UPDATE: Please read my Updated Homemade Shower Cleaner | Homemade Soft Scrub. The cleaner here doesn't do what I thought it would.
I've been working hard to make more and more homemade homecare products recently.
Things like homemade glass cleaner, homemade dish soap, and the like.
Today, I've got a homemade shower cleaner to share with you!
Cleaning bathrooms is NOT one of my favorite things.
You remember that song from The Sound of Music, right? “Raindrops on roses and cleaning the bathroom….”
Ahem. We just got the 45th anniversary copy of The Sound of Music as a family Christmas present so it was kind of on my brain :-).
Anyway, I really don't like cleaning bathrooms.
And I really don't like all of the chemical stuff that you supposedly need to buy in order to get it clean.
If you're like me, and you just don't like cleaning the bathroom, then this homemade shower cleaner is going to make your life a lot easier.
We seem to have an issue with hard water. We get a film on our shower that needs to be removed now and then and we have one of those acrylic shower stalls, so you really don't want to use an abrasive cleaner that would put scratches on it–making it harder to get clean in the future.
So the other day, it was time to clean the shower again :-(.
I looked all over the internet to find something easy to make–and that would work!
I found one DIY shower cleaner that was super popular, but it used a premade dish detergent with color and fragrance in it–two things that I really like to avoid– and so I kept looking.
What I finally found was this great DIY shower cleaner from Elizabeth's Kind Cafe.
I whipped it up super quick and really–it worked great!
No need to scrub a ton and scratch up your shower.
And no exposure to super toxic chemicals.
Why make your own Home Care Products?
1. Reduce toxic exposure for you and your family. Like I said, I really dislike the chemical and fragrance smells in the multiple chemical-laden products on the shelves these days.
2. Use less packaging. With all of the multiple cleaning products in the stores, I prefer to make my own items, and then refill the reusable spray bottles, etc., thereby lowering my impact on the environment.
3. Lower toxins in the environment. Every time you purchase something that's loaded with chemicals you encourage companies to keep making them, and after you use it you are putting the toxins back into the air we breathe and the water we drink. Let's keep this stuff out of our environment as much as possible, shall we?
Homemade Shower Cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1/3 cup borax
½ cup liquid soap (I used Dr. Bronner's)
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 cup warm water (the warm temperature helps dissolve the ingredients)
4 drops essential oil (I used lemon for its grease-cutting capabilities and fresh scent)
Method
1. Place all ingredients into a spray or squeezable plastic bottle.
2. Combine well.
3. Apply to shower surface evenly.
4. Allow to sit for a few minutes.
5. Wipe off and rinse.
UPDATE: There is some info on the internet about not mixing castille soap and vinegar, but this really does seem to work. I am going to do some more experimenting and will get back to you on this.
Here are some other great posts about Natural Home Care Products:
– No-Streak Glass Cleaner
– Natural Dishwasher Rinse Aid
– Why I Don't Make Laundry Detergent
Since I've made quite a few DIY household products, I had everything in my home needed to make this.
If you don't, all of the ingredients are fairly easy to find and you will be able to use them for other DIY projects in the future.
You can check out Rocky Mountain Oils (formerly Native American Nutritionals) for essential oils. I recommend them in my Best Essential Oils Series.
What DIY Home Care Products do you make?
Janice Ahneman says
My home made shower cleaner: In a 2 quart spray bottle, put 1/2 c vinegar and 1/2c blue Dawn. Slowly fill with water as it will foam. Secure sprayer tightly and invert bottle several times to mix. The Dawn is thick and will sit on the bottom if not mixed. Spray on wet, warm shower walls 2-3 times a week. No rinsing or scrubbing needed. For bad scum and mineral buildup, use 50/50 solution vinegar and blue Dawn. Spray on and let sit 1 hour. Rinse off. The vinegar smell can be strong, especially with the 50/50 mixture, but quickly goes away.
Josephine says
May I ask why you omitted the borax in your “new” recipe? Will borax react chemically, or will it scratch the fiberglass of a shower stall?
Adrienne says
I don’t remember why – sorry! 🙂
Tina says
I know I replied a couple of days ago about why mixing the vinegar and soap are a big fat no no. That was in your foaming hand soap post.
It actually has to do with chemistry of making soap. I am not going to rewrite all of it, so you can head on over to the posting on making your own foaming hand soap detail on why you should not do that. But to be basic. Soap is made from oil and lye mixed with water. The lye has a ph of 14, when mixed with vinegar (acid), you neutralize the lye and break the bonds that make the soap. This leaves you with an oily mess, instead of soap. In these small amounts, you wont break down all of the soap, but you will break down some and the vinegar will be neutralized as well. Waste of $$
A better bet is to mix the baking soda and soap and do a vinegar rinse afterward. Like you would in a dishwasher on rinse cycle. I just sprinkle baking soda on the shower floor and put a few squirts of soap and it comes clean without having to scrub.
The nozzles are getting clogged probably from the borax…it doesn’t dissolve well. If you really want to include borax, then first make a borax saturated solution. Put borax in a container, jar, jug…whatever floats your boat and fill with good (preferably distilled water…distilled will hold more of the borax) tap and mineral/spring water will hold the least amount of borax. Let it sit overnight and the water will contain borax to the saturation limit of the water and the remaining borax will settle. Only use the water, not the sediment, then top off with more water for next time. That should cut down, if not completely eliminate the clogged nozzle problem.
See my reply in the rinse aid post for making your own scented vinegar for free!!
Analia says
I made this and it made a huge amount which did not completely dissolve and because it was so gritty, it clogged every spray bottle I put it into. Was it a liquid for you? I ended up using it out of a bowl and it cleaned pretty well, but what to do with the foamy left over? It’s such a waste. What could I have done wrong?
Adrienne says
It’s not meant to go in a spray bottle. I just kept mine in a plastic container. I didn’t have foamy left over. I don’t know what to say. I know I am going to have to redo my body lotion recipe for warm weather. It’s a complete liquid right now. Maybe try a small amount and see if it happens again?
Katie Sayre says
Hello, Just came on your site through the better mom, and enjoyed nosing around a little. If you would like to reduce the chemical use in your home, I would strongly recommend you look into Norwex cleaning cloths. They are a very dense microfiber that allows you to do most of your cleaning with just water. I love them and rarely use cleaners, natural or otherwise. I don’t sell them but recommend you look around the web for a local representative.
Adrienne says
I have a few but haven’t used them to their advantage. I need someone to teach me how :).
MaryAnn says
I just tried the shower cleaner, and had a problem with the sprayer getting clogged. Is it better to make the solution in advance so it dissolves better, so is there a better sprayer to use? I love using green ingredients to clean and like to use grapefruit essential oil to scent. Thanks for your help.
Adrienne says
Hi MaryAnn. I am so sorry – did you see that I had to redo this? It made a mess of my sprayer as well and left a film. There is a link to the update in the post – I think you’ll like the new version a lot better. Take care!
Elizabeth says
Hi, Thanks for including me in your post! Elizabeth, ElizabethsKindCafe.com
Adrienne says
You are so welcome! Nice to meet you!
Karen says
When you get that acrylic shower cleaned good….put a thin layer of Turtle Wax on it and make sure it does not get on the floor of your shower or you will slip and fall. This wax keeps the water beads from sticking there and making water spots. Friend shared this with me.
Becky says
It’s always good to find another DIY cleaning solution. Thanks for sharing this one. Please feel free to drop by my Tuesday Greens linky to link up this or any of your other green posts. http://www.craftygardenmama.com Have a great week!
Lisa Lynn says
Great tip! I found you on the Barn Hop and I would love to have you join the fun on my Creative HomeAcre Hop!
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/02/the-creative-homeacre-hop.html
Hope to see you there!
Lori D. says
I have been using baking soda and vinegar to clean my tub. First I wet the tub down, then sprinkle a bit of baking soda on an are about a foot square, scrub, then sprinkle a tiny bit more, spray on vinegar from a spray bottle, full strength, let it fizz, then scrub a little more, and rinse. Works great for me.
April Harris says
Making your own home care products is a great way to help the environment and look after your family . Your homemade shower cleaner sounds great. By the way, we have a water softener as well. It really does help reduce the amount of scale that builds up on sinks, showers etc.
Adrienne says
Interesting, April. Do you mind it leaving your hair silkier? I’ve heard some folks say it leaves it flat. – thanks!
April Harris says
I honestly have never found that, I like the silkier feeling – my hair feels ‘cleaner’ if that is possible 🙂 In fact, when we had hard water when I was first in the UK I used to look forward to visits to Canada/the US so I could use soft water again. I think your hair looks thicker than mine though so I don’t know if you will feel this way too, but for me soft water is the way to go.
Adrienne says
Well, then you may have just sold me :). I don’t think my hair is thick – it’s quite fine, but naturally wavy . I typically blow it straight these days – when I stayed at someone’s house w/ really hard water it was super curly. That was kind of fun but this gunk in my house isn’t :(.
Donna E says
Re: Regarding our water softener. We bought it in 2000 or before and use potassium chloride pellets instead of salt in it. It makes skin and hair feel silkier. Soap and detergents lather much better also. We love it but like everything else, some people love it and some people love hard water.
I really don’t know much about the acid/base issue regarding castile soap and vinegar.
Adrienne says
Thanks!
Gay says
Saw your email. I’ll have him take a look.
Gay says
I am subscribed. You may still have my email. I bought a dehydrator through you about 6 months ago, which by the way I love! Feel free to send over what you found and I’ll have my husband take a look at it. He gets a kick out of doing chemistry and reaction analysis, lol!