The Original Homemade DIY Tub Tile Shower Cleaner (30 Years and Counting!)

Quite possibly one of the best tips to ever land in my mailbox came from a guy who is a professional property manager. He handles rental apartments near a big university and lots of them. As an apartment is vacated, his job is to see that it is thoroughly cleaned and made ready for the next occupants.

He told me that the biggest challenge is always the bathroom, specifically the tub and shower. He kindly left specific details to my imagination but let me know that “gross” is not strong enough to describe what he often finds.

That’s when he gave me his super magical potion—the only product he uses to return showers, tubs, tile, enclosures, faucets, and shower doors to their sparkling clean, and sanitized condition.

I gave his unbelievably simple recipe a try. Since that day nearly 30 years ago, I’ve used nothing else to clean tubs, showers, sinks, toilets, patio furniture—just about anything that will stand still long enough to get sprayed and can be rinsed easily. This product must be rinsed away. 

To make your own bottle of pure magic I mean Homemade Tub, Tile, n’ Shower Cleaner, you will need three things:

Supplies

1.  An empty spray bottle
2.  Dawn dishwashing liquid (any variation as long as it is Dawn and it is blue)
3.  White vinegar from the supermarket, labeled as 5% acidity.

To Make

Pour 1 cup blue Dawn into a 32-ounce spray bottle (1/2 cup Dawn if you are using a 16-ounce bottle). Fill the bottle the rest of the way with white vinegar. Apply sprayer top; shake gently to mix.

To Use

Spray liberally on the area to be cleaned. Allow to sit from 30 minutes up to overnight, depending on the severity of the problem. All of the offensive gunk and grime will break down and become soft and gooey. Simply rinse it away. For especially challenging situations—or if this is the initial treatment—once it’s been allowed to sit, use a sponge or brush to gently scrub the surfaces before rinsing.

Caution

Do not use this homemade on granite, marble, or other natural stone countertops however as vinegar and natural stone products that are coated with a protective sealant (and must be re-sealed annually—do you know this?). Vinegar will eventually strip the sealant which could result in permanent damage to the natural stone.

To Maintain

Here’s the best thing about this soap and scum cleaner—if you use it weekly you will never have to scrub again. Here’s what I do:

Once each week I spray down the walls, doors, tracks, faucets, shampoo caddy—everything within reach—with this magical cleaner while I am in the shower. Before I step out, I use the handheld sprayer to rinse it all away. No scrubbing required. It dries sparkling clean without using a squeegee or wiping down with a towel. And not a watermark to be seen. Simply brilliant!

I use this stuff in the kitchen, too—on my appliances, stainless steel sink, and faucets (never on granite, marble, or other natural stone countertops however as vinegar and granite do not play well together), but only where it can be rinsed away quickly and easily. That means I don’t spray it on the floor or into the air. That would create a slippery, soapy mess.

I can’t wait to get your feedback once you give this super simple cleaning and maintenance method a try. As always, before and after pictures would be great!

First published: 1-10-93; Revised & Updated 6-22-22

 

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