Comments on: soap scum http://dan.hersam.com/2002/09/06/soap-scum/ A computer programmer's commentary on news, Linux, programming, music, web design, trivia, humor, usability and whatever else strikes his fancy at the time. Sun, 12 Oct 2008 14:33:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Dave http://dan.hersam.com/2002/09/06/soap-scum/#comment-142804 Dave Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:31:51 +0000 /?p=379#comment-142804 Perhaps soap scum is a blessing in disguise after all. We had a leaky shower and the plumber said we would have to rip out the pan at a cost of $1,500 plus the tile work. Upon opening the ceiling I found a trail of soap scum all around the drain pipe. Turns out, all we had to do was recaulk the drain...problem solved. Thank God for soap scum! Perhaps soap scum is a blessing in disguise after all. We had a leaky shower and the plumber said we would have to rip out the pan at a cost of $1,500 plus the tile work. Upon opening the ceiling I found a trail of soap scum all around the drain pipe. Turns out, all we had to do was recaulk the drain…problem solved. Thank God for soap scum!

]]> By: Kacy http://dan.hersam.com/2002/09/06/soap-scum/#comment-142678 Kacy Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:28:30 +0000 /?p=379#comment-142678 Try Scum Bum from The Clean Team. Spray it on and wait a while, then rinse off using a white scrub pad. If it all doesn't come off, spray it on again. You don't have to scrub hard if you wait long enough. If it dries before you get back to it, just re-wet the walls. Try Scum Bum from The Clean Team. Spray it on and wait a while, then rinse off using a white scrub pad. If it all doesn’t come off, spray it on again. You don’t have to scrub hard if you wait long enough. If it dries before you get back to it, just re-wet the walls.

]]> By: Nonnie http://dan.hersam.com/2002/09/06/soap-scum/#comment-142626 Nonnie Wed, 11 Jun 2008 23:00:28 +0000 /?p=379#comment-142626 Congrats to anyone who has gotten to the end (or to this point) of the forum. A lot of the former posters have good ideas, some not so great. I agree, I think it's not just soap scum but calcium buildups from hard water. I don't currently live in the US, but we get spotty sinks and showers here in modern western europe. If I don't keep up on the cleaning, they get pretty nasty looking. My husband calls them calcium deposits (calcaire). Anyway, I use white vinegar for everything! Costs only 35 euro cents a liter, and i buy tons. I use it in the laundry, I use it in the toilet, I use it to clean. Our water boilet/hot pot/electric kettle gets buildup, so I use Brita water only. And when there is buildup, you just mix some white vinegar and hot water and let it sit. Same thing for the bathroom... we had buildup on the wall so I sprayed some vinegar on, laid on some paper towels, then soaked them with more vinegar and let them soak for a while. TOok care of it really nice. I would imagine that lots of buildup that many of you seem to have would take a few tries before it would all come off. Limeaway and other commercial calcium buildup removers would work too, but vinegar is the most natural product. We used limeaway in our bathroom when I lived with my parents, it worked well too. But now, we have an even better method. My mom got her tub and wall refinished, and the guy who did it said the best cleaner was just to spray a mixture of Ivory liquid soap and water on the wall and tub and the vinyl shower curtain after every shower, and you would never have to scrub again. My mom hasn't scrubbed in ages, and trust me, I remember having to scrub that tub!! I brought a bottle back with me, cleaned my shower base and walls really well, and for the past two weeks, the shower is spotless, sparkly, and not a smidgen of buildup! I can't always spray after every shower (and there are just two of us), and my husband is loathe to do any extra tasks. At least I got him into the habit of squeegeeing the clear glass shower door down. After his shower, I wipe the last few drops and moisture off with an old towel, and the door looks like I just cleaned it! I don't spray the door with the Ivory and water mix, though, because I don't like drips on my floor. I don't have an exact mix, but it might be around 1 part Ivory to 5 parts water.... experiment with it. I know I will be trying more and more dilute mixtures as I need to make this bottle last until my next trip to the US. The Ivory and water mix don't leave a greasy or runny finish. To me, it looks very clean, very smooth to the touch. It seems to create a fine film that impedes the water from building up deposits. YOu can go shower or two inbetween sprays, depending on the shower and other factors. Write back if this works for you!! Congrats to anyone who has gotten to the end (or to this point) of the forum. A lot of the former posters have good ideas, some not so great. I agree, I think it’s not just soap scum but calcium buildups from hard water. I don’t currently live in the US, but we get spotty sinks and showers here in modern western europe. If I don’t keep up on the cleaning, they get pretty nasty looking. My husband calls them calcium deposits (calcaire). Anyway, I use white vinegar for everything! Costs only 35 euro cents a liter, and i buy tons. I use it in the laundry, I use it in the toilet, I use it to clean.

Our water boilet/hot pot/electric kettle gets buildup, so I use Brita water only. And when there is buildup, you just mix some white vinegar and hot water and let it sit.

Same thing for the bathroom… we had buildup on the wall so I sprayed some vinegar on, laid on some paper towels, then soaked them with more vinegar and let them soak for a while. TOok care of it really nice. I would imagine that lots of buildup that many of you seem to have would take a few tries before it would all come off. Limeaway and other commercial calcium buildup removers would work too, but vinegar is the most natural product. We used limeaway in our bathroom when I lived with my parents, it worked well too.

But now, we have an even better method. My mom got her tub and wall refinished, and the guy who did it said the best cleaner was just to spray a mixture of Ivory liquid soap and water on the wall and tub and the vinyl shower curtain after every shower, and you would never have to scrub again. My mom hasn’t scrubbed in ages, and trust me, I remember having to scrub that tub!!

I brought a bottle back with me, cleaned my shower base and walls really well, and for the past two weeks, the shower is spotless, sparkly, and not a smidgen of buildup! I can’t always spray after every shower (and there are just two of us), and my husband is loathe to do any extra tasks. At least I got him into the habit of squeegeeing the clear glass shower door down. After his shower, I wipe the last few drops and moisture off with an old towel, and the door looks like I just cleaned it! I don’t spray the door with the Ivory and water mix, though, because I don’t like drips on my floor.

I don’t have an exact mix, but it might be around 1 part Ivory to 5 parts water…. experiment with it. I know I will be trying more and more dilute mixtures as I need to make this bottle last until my next trip to the US.

The Ivory and water mix don’t leave a greasy or runny finish. To me, it looks very clean, very smooth to the touch. It seems to create a fine film that impedes the water from building up deposits. YOu can go shower or two inbetween sprays, depending on the shower and other factors.

Write back if this works for you!!

]]> By: wanda http://dan.hersam.com/2002/09/06/soap-scum/#comment-139405 wanda Wed, 14 May 2008 16:20:58 +0000 /?p=379#comment-139405 oil of olay soap doesn't cause as much scum as some of the others,,,, oil of olay soap doesn’t cause as much scum as some of the others,,,,

]]> By: bumpkin http://dan.hersam.com/2002/09/06/soap-scum/#comment-139360 bumpkin Fri, 09 May 2008 13:17:04 +0000 /?p=379#comment-139360 I wonder if some folks are having problems with the hard water stains, in addition to the soap scum. I have a black acrylic shower base (never again!) and automobile windshield glass (special order, not just tempered) doors. Wherever water is not squeegeed away on the base, a pale stain appears; our water is ph 7, which is hard but not horribly hard (so says the Culligan man who proposed a $2000 water softener!). The tile is white and you see unsqueegeed spots there too as well as on the doors. Most cleaners I have seen say not to use them on acrylic, but something called Zep from Home Depot works well, until the next shower, though it's slippery. I wonder if some folks are having problems with the hard water stains, in addition to the soap scum. I have a black acrylic shower base (never again!) and automobile windshield glass (special order, not just tempered) doors. Wherever water is not squeegeed away on the base, a pale stain appears; our water is ph 7, which is hard but not horribly hard (so says the Culligan man who proposed a $2000 water softener!). The tile is white and you see unsqueegeed spots there too as well as on the doors. Most cleaners I have seen say not to use them on acrylic, but something called Zep from Home Depot works well, until the next shower, though it’s slippery.

]]> By: Maree http://dan.hersam.com/2002/09/06/soap-scum/#comment-139118 Maree Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:01:09 +0000 /?p=379#comment-139118 Cut a lemon in half, rub over glass & leave for an hour. Rub with soft brush & rinse off! Easy! Cut a lemon in half, rub over glass & leave for an hour. Rub with soft brush & rinse off! Easy!

]]> By: Debi http://dan.hersam.com/2002/09/06/soap-scum/#comment-139112 Debi Sat, 12 Apr 2008 15:12:13 +0000 /?p=379#comment-139112 Well I read this post last night and had a good laugh, then at mid-night - still high on sugar from the giant ice-cream cookie goo dessert from the Elephant Bar - I tackled my tub. I first tried the mouthwash method - no luck- and then switched to the cheap shampoo method. I put a towel down in the tub and used one of those blue sponges with a scrub pad on one side from Costco. It worked like a charm and the scrubbing was minimal. Thanks everyone! I'm soap-scum free for the moment. I'm also banning bar soap from the bathrooms! Well I read this post last night and had a good laugh, then at mid-night - still high on sugar from the giant ice-cream cookie goo dessert from the Elephant Bar - I tackled my tub. I first tried the mouthwash method - no luck- and then switched to the cheap shampoo method. I put a towel down in the tub and used one of those blue sponges with a scrub pad on one side from Costco. It worked like a charm and the scrubbing was minimal. Thanks everyone! I’m soap-scum free for the moment. I’m also banning bar soap from the bathrooms!

]]> By: hotmama http://dan.hersam.com/2002/09/06/soap-scum/#comment-138894 hotmama Sat, 08 Mar 2008 19:07:44 +0000 /?p=379#comment-138894 Hey has anyone found out where to get Stain Bully at?? Hey has anyone found out where to get Stain Bully at??

]]> By: Irene http://dan.hersam.com/2002/09/06/soap-scum/#comment-134205 Irene Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:04:31 +0000 /?p=379#comment-134205 I have tempered glass shower doors. Three years old, with water marks all over. I'm desperate to get them clean. I've tried lime juice (didn't have lemon) - didn't work. I've tried dryer sheet - no luck. I've tried windex/CLR and tile cleaner - no luck. What can I do? I am having company in two weeks and this is the guest ensuite. If I order new glass, how can I ensure this doesn't happen again? My husb. will not clean glass after his long, hot showers - I need glass that is easy to clean. Help. IV I have tempered glass shower doors. Three years old, with water marks all over. I’m desperate to get them clean. I’ve tried lime juice (didn’t have lemon) - didn’t work. I’ve tried dryer sheet - no luck. I’ve tried windex/CLR and tile cleaner - no luck. What can I do? I am having company in two weeks and this is the guest ensuite. If I order new glass, how can I ensure this doesn’t happen again? My husb. will not clean glass after his long, hot showers - I need glass that is easy to clean. Help. IV

]]> By: Jen http://dan.hersam.com/2002/09/06/soap-scum/#comment-133966 Jen Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:50:25 +0000 /?p=379#comment-133966 This is gonna sound odd, but try using a scrub brush and some Pantene. It's an amazing little cleaner. This is gonna sound odd, but try using a scrub brush and some Pantene. It’s an amazing little cleaner.

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