderful - not toxic!

Here's hoping for the best so you don't have to keep cleaning all the time. Better things to do, right?

Good luck,

K.
Wellness Consultant

I know of a really neat product from Shaklee called At Ease. It works great. If you want to know where to get it e-mail me at ____@____.com.

Head and Shoulders worked for me, I even use the target or walmart brand too. Yup to clean the shower and tub!

Good luck!

K.

Hi E.!
Congrats on your 2 girls!! While you are pregnant, you definitely want to steer clear of the chemicals.

I use Shaklee cleaners and have never had any issues with soap scum. We have the same kind of shower doors.

Shaklee's Basic H2 will cut through pretty much any soap scum that you have.

I am also a Shaklee distributor, so if you'd like more information, I'd be happy to share!

The H2 is super concentrated and you only use 1/4 tsp in 16oz of water, so it lasts and lasts.
http://maximumwellness.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?s...

B.

bar keepers friend & magic erase sponge..........they are magic

Hi, E.. Plain white vinegar works great! I just put it in a spray bottle and go to town. You do have to use a little muscle to scrub the scum, but it will come off and be sparkling clean! I clean all of my mirrors with a combo of white vinegar and water too (1/2 and 1/2). Good luck!

Two words - Soft Scrub.

HI mom I went thru the same thing when I got a house with the shower glass doors and baby let me tell you I spend so much money on cleaners then one day I use old fashion kitchen cleaner ( ajax) and it was the best thing I could have ever done. I have told other friends and they could not belive how clean it got their bathrooms. Some things never change Good Luck.

4-in-1 Bathroom Cleaner by Lysol. Works great!

BON AMI Cleanser is much less toxic and does not scratch! I swear by Tub & Tile by Melaleuca.

That's funny you mention the chemicals because I steer away from them too and I can tell you that you don't have to compromise on this one. I use Scour Off Paste by Shaklee and this is a non-toxic cleaning product for any heavy duty messes: scouring the kitchen sink, the grill, the oven and my favorite use is for my shower! It gets all of the soap scum and any mildew off without much elbow grease at all. Its one of my very favorite Shaklee products and I haven't met anyone yet that this hasn't worked for. I'm in New Lenox and could order one for you if you're interested or you can check out my website for more info: www.K.-oneill.myshaklee.com.

Thanks,
K.

E.,

I would like to recommend a few great products by method (so that you won't have to compromise on your desire to maintain a clean AND non-toxic home).
1. Le Scrub - this is a scrubby formula for sinks and tubs that works on the really tough spots. (yummy minty smell)
2. Tub & Tile spray - Spray cleaner for washing walls of shower and such (smells really yummy, too)
3. Daily Shower spray - once you get it clean, you can spray down the shower every day after you take your shower and it will keep it clean and prevent build up.

I hope this helps!

Magic Sponges are fantastic and truly magic. They can get anything clean. I also like Kaboom for cleaning the tub. I was a Tilex or Chlorox fan but Kaboom doesn't have any kind of a fume whatsoever. Besides for that, it cleans really really well. Even gets rust and hard water marks off of things. I'm really impressed with how well it works.

Since you are not overly-sensitive about about chemicals, I can share my bathroom secret: Tilex!!!! They make one formula for soap scum and one for mildew. I don't advise this while you are pregnant, so ask your hubby to help. Spray the soap scum formula all over the tub, tiles, and the glass door...and let it "set" for an hour and two. Then, have your hubby spray the tub and tiles down with water from the shower head. If needed, repeat with the mildew formula. This has always worked for us!

Once you've got everything clean, have your hubby spray down the tub/shower with the soap scum formula once every couple weeks, before he gets in the shower. When he showers, it will wash away, and your tub will always look freshly scrubbed and squeaky clean!

Just today I started to tackle this problem. I decided to try using the Mr Clean magic erasers and vinegar. I have had some success with a vinegar and water mix ( more vinegar then water). I spray on the shower doors, let it sit, and then I am going to try the magic erasers. I will let you know if it works.

I used to use a product called The Works and got it at Dollar General. It worked better than any of the name brand products1

Comet or Ajax, yes, the old fashioned stuff still works the very best!

I have cleaned some really disgusting bathrooms over the years (icluding a repo I bought once) with Soft Scrub with Bleach. I use a green scrubby to rub it on, leave it set for a bit, and then come back and scrub a little more....rinse. It typically takes care of soap scum pretty well. Not to mention water stains in the shower, tub, and toilet.

PS I also second Ajax With bleach....I don't use that on shiney tubs though...a little weary about that, but if it works for others I'm sure it will be fine. I really like Ajax in the kitchen...it cuts grease and is about the only thing that gets that crud off the top of the fridge and cabinets.

Please don't give up on natural cleaners! I love Method's "Le Scrub" which I actually found at Lowe's, and Bon Ami is really good too. Le Scrub is a creamy consistency, whereas Bon Ami is a powder, so it's a little easier to use on vertical surfaces. Good luck :O)

I had the same problem in my shower. The Mr. Clean Magic eraser got rid of the soap scum with no problem. Then you can use your chemical free cleaners to clean.

THis is the one I use. I copied and pasted the information
It is called Scour Off

Benefits
• Natural ingredients remove the toughest dried-on splatters and spills,
burned-on grease, baked-on food, and sticky messes without hazardous
chemicals or toxic fumes.
• Scour Off is made from natural mineral abrasives and biodegradable
cleaning agents. It does not contain chlorine bleach or dye.
• Scour Off gently removes stains other cleansers can’t and is great for
cleaning tubs, ovens, sinks, and tiles.
• It will even remove rust, and is great for cleaning these surfaces: copper,
grout, cement, and ceramic.
• Wide-mouth jar makes it easy to use.
Did you know?
Some scouring cleansers, tub, tile, and sink cleaners may contain chlorinereleasing
compounds and may contribute to the formation of organochlorines,
a dangerous class of compounds that can cause reproductive, endocrine, and
immune system disorders. Some may also contain phosphoric acid, which is
corrosive in high concentrations and is an eye, skin, and respiratory irritant.

I have a fiberglass tub we bought and put in several years ago and the papers that came with it said to wax it with car wax. I do this every 6 months. When cleaning i use The Works i get at doller general. When I wax it I use cheap brand of wax. The wax helps from getting build up.

I used to use CLR to get rid of the crud. It does do a pretty good job. I use plain old kitchen cleanser now maybe once a week or so. I also have the tub and tile cleaner from Melaleuca that I use other wise. I spray it on and leave it a minute than rinse or wipe off. I found this to work pretty well and smells nicer than some of the other cleaners sold in stores. It is actually the only product from them that I think is worth the money. You could order it from someone that sells the products. My husband insists that we wipe down the shower after taking a shower. I leave that for him since he gets to sleep later. ;)

Shout (the laundry stain remover) works great. Spray it on, wait 10 min and then wipe it off.

I make a tub and tile paste.

In a large bowl mix 1-2/3 cups baking soda, 1/2 cup Dr. Bronners castile soap and 2 Tbsp. Mix well with a fork. Then add 2 Tbsp of vinegar and mix until smooth. Store in an airtight 16oz wide mouth container. I use a kitchen sponge to scrub with. You can dampen the area and smear the apste on and let it sit before scrubbing for a tough stain. But I have worked wonders with the paste. If you can't rinse it well use some vinegar to rinse with.

If you absolutely cant find a non toxic cleaner then have someone else use the toxic stuff to rid yourself of the stains and then maintain it with something like this.

Good luck!

E.

If you don't care about the chemicals at this time! The Works Bathroom Cleaner will get rid of the worst of the soap scum you can imagine. It has some really strong fumes so you will need to ventilate well. (they aren't kidding about that) But if you haven't tried it yet try straight vinager and lemon juice mixed with salt like a paste and let it soak for a while. I would try the vinegar and salt paste first. Then if that doesn't work try the Works.

If you are making your own bathroom cleaners/green products but you just need to do a thorough cleaning once a week, Mr. Clean Magic Sponges are awesome. It will remove all the soap scum without harsh chemicals and then you can use your other products (or a daily shower spray) cleaner with a squeegie to keep them clean throughout the week. Magic sponges are only designed to use with water, by dampening the sponge - don't use any other chemicals with them, when cleaning. I use mine up to the moment that it has pretty much disintegrated.

I am amazed at what those Magic Sponges will clean. For heavy scum cleaning / removing, I use them once a month around the water rim in my pool and it cleans better than any pool cleaner that I have used. I don't use them on everything just because it would be too expensive but for scuff and grease marks on floors and walls, and the vinyl in my car, I have found they work wonders.

Good luck.