How to Clean Soap Scum from Tile and Grout

Soap scum is a common problem in your bathroom, right! The orange, white, or yellow color, this devil is the result of soap residue.

Generally, it builds into the grout and on the surface of the tile floor. If you don’t wash it away, it will help mold or mildew to grow.

Yes, there are a lot of chemicals available out there. Using them, you can easily remove out the soap scum.

But what about the side effects of using harsh chemicals? And, how to clean soap scum from tile and grout?

Fortunately, you can find a lot of items around your home. Using them, you can efficiently clean the soap scum off without applying harsh chemicals.

How to Clean Soap Scum from Tile and Grout

Using Baking Soda & Hydrogen Peroxide

Cleaning soap scum from grout and on the tile is a tiresome task. But it will be easier if you have the right products at your hand!

First off, make a paste using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Then, apply it over the soap scum area like grout lines and on the tile. Next, leave it for some minutes to let it sit.

Finally, scrub the grout lines and the tile surface with a brush. In this way, you can easily clean the white soap scum off without using any harsh chemicals.

Applying Chlorine Bleach & Warm Water

First, make a solution of mixing a gallon of warm water and 3-4 cups of chlorine bleach.

And then, submerge a bristle brush into the solution of chlorine bleach. With the brush, scrub the grout lines and tile surface to get rid of soap scum stains.

Apply the solution to the affected area and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Lastly, brush the grout lines and the tile floor again. Finally, wash away the floor with clean water.

Try out scrubbing bubbles

Scrubbing bubbles are also great to pick off yellowish devil from the grout and tiles.

Apply the bubbles on the scum and leave it for 15 minutes to sit it. Afterward, pour warm water on the affected area. Then, scrub with a soft-bristle brush.

And then, rinse the area with clean water.

Paste of Baking Soda

To make a paste, you need the following household things:

• Baking soda
• Table salt
• White vinegar
• Washcloth
• Old toothbrush

Firstly, make a paste mixing a cup of baking soda, table salt, and vinegar into a bowl.

Secondly, use the washcloth and apply the paste with it on the scum area like grout lines and the floor.

Thirdly, let the paste sit for five to ten minutes to sit on the grout and floor. Then, use the old toothbrush to scrub the grout line.

Finally, wash away the grout and floor with clean water.

Solution of Bleach and Dawn Dish Soap

The equipment you need to make this solution is:

• Warm water
• Bleach
• Few Drops of dawn dish soap
• A Spray bottle
• A grout brush

First off, take a spray bottle and pour warm water, a cup of bleach, and a few drops of dawn dish soap into it. Secondly, spray the solution on the grout area and the tile surface. Leave it for a few minutes to dry. Thirdly, scrub off the affected area with a grout brush. Lastly, wash out the floor and grout lines with clean water.

If it doesn’t clean the scum off, you can try CLR or vinegar. And then scrub the area with a brush.

Undiluted White Vinegar

You can also clean the scum using undiluted white vinegar. To do that, first off, pour distilled vinegar into a spray bottle. Then, with the help of the bottle, spray the solution on the soap scum area.

If you have not a sprayer, you use a washcloth to apply the vinegar on the bathroom tile and grout. Afterward, use a soft-bristle brush to scrub away the tile and grout areas. Finally, wash the surface with clean water.

Paste of Baking Soda & White Vinegar

First off, make a paste using a cup of baking soda and one-fourth cup of white vinegar.

Then, use a washcloth to apply the paste on the grout and tile. Afterward, leave it for a few minutes to sit on the surface properly.

Secondly, use a grout brush to scrub away the scum area. And finally, rinse the floor and grout lines with clean water.

Solution of white vinegar, ammonia, and borax

Make a solution mixing a gallon of warm water, half a cup of vinegar & ammonia, and one-fourth cup of borax in a bucket.

After making a solution, use a microfiber cloth to apply it to the scum area. Then, use a grout brush to scrub away the grout and floor to get rid of stains. Finally, wash the surface with clean water.

Try out a commercial cleaner

If all of the cleaning methods fail to remove soap scum, you can use a commercial cleaner. A commercial cleaner is specially formulated to eliminate hard-to-remove soap scum.

Before applying a chemical cleaner, first, read the instructions carefully. We recommend you first apply it on a small area to check whether it damages the tile floor or not.

After applying on the surface, leave it for five minutes to sit it. Then, use a non-abrasive sponge and wet it in warm water.

Next, wipe down the grout and tile floor evenly. Afterward, rinse the surface with clean water.

Finally, dry the tile floor using a towel.

Conclusion

I hope you can find this guide on how to clean soap scum from tile and grout helpful. The best part of this guide is- all the cleaning methods are DIY, and you make the solution or paste using household things.

On top of that, every cleaning process is safe and environment friendly.  So, you can try any of the cleaning methods without any hesitation. 

However, if the soap scum is stubborn enough, you can try out our last recommendation (use commercial cleaner). Before using the last method, take some precautions so that it doesn’t bring damage to your floor finish.