Feb. 19, 2008 - How to Remove Soap Skum

The key to managing soap skum is to realize how it forms.  Soap skum is caused by the presence of hard water.  Hence, soap skum is greatly dimished when you have soft water.  This is due to the fact that hard water does not lather soap well.  So when you try to lather up in the shower, you are actually using way more soap than you need.  The excess soap creates the skum.  Additionally, the minerals in the hard water also are deposited with the soap resulting in a skum that may be difficult to remove.

There are many different cleaners on the market, but many contain chemicals that I do not want to breathe, and I definitely do not want to expose my family to.  If you prefer to make your own, try the following recipe:

Mix

½ cup vinegar

1 cup ammonia

¼ cup baking soda

1 gallon hot water

Wear rubber gloves and work in a well-ventilated area when using this powerful solution. Apply it to your shower walls with a sponge. If necessary, scrub with a brush to remove all the skum and rinse well.

The secret is....... to let any solution work before you start scrubbing. For heavy buildup, it can take 15 minutes or more for a solution to penetrate and soften the skum, so wet it down and leave it to soak. You may have to re-wet it from time to time to keep it moist. Once it has softened, scrub it off with a stiff brush or white nylon-backed scrub pad, and rinse.

Never mix laundry bleach with ammonia. A chemical reaction will produce toxic gases.

With soap skum, prevention is the best solution. Fiberglass enclosures can be waxed with automobile wax after cleaning to leave a slick surface that helps repel soap skum and hard water scale. However, do not wax the bottom of your shower or tub. It will make it too slippery. Ceramic tile can be wiped down with lemon oil for the same effect. It is also a good idea to use a window squeegee to whisk the water off the walls before soap skum has a chance to stick.

I hope these ideas and recipe help you in your quest:  how to remove soap skum.

For a great soap that never makes your skin feel dry and itchy after showering, check out my website at How to Make Soap.  You can learn how to make fabulous soap with your very first batch!

Thanks to http://www.solutions.psu.edu/  for information on the content of this article.