clean white tile shower water running

How to Make No-Rinse Daily Shower Cleaner—Cheaper Better Faster

The only thing better than making my own cleaning products is when what I make turns out to be cheaper, better, and faster than something I might buy in the store to accomplish the same goal. Today’s spray-and-walk-away No-Rinse Daily Shower Cleaner is the perfect solution to keep tubs and showers sparkling between major cleanings.

clean white tile shower water running

Background

More than 25 years ago, I learned how to make a powerful Tub and Shower Soap Scum Cleaner that tackles soap scum and beats any commercial product I have ever tested. It rocked my world and it’s done the same for thousands of readers I’ve shared it with through the years (I have included it at the end of this post).

But we needed to find a way to keep our tubs and showers looking that beautiful every day, without a lot of effort. While homemade Tub and Shower Soap Scum Cleaner works really well—like magic!—it’s not for daily maintenance. And that is what prompted this homemade, No-Rinse Daily Shower Cleaner:

No-Rinse Daily Shower Cleaner

Once that tub and/or shower is sparkling clean, use this Daily Shower Cleaner to keep it that way. Effortlessly!

  • 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide
  • 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
  • 1 teaspoon liquid dishwashing soap, like blue Dawn
  • 1 tablespoon dishwasher rinse aid, like Jet-Dry
  • 2 cups water
  1. Pour all of the ingredients into a large spray bottle (24-ounce or larger). Mix gently.
  2. This no-rinse, no wipe, no scrub shower cleaner spray is safe to use on glass, glazed tile, stone, marble, granite; tubs, doors, and shower curtains. The gentle formula contains no bleach, ammonia, or harsh chemicals and it won’t scratch surfaces, damage sealant, or leave behind a dull residue.
  3. Store your daily shower cleaner in a dark cupboard, as hydrogen peroxide begins to break down quickly in the presence of light.

To use: Just before you step out of the shower, spray the walls, doors, fixtures, curtain with No-Rinse Daily Shower Cleaner and walk away.

clean shower bathroom sparkling
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5 from 11 votes

No-Rinse Daily Shower Cleaner

While homemade Tub and Shower Soap Scum Cleaner works like magic to clean soap scum from tubs and showers, it's not something you are going to want to use for daily maintenance. Once that tub and/or shower is sparkling clean, use this No-Rinse Daily Shower Cleaner to maintain that squeaky clean sparkle.
Course: Housekeeping
Cuisine: Cleaning

Ingredients

  • ½ cup hydrogen peroxide, make sure it is a fresh bottle
  • ½ cup rubbing alcohol, 70% or 91%
  • 1 teaspoon Blue Dawn dishwashing liquid no substitutes, please
  • 1 tablespoon Jet-Dry dishwasher rinse aid or similar rinse-aid product
  • 2 cups distilled water

Instructions

  • Pour all of the ingredients into a large spray bottle (24-ounce or larger). Mix gently.
  • This no-rinse, no wipe, no scrub shower cleaner spray is safe to use on glass, glazed tile, stone, tubs, doors, and shower curtains. The gentle formula contains no bleach, ammonia, or harsh chemicals and it won't scratch surfaces or leave behind a dull residue.
  • Store your daily shower cleaner in a dark cupboard, as hydrogen peroxide begins to break down quickly in the presence of light.
  • Use within 6 months.

To Use:

  • Once you are done showering and just before you step out of the shower, spray the walls, doors, fixtures, curtain with Daily Shower Cleaner. Do not rinse—just walk away!

Tub and Shower Soap Scum Cleaner

I have never found a commercial tub and shower cleaner that comes close to this homemade product. Tub and Shower Soap Scum Cleaner is like magic and I’m not the only one who thinks so. I’ve had thousands of responses over the years from my readers who were as astonished as I the first time they used it.

  • Blue Dawn (no substitutes, please)
  • White vinegar
  1. Pour one cup blue Dawn into a 32-ounce spray bottle (1/2 cup blue Dawn if you are using a 16-ounce bottle).
  2. Fill the bottle the rest of the way with white vinegar.
  3. Apply sprayer top; shake gently to mix.

To use: Open a window to make sure the area to be cleaned has good ventilation. Spray liberally on the tub, shower, floor, walls, fixtures, and doors. Allow to sit from 30 minutes up to overnight, depending on the severity of the problem. Just close the door and walk away.

All of the offensive scum, gunk, mildew, and grime will break down and become soft and gooey. Rinse it away.

For especially challenging situations—or if this is the initial treatment—use a sponge or brush to gently scrub the surfaces before rinsing.

Caution: Do not use on stone, marble, or granite, which are porous materials treated with a sealant. Vinegar is acetic and can etch, pit, dull, or otherwise negatively impact the sealant and appearance of your stone.

 


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Stone, Marble, Granite Cleaner

Natural products like stone, marble, and granite require extra special care. These porous materials must be sealed upon installation, and then resealed at least once annually with a good sealant made specifically for stone, granite and marble and available from the manufacturer or any home improvement store.

Soap and scum must never be allowed to build up on the stone, marble, or granite surfaces or around the fixtures. Not only will that dull and harm the sealant, but it’s also a bear to remove without taking the sealant with it.

The best approach is to prevent any kind of build-up by using our No-Rinse Daily Shower Cleaner after each use. Then use this cleaner weekly to prevent hard-water marks and maintain these natural products’ beauty.

Pour rubbing alcohol, water, and soap into a spray bottle. Mix gently. Spray down stone surfaces, clean with a non-abrasive brush or sponge. Wipe dry with a clean soft cloth.


 

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66 replies
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  1. Barbara Alwin says:

    5 stars
    I had been buying “daily shower cleaner” at the 99Cent Store for years – until they suddenly stopped carrying it. I am happy to report that when I started making Mary’s daily shower cleaner that it works even better than what I had been buying all this time! Thanks, Mary!

    Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      Store it in a dark place and it will remain effective. Another idea is to halve the recipe and make it up more often. d

      Reply
  2. Pat says:

    The cleaner is effective, but when you spray, it just runs down the wall. How can it stay working when you let it sit?

    Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      It’s not intended to “stay working” for an extended period of time. Think of it as preventive——to prevent watermarksTry it. You’ll see 🙂

      Reply
  3. Teresa says:

    I’ve been using the daily shower spray recipe of 1 cup water, 1 tsp. Dawn soap and 1/3 cup isopropyl alcohol which I got off your site. This mix has two additional ingredients. Did you change the recipe?

    Reply
  4. Sandi Smith says:

    I recently had Bath Fitters redo my shower will the Daily Shower Cleaner work okay on that surface? Thanks. I love all your daily tips!!

    Reply
  5. Thomas Squicquero says:

    The combo of dawn/vinegar worked great! I had to apply it twice due to build up but it worked better than any of the cleaners I purchased.

    Reply
  6. Beth* R says:

    Yesterday, I tried the DIY shower soap scum solution with blue Dawn and vinegar. I’ve been working on it off and on the last 24 hours, but finally, at last, my shower looks almost new.

    I wish I’d thought to take a “before” picture, but frankly, I didn’t expect it to work any better than any of the other 50 ways I’ve tried. Nothing has ever done more than a surface cleaning.

    My shower now looks better than it has in 3 years. Yes, I had to get down there and scrub it hard, but I could see immediate results.

    I wish you could see how lovely my shower looks! Silly to get excited about a clean shower, but you don’t know how hard I’ve worked on it for months.
    Thank you so much! I’m going to tell both of my sisters about this easy new way to clean the bathroom.

    Reply
  7. Patsy says:

    You, and sites like yours, always say “blue Dawn.” Do the other flavors of Dawn not work for this type of homemade cleansers?

    Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      No. There is something about Blue Dawn that is different from the others. It’s the one that environmentalists use to clean up birds who’ve been caught in oil spills! It’s a proprietary formula by Procter & Gamble. Just stick with the Blue option. And don’t sub with other brands that make a blue option. It’s easy. Just stick with Blue Dawn!

      Reply
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