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diy tub and shower soap scum cleaner Modern Bathroom Bathtub with Glass Door

The Original Blue Dawn and Vinegar Tub and Shower Cleaner (30+ Years and Counting!)

/Updated /48 Comments/in , /by Mary Hunt
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More than 30 years ago, a property manager told me the one thing he used to get disgusting rental-apartment showers sparkling for the next tenant. It takes two ingredients, costs about $2 for a 32-ounce bottle, and I’ve never found anything I like better.

diy tub and shower soap scum cleaner Modern Bathroom Bathtub with Glass Door

I’ve been using this crazy-simple stuff since 1993. Two ingredients, two minutes to mix, and I still haven’t found anything that beats it.

Where this recipe came from

Quite possibly one of the best tips ever to land in my mailbox came from a professional property manager. He handled rental apartments near a big university, lots of them. Every time a tenant moved out, it was his job to get the place spotless for the next one.

The bathroom was always the worst. He kindly left the details to my imagination, but he made it clear that “gross” didn’t begin to cover it.

Then he handed over his super magical potion. It was the only thing he used to bring tubs, tile, enclosures, faucets, and shower doors back to sparkling.

I tried his unbelievably simple recipe. That was back in 1993, before Pinterest, before the internet, practically the Stone Age. I haven’t used anything else on my tub and shower since. Thousands of readers have written to tell me the same thing. The word I hear most often is “magic.”

What you’ll need

blue dawn vinegar and spray bottle sitting on deck overlooking suburban landscape

How to make it

Pour 1 cup of Blue Dawn into the bottle (1/2 cup for a 16-ounce bottle). Fill the rest with white vinegar, leaving a little room at the top so it doesn’t overflow. Put on the sprayer and shake gently. That’s one part Dawn to three parts vinegar.

That’s it. The full how-to is in the recipe card below.

Too sudsy? Today’s Dawn is more concentrated than when I first shared this. If you get more suds than you can rinse, start with 3/4 cup Dawn per 32 ounces and adjust from there.

diy tub and shower soap scum cleaner Modern Bathroom Bathtub with Glass Door
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Homemade Tub, Tile n’ Shower Cleaner for Soap Scum

I’ve used this two-ingredient cleaner on my tub and shower since 1993, and I’ve never found a store-bought one I like better. It breaks down soap scum and grime so it rinses right off.
Prep Time2 minutes
Sit time30 minutes
Total Time32 minutes
Category: DIY Household Cleaners
Yield: 1 (32-ounce) bottle

Materials

  • 1 cup blue Dawn dishwashing liquid
  • 3 cups white vinegar labeled 5% acidity (about, enough to fill the bottle)

Instructions

To mix:

  • Pour 1 cup blue Dawn into a 32-ounce spray bottle. (Use 1/2 cup for a 16-ounce bottle.)
  • Fill the rest of the bottle with white vinegar, leaving a little room at the top so it doesn’t overflow.
  • Attach the sprayer top and shake gently to mix.

To use:

  • Spray generously on tub and shower walls, floor, doors, tracks, and faucets.
  • Let it sit 30 minutes for light buildup, or overnight for years of soap scum. The grime will turn soft and gooey.
  • For the first deep clean, go over it with a sponge or soft brush.
  • Rinse thoroughly. This cleaner must be rinsed away.

Notes

Weekly upkeep: While you’re in the shower, spray everything within reach, then rinse it all away with the handheld sprayer before you step out. No scrubbing, no squeegee.
Mold: This is a soap scum and maintenance cleaner. For heavy black mold, pretreat with liquid chlorine bleach following the label directions, and rinse it away completely before using this cleaner.
Safety:
  • Never mix vinegar with chlorine bleach. It makes toxic chlorine gas.
  • Don’t use it on natural stone. Vinegar can etch marble, travertine, and limestone and strip the sealer on granite.
  • Use a non-slip mat. Soapy tub floors are slippery.
  • Don’t spray it on floors or into the air.
Too sudsy? Today’s Dawn may be more concentrated than when I first shared this. If you can’t rinse the suds away easily, try a little less Dawn.

 

How to use it on years of buildup

Spray it on generously. Walls, doors, tracks, the tub floor, faucets, shampoo caddy, everything.

Then let it sit. Thirty minutes does it for light buildup. For the real horror stories, leave it overnight. All that gunk breaks down and turns soft and gooey.

The first time through, go over it with a sponge or soft brush. Tough spots might need a stiff brush that first round. After that, rinse everything away. And I mean everything. This cleaner must be rinsed or it leaves a slippery film.

Big Job? Bring Out the Garden Sprayer

Reader Karen came up with this one, and I wish I’d thought of it. She mixed a big batch of the cleaner in a one-gallon pump garden sprayer and did two tub-and-shower combos in no time. No sore hands from squeezing a trigger bottle.

Same one-part Dawn to three parts vinegar, just a bigger container. For a gallon, that’s 4 cups Dawn + about 12 cups vinegar. Mix it right in the sprayer.

Rinse the sprayer out well when you’re done. Vinegar and soap shouldn’t sit in there for weeks.

What about mold and mildew?

For light mildew, this stuff does a fantastic job. For serious black mold, it’s the wrong tool by itself.

Mike from “moldy ol’ Florida” wrote me about his tile shower. He used to bleach it every 10 to 14 days, and by day 14 it was bad. After he started squirting it down two or three times a week with this cleaner, he bleached exactly once all summer. “You saved my life,” he told me.

That’s the real job here: maintenance that keeps mold and mildew from getting a foothold. When there’s a lot of black growth already, pretreat first.

  1. Open a window or run the fan, and wear gloves.
  2. Treat the moldy areas with liquid chlorine bleach, following the label directions.
  3. Rinse the bleach away completely before the Dawn and vinegar goes anywhere near the surface.

Never mix bleach and vinegar. Together they make chlorine gas, which is toxic. Don’t mix bleach with ammonia-based products either.

For moldy grout, see my homemade grout cleaner.

Keep it clean with no scrubbing

Here’s the best part. Once the shower is clean, use this weekly and you’ll never have to scrub again.

While I’m in the shower, I spray the walls, doors, tracks, faucets, and shampoo caddy, everything within reach. Before I step out, I rinse it all away with the handheld sprayer. No scrubbing. It dries sparkling clean with no squeegee and no towel. And not a watermark in sight. Simply brilliant!

Want something lighter for daily use? My No-Rinse Daily Shower Cleaner is quick and cheap.

Hard water spots on glass doors? Try my surprising trick for hard water stains.

Where else I use it

It works on practically anything that will stand still long enough to get sprayed and can be rinsed easily. I use it on my stainless steel sink, kitchen faucets, bathroom sinks, and the water dispenser in my refrigerator door. Patio furniture, too.

Don’t spray it on floors or into the air. That makes a slippery, soapy mess.

Important cautions

Never use it on natural stone. Vinegar can strip the protective sealant on granite and can etch marble, travertine, and limestone. That means no granite shower walls or countertops. For stone showers, use a pH-neutral stone cleaner.

Use a non-slip mat when you clean while you shower. Soapy tub floors are slippery.

Never mix it with bleach. Rinse bleach away fully first.

Label the bottle and keep it out of children’s reach.

Reader questions

The vinegar smell is strong. Any help?

Run the fan or crack a window while it works, and rinse well. For daily upkeep, the no-rinse daily cleaner is much milder. A few drops of peppermint or lemon essential oil also help.

Is there a substitute for Dawn?

If you can’t use Dawn, unscented liquid Castile soap, such as Dr. Bronner’s Baby Unscented, is an option readers have used. I still prefer Dawn for this recipe and can’t promise Castile soap will give you exactly the same results.

My leftover spray changed color. Is it still good?

Yes. Some separation or color change is normal. Shake before each use.

Can I use it on a fiberglass or acrylic tub?

Yes. Use a soft sponge, not an abrasive pad, so you don't scratch the finish.

First published: 1-10-1993; Revised & Updated 10-10-2026

 

Question: How long has it been since you scrubbed your shower? If you try this, send me your before-and-after photos. I love those.

If a two-ingredient spray has kept my shower clean since 1993, imagine what a few more good ideas could do for the rest of your house. Every day in the Everyday Cheapskate newsletter I share practical ways to clean smarter, spend less where it doesn’t matter, and keep more of your money. Subscribe here and I’ll send them straight to your inbox, free.

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48 replies
  1. jd wolfe says:

    i use this preparation on my car! it works great. my grandchildren (8, 6, 4) love to scrub the car but quickly lose interest. i spray 1/4 of the car at a time, including each wheel. we scrub and hose it off. it gets off miles of crud. and leaves the car shining.

    Reply
  2. Ann says:

    I’m allergic and sensitive to fragrance so I can’t use dawn at all. I only have fragrance-free dish soap. Any tips?

    Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      Hi Ann, I personally haven’t used it, but a quick search led me to Palmolive’s Ultra, Pure and Clear. They claim to not add any additional scents or unnecessary ingredients and it gets great reviews. It’s inexpensive so you might give that a try and see if it fits your needs. Let us know how it works out!

      Reply
  3. Mandy says:

    I’m a bit concerned about what is in Dawn since it is a secret and cleans so well. It sounds toxic because it cleans so well and requires little scrubbing. Also the blue dye in it is definitely toxic and causes diseases.

    Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      You can put your fears to rest. The ingredients (contents) of Blue Dawn are public. Read that HERE. Need more: Search “Blue Dawn MSDS” What is not known is the exact formula or recipe. No manufacturer makes that information available to the pulic.

      Reply
    • Amy nash says:

      I feel safe using Dawn because they use it to bathe wildlife. So it’s gotta be more safe than most cleaners. I’ve been using it for 30 years and no issues.

      Reply
  4. Francie Simrak says:

    Been using this cleaning recipe for years, now, & recommending to friends & family. The first use was on a walk-in shower stall with scum build up. I had to do some scrubbing, but was impressed at how well it dissolved the built up scum when nothing else worked. One of my most favorite tips from Mary. Am also making & using my the diy hardwood floor cleanerNext I will try using fabric softener to dust with. Love EC!

    Reply
  5. Chelle says:

    I had read about this formula before we remodeled our bathroom. Our tub is acrylic and the instructions said to use ivory dishwashing liquid. After a time, the tub had a gray film that didn’t come off. I used the dawn and vinegar and it’s never happened again. It works!

    Reply
  6. Kddomingue says:

    I’ve used nothing but the blue Dawn and vinegar mixture for the majority of my household cleaning for a couple of decades now. I love that I know exactly what’s in my cleaning product! Vinegar is not my favorite aroma but it dissipates quickly.

    Reply
  8. Cally Ross says:

    That job would require a hazmat suit on my part, college kids can be pretty gross!
    this is the only cleaner I use in my bathroom. the first mix I thought it was half-and-half vinegar and soap, when i reread the directions it worked even better.

    Reply
  9. L Parker says:

    Mary, wondering how you use this on toilets when you have to rinse this off. Seems like it would get very messy and slippery.

    Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      I spray a bit on a cleaning rag and then scrub the toilet (exterior), rinsing and wiping it away with a clean microfiber cloth. It’s not the only way to clean a toilet but sure works well when I’m in a hurry!

      Reply
    • Dawn says:

      I also added some water, because the vinegar smell was so strong. Still worked great. I need to add that I sprinkled baking soda over the sprayed on solution and let it sit for about 20 minutes then scrubbed with a nylon scrubber. My shower shined!

      Reply
  12. Kathe Todd says:

    The previous owner of this place was a bachelor who apparently never, ever cleaned his shower. Soap scum and hard water stains cover the two glass panels of the shower stall and the aluminum hardware. I’ve tried everything including the above mixture and a commercial product that was $16 a pint, with the same results – no matter how long you let it soak, no matter how hard you scrub, the stuff does NOT come off.

    Reply
    • Neda Coffee says:

      go to this websitehttps://www.everydaycheapskate.com/home-and-family/surprising-trick-removes-stubborn-hard-water-stains-glass-shower-doors/

      while it does start with the homemade cleaner, it does offer an alternative for when it is just too bad. I’m going to p0ick up some of the special sandpaper she recommends and give it a whirl.

      Reply
    • Sara Winters says:

      I wanted to share a couple of tips for hard water deposits and grimy grout. For extremely difficult hard water deposits, I use a razor blade. You have to be extra careful to hold the blade at the right angle, so as not to scratch the service you’re working on. For the grout, I use; Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner. Because of the gel consistency, it works wonders. The squeeze bottle makes it so easy to apply. After about 10 minutes, I gently scrub the grout and let it sit for another 5-10 minutes. Wipe up the excess with an old towel, then mop with plain water. This works best on un-sealed grout. I suggest sealing the grout once you’ve reached desired results.

      Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      There reaches a point that glass and aluminum becomes “etched” by soap, scum, hard water so that it is permanent. Sorry to hear you may have this problem, Kathe!

      Reply
  13. Jan says:

    Please be careful when using this if you rinse and scrub while in the shower. The Dawn creates a very slippery surface. I also suggest a well ventilated area. I was overcome by the vinegar and had to leave the room a couple of times to catch my breath.

    Reply
  14. Carol Rowe says:

    Bleach feeds mold, my husband and son in law both worked for a restoration company. They were trained to kill mold with vinegar. Bleach contains a lot of water, water feeds mold. My son in law went through classes to learn how to clean and kill mold. Vinegar does the job.

    Reply
  15. Julie says:

    I don’t mind a vinegar smell since I naturally clean my whole house with it. But this created toxic fumes. It was as bad if not worse than spraying all the other bathroom chemicals that are meant to clean tile scum. My throat is now burning, even after putting on a mask. I’m dreading going back in to scrub the grout after it has sat for awhile. I thought it was supposed to be a mild cleanser compared to the store bought formulations. Never again after I finish scrubbing the soap scum.

    Reply
  16. Jennifer Saxton says:

    Interesting article! A must read for all people who spend endless hours scrubbing tubs and tiles. Certainly the above products do work their magic. But when i tried Imperia Deep Clean and Valore, it worked marvelously in eliminating the stains.

    Reply
  17. Tatiana54 says:

    Our tub and tile are circa 1940’s materials. Are there other ideas for cleaning? I tried the Dawn recipe today — things look better but I was disappointed. I will try again. Thank you for any help you can give. Love this site.

    Reply
  18. jane says:

    I did this today, my tub actually shines! It works better than any of the strong chemicals I used before! I have to be careful since I have liver issues, chemicals can further damage it. Thanks so much! Will use for almost everything 🙂

    Reply
      • Trellowyn says:

        And if you have a sinus infection or cold, the mixture cuts straight through. By the time you’re done scrubbing for that first time, everything is cleaned out. LOL Incidentally, I’ll need to do it twice, but it took about 80% off the floor and everything off the walls on the first shot.

    • Abby says:

      I do NOT recommend using it on tumbled marble. I used it on my tumbled marble shower and it stripped the sealer off the tile and made the tile cloudy and dull – basically ruining the shower. We re-sealed the tile in the shower and it helped some, but the tile never looked as good as it did before the cleaning.

      Reply
      • Sunshine says:

        Thank you Abby. I didn’t think I should add the vinegar. I have been advised to use a diluted Dawn mixture so I think I will stick with that.

    • Mary Hunt says:

      Never use vinegar on any natural product like granite, stone or marble. Vinegar being an acid will dull the finish after time. Instead you should clean these products with rubbing alcohol and distilled water. The recipe is here at EverydayCheapskate.com. Use the search box … type in a keyword such as, well … marble! Or our homemade granite cleaner. That will work …

      Reply
  21. Sue Lilley says:

    I mixed this up a few days ago and sprayed it on about half of our very gunky shower stall and left it overnight. The next day I used a nylon scrub pad and a brush and was pretty happy with the results. We have very hard water here and there are still some of those deposits, but I think they will come off when treated again. There are still some stains in the grout and I will try the bleach there. Since I am in my 70s now and have decreased mobility, I did just half the shower at a time. I will get the rest done this week.I am happy to have this mixture that I know what’s in it. The vinegar smell went through the house when left overnight, but it was worth it.

    Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      Yes Sue … you may have to repeat a couple of times if it’s your first treatment. But after that? Once a week should do it and with no effort at all. Just spray and rinse.

      Reply
  22. rachel papiro says:

    does this dawn & vinegar mixture also work on “hard water” stains on tile & or glass, especially shower doors?
    thank you Rachel P.

    Reply
    • Douglas Anne says:

      I’ve used the green apple scented Dawn (green! not blue!) because it smells way better. The smell of blue Dawn combined with vinegar makes me ill. The green Dawn worked just as well for me. Your mileage may vary, I guess.

      Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      The formula is proprietary with Procter and Gamble that means it’s a trade secret. We don’t know … but it is definitely different than any other dishwashing liquid including Dawn in other colors and fragrances.

      Reply
      • Pam Sherman says:

        The reason I trust the BLUE so much, is they use it to kill oil spills and clean wildlife of oil residue. We keep it on the boat in case us or someone else has a slight oil leak into the lake. First you don’t want it on your boar exterior, nor does anyone else!!!

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