Cleaning Your Soap And Scum While Minimizing The Buildup
One of the worst chores in your home is cleaning up built up soap and scum. If the build up is quite bad you will find that it may take you a couple of cleanings to effectively remove the soap and scum. There are some things you can do to keep the buildup to a minimum in between cleanings.
The build up that occurs in your bathtub and shower comes from the ingredients in hard soaps. It is also combined with the minerals that are removed from the body while showering or bathing. Hard soaps are made up of fatty acids that go through a process that is called saponification. The soap is actually a substance that can separate oil and water, which allows it to be removed from clothing and the body. The soap scum that occurs in your shower comes from the soap being converted back into fatty acids. If your water is hard the problem will be even worse. The soap scum will stick to the walls of your shower and there you have a build up. You will need a good cleaner that will effectively remove soap and scum from your bathtub and shower walls.
When you are cleaning soap scum you should use a cleaner that is designed for this job. They are usually made from chemicals that are designed to remove the ingredients that are in soap scum. If the scum is built up in your shower you might have to use one of these products a few times to effectively remove the soap scum. When you are using one of these products it may be necessary for the cleaner to soak into the soap scum. This is not difficult in your bathtub, but it can be a problem to effectively get the cleaner to sit on the walls of your shower. A foaming cleaner works best in this situation. You should pay attention to the directions on the cleanser for how long to keep the foam on the scum. You will have to make use of a brush or sponge to effectively remove the scum. You might find that a razor blade is necessary to remove any hard to remove soap scum.
Once you have removed the soap scum from your bathtub and shower you will want to perform some regular maintenance to ensure that the buildup does not occur again. You should check the products you are purchasing for soap scum to see if there is a barrier in them to keep the soap scum from building up. All it takes is a quick two-step process to save you countless hours in scrubbing soap scum later. You should make sure that you remove the excess soap on the walls of your shower after every time the shower is used. After you have removed the excess, spray on an amount of soap scum cleanser to the shower walls. Keep from spraying the bottom of your tub with the cleanser because it will become very slippery. If you take care of your soap scum before it builds up you will keep the shower nice and clean and you will spend less time cleaning it later.
If the problem keeps coming back no matter the steps you are taking to prevent it, you might have a hard water problem. Hard water has a very high mineral content and it will build up on your shower fixtures and walls. When these minerals come into contact with soap residue you will have a soap scum problem. You could look into filters for your water to soften it. This is an extreme approach but the amount of work you save yourself could be worth the effort.
You should also look into changing the kind of soap you use in your shower. There are some varieties of soap that will contribute to your soap scum problem more than others. Try some different brands of soap until you find one that does not contribute to your soap scum problem. A liquid soap is a good option if you have both hard water and a soap problem. Find the best way to keep your soap scum at bay and you will not have to spend as much time cleaning your shower.
The build up that occurs in your bathtub and shower comes from the ingredients in hard soaps. It is also combined with the minerals that are removed from the body while showering or bathing. Hard soaps are made up of fatty acids that go through a process that is called saponification. The soap is actually a substance that can separate oil and water, which allows it to be removed from clothing and the body. The soap scum that occurs in your shower comes from the soap being converted back into fatty acids. If your water is hard the problem will be even worse. The soap scum will stick to the walls of your shower and there you have a build up. You will need a good cleaner that will effectively remove soap and scum from your bathtub and shower walls.
When you are cleaning soap scum you should use a cleaner that is designed for this job. They are usually made from chemicals that are designed to remove the ingredients that are in soap scum. If the scum is built up in your shower you might have to use one of these products a few times to effectively remove the soap scum. When you are using one of these products it may be necessary for the cleaner to soak into the soap scum. This is not difficult in your bathtub, but it can be a problem to effectively get the cleaner to sit on the walls of your shower. A foaming cleaner works best in this situation. You should pay attention to the directions on the cleanser for how long to keep the foam on the scum. You will have to make use of a brush or sponge to effectively remove the scum. You might find that a razor blade is necessary to remove any hard to remove soap scum.
Once you have removed the soap scum from your bathtub and shower you will want to perform some regular maintenance to ensure that the buildup does not occur again. You should check the products you are purchasing for soap scum to see if there is a barrier in them to keep the soap scum from building up. All it takes is a quick two-step process to save you countless hours in scrubbing soap scum later. You should make sure that you remove the excess soap on the walls of your shower after every time the shower is used. After you have removed the excess, spray on an amount of soap scum cleanser to the shower walls. Keep from spraying the bottom of your tub with the cleanser because it will become very slippery. If you take care of your soap scum before it builds up you will keep the shower nice and clean and you will spend less time cleaning it later.
If the problem keeps coming back no matter the steps you are taking to prevent it, you might have a hard water problem. Hard water has a very high mineral content and it will build up on your shower fixtures and walls. When these minerals come into contact with soap residue you will have a soap scum problem. You could look into filters for your water to soften it. This is an extreme approach but the amount of work you save yourself could be worth the effort.
You should also look into changing the kind of soap you use in your shower. There are some varieties of soap that will contribute to your soap scum problem more than others. Try some different brands of soap until you find one that does not contribute to your soap scum problem. A liquid soap is a good option if you have both hard water and a soap problem. Find the best way to keep your soap scum at bay and you will not have to spend as much time cleaning your shower.
