Everything to Know About Soap Scum at Home

Soap scum happens even in the most spotless bathroom.

Soap scum looks like a white, filmy layer that makes a surface look cloudy.

What Is Soap Scum?

Cleaning Soap Scum Off Shower Door

FotoDuets / Getty Images

Soap scum is made by calcium stearate and magnesium stearate, among other materials, mixing withhard water.

What Causes Soap Scum?

Soap scum can even show up indirty washing machineswhich can then end up on ourlaundry.

Soap scum hardens over time and it even becomes difficult for thebest bathroom cleanersto remove it.

Over time, soap scum combines withmold or mildewto create more discoloration and odors.

How Do You Remove Soap Scum?

There are a few effective solutions for removing soap scum.

You may need to experiment to find thebest soap scum removerfor you.

Here are a fewsoap scum cleaning methods and cleanersto consider:

How Do You Prevent Soap Scum?

Frequently cleaning your bathroom is the best way to prevent soap scum.

Prevent watermark stains using a weekly cleaner like Dawn’s dishwashing liquid and white vinegar.

Remove heavy soap scum by carefully scraping it off with a razor scraper tool and using a cleaner.

Go slow to prevent gouging the surface with the razor scraper tool.

However, old soap scum may leave behind permanent discoloration and odors.

The best way to dissolve soap scum is with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar.