I thought I should have maybe titled this post, "Why My Homemade Shower Cleaner Didn't Work -- and Here's One That Does!"
It took me a pretty short time to figure out that something wasn't quite right with my Homemade Shower Cleaner.
Read on to find out what went wrong.
First of all, I am so sorry about this. I just get so excited when I find a DIY recipe to share with you all...
You know--a way to
- get the toxins out of your home and your body
- save money and
- still get the job done.
I just love that kind of thing.
Well, I feel horrible when I have to come back and tell you that something I shared just wasn't right.
Like when I had to post on update to my Natural Dishwasher Rinse Aid.
Other things I have to admit aren't as humiliating, like when I realize that Lilla Rose Flexi-Clips aren't just foofy hair ornaments.
Or when when I change my mind about The Best Essential Oils Company for the money.
But this one is a little humbling.
You see, after using my Homemade Shower Cleaner to get some of the soap scum and mineral deposits off of my shower, it looked great.
I really thought I had found something wonderful--and so I posted about it.
It was a super simple recipe -- basically just castille soap and vinegar.
What I didn't know was that there is an issue when mixing those two ingredients together.
I read a number of posts, looked up pH scales, and even corresponded with a few chemists (one of them being my father-in-law. He's really a genius, and very engaging, and has some great stories about his days teaching in the high school chemistry lab. I wish he'd been my teacher :-).)
What happens, it seems, is that the acid and base in the vinegar and the castille soap react, causing the castille soap to unsaponify, which basically means that the soap is broken down to its original oils.
Whatever the reason--my spray bottle is now clogged and though I couldn't really see it, when I scraped my fingernail (or this pan scraper) against the shower wall, a bunch of residue from my not-so-good-shower-cleaner came off.
Ick.
Sorry about that folks.
I do have some good news to share, however.
A Revised Homemade Shower Cleaner - Homemade "Soft Scrub" that took off the filmy gunk and is my new shower cleaner.
I got this recipe from Live Renewed and I really like it! (Notice that Emily at Live Renewed made the same mistake I made. Turns out a lot of bloggers have been posting vinegar and castile soap cleaning mixtures that just don't work. Glad I'm not the only one :-)!)
WARNING: Unless you are going to add a broad spectrum preservative to this lotion, please use it within 24 hours.
Homemade Shower Cleaner | Homemade "Soft Scrub"
Ingredients
3/4 cup baking soda (slightly heaped)
1/4 cup castile soap (I use Dr. Bronner's)
1 Tablespoon water (please use filtered water. See Is Your Water Safe?)
A few drops of essential oil (optional. Here's my series on choosing "the best" essential oils.)
Method
1. Add all ingredients to a bowl.
2. Mix completely.
3. Spread the mixture on the area you wish to clean. Rub in lightly with a rag, or sponge and rinse off.
4. Store in a closed container.
We use rags for everything in our home.
Super frugal and a great way to use clothing that isn't usable anymore.
I'm glad that I finally have something that works to clean our shower.
This would also work on your:
- bathroom sinks
- kitchen sink
- kitchen countertop
- toilets
- anywhere that you need a little cleaning strength without a lot of abasiveness
It even got that "Shower Cleaner Unsaponified Gunk" off of my shower--lickety split.
Sorry if I caused you all trouble.
This Homemade Shower Cleaner really works.
For other DIY Personal and Home Care Products, check out:
- "The Best" Eye Makeup Remover
- Natural Dishwasher Rinse Aid
- Jojoba Oil Face Wash
- Easiest Deodorant
- Foaming Hand Soap
- Nourishing Sugar Scrub for Hands and Body
- Nourishing Lip Scrub
Hello! I’m sorta new to the homemade world so what is a broad spectrum preservative? I’d like to make up a batch to keep on hand. Thanks!
They protect against bacteria, yeast, and fungi. You're welcome!
Ok but what is it? If I go to the store and say I need a broad spectrum preservative, what will they give me?
There are a bunch on the internet - if you look it up you will see different ones. Sodium benzoate appears to be a pretty common one. Gluconolactone is another. There are others that have brand names attached to them.
Do you have a great declogger for our toilet? I have used vinegar and baking soda. My husband says because of the 2 cancelling each other out it would not work. The toilet still becomes clogged. I have used peroxide because it would "eat" the stuff that is stuck. Thanks a bunch!
God Bless,
Gail
Sorry I don't! Wish I did. Hope you got it fixed!
What kind of kitchen counter tops? As I'm getting postform top. Would it still be good to use there?
I'm not sure and haven't investigated that. I would look into the type you want and see if the cleaner's ingredients will react negatively with it.
I am so happy someone posted this 😀 I've seen a lot of posts with vinegar and baking soda that would neutralize the solution, but I didn't realize castile soap is alkaline and would be affected by the vinegar. Looks like dish soap might be a good replacement, being neutral to begin with. I will be trying this recipe, thank you for sharing! 🙂
You are so welcome!
Can you make a batch of this shower "soft Scrub" cleaner and store it? Or is this a make as you use kind of recipe? I am VERY new to this and haven't had much success.
Thanks for reading my comment
Sure thing - of course :). You could store it for awhile - but like anything else it will go bad after awhile. Well, natural things will spoil sooner than the chemical stuff.
thank you so much, i love this cleanser! do you know how it would work as a dishwasher detergent?
I have had zero success w/ my dishwasher. Sigh. And now it's broken.
This works so well! I made up a batch. I tweaked it a bit to make it easier to squeeze out of my container. I just added another tablespoon of distilled water. I put about 15 drops of peppermint oil, just cause I like the smell. It works with very little effort and I will be making it again...Thanks
I use just about the same thing, however I've found that it works just as well to pour whatever amount of baking soda into a bowl, then squirt enough Dr. Bronners in to make it into a nice paste (sort of like tooth paste?). If I am cleaning something particularly gunky or germy, I add a teeny splash of essential oil. I just add water, do varying degrees, as I use it with a rag. So... I thought I'd throw that out there just in case someone is less measurement-minded. 🙂
It's probably not as natural as you'd like, but I've had really good luck with equal parts vinegar and blue Dawn dish soap. I spray it on, let it set for about 15 minutes, scrub, and rinse! Works so much better than anything I ever bought from the store!!