This non-toxic shower cleaner magically melts soap scum, tub rings, and shower buildup, no scrub needed! Plus, it uses only two natural ingredients and rates an “A” on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) scale.
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Raise your hand if bathroom cleaning is your LEAST favorite housekeeping task. I love my bathroom to be bright and shiny, but hate scrubbing tub rings and toilets.
I used to purchase a foaming bathroom cleaner to get my tub and shower spotless with very little effort, then I began to investigate the harmful ingredients in cleaners and I was shocked…. my commercial bathroom cleaner rated an F on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) scale. I had to find a substitute!
All-Natural Bathroom Cleaner
I hopped onto Pinterest for DIY shower cleaners and tried making cleaners with:
- lemon and salt
- hydrogen peroxide and tea tree oil
- vinegar and rubbing alcohol
None of them cleaned well, so I went back to cleaning with my Natural All Purpose Cleanser. It does an amazing job, but requires some elbow grease.
Pinterest Shower Cleaners
I found a popular no scrub shower cleaner recipe on Pinterest and was intrigued. The cleaner is made from Dawn dish detergent and hot vinegar to clean the shower with no scrubbing. I wanted give it a try but there were two problems:
- I did not want to use Dawn because it rates poorly on the EWG scale.
- I did not want to heat up vinegar to clean, I wanted a version I could store under my bathroom cabinet.
Sal's Suds
I decided to try the recipe with one of my favorite commercial household cleaners. Sal's Suds is a detergent made by Dr Bronner's (they also make my favorite Castile soap).
Detergent vs Soap
- Soap is made from vegetable or animal fats and oils, synthetic detergents use man-made chemicals. Soap has been around since around 2800 B.C., synthetic detergents have been around since 1916.
- Soap will break down and lose it's cleaning power when it is mixed with vinegar, detergent has a different chemical makeup and does lose it's cleaning power in a mixture with vinegar.
- Sal's Suds is a detergent that is made from plant-based surfactants (not petro-chemicals like many detergents) and does not contains synthetic dyes or fragrance. It is 100% cruelty-free and rates an A on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) scale.
No Scrub Shower Cleaner
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup Sal's Suds (or any all-natural hand washing dish detergent, I've also used this one)
Directions
- Pour vinegar and Sal's Suds (or detergent) into a spray bottle and swirl to combine.
- Spray the mixture onto the shower and tub, wait for a few minutes then rinse and prepare to be amazed.
No Scrub Shower Cleaner Tips
- Use this cleaner on areas that are easy to rinse like sinks, tubs, showers and the inside of your toilet.
- Test before using on any natural stone surface, vinegar can damage some stone finishes.
- For tough stains allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes then scrub and rinse.
- This cleaner smells like vinegar, add 15-20 of essential oil to scent and add cleaning power. Lemon, thyme, rosemary, tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint, and lavender are all great choices. I use 10 drops eucalyptus, 5 drops lavender, and 5 drop of rosemary for a spa-like scent. Use a glass bottle if using essential oils, see my DIY glass spray bottle for cleaning.
- Dilute the mix with 1 cup of water for less odor and bubbles. I use the full strength mix for extremely dirty surfaces and dilute for weekly cleaning.
No Scrub Results
Let me first say it is hard to photograph a bathtub or shower, I apologize. My (lack of) photography skills aside, this cleaner is AMAZING!
Bathtub Cleaning
- The tub above is in my kids' bathroom, they are in charge of cleaning so it is not the most spotless place in the house. Notice the pink shower gunk rings from the shampoo bottles and the soap scum build up on the overflow drain.
- Now look at the after picture. I sprayed on the cleaner and let it sit for about 5 minutes then rinsed with the shower heap. Shower gunk and soap scum GONE!
Shower Cleaning
- The shower stall in our master bath has a floor that is made of white plastic. It has a slight texture that tends to attract dirt, especially when we wash our German Shepherd in it.
- I clean it every week and it looked clean, until I spray it with one squirt of No Scrub Shower Cleaner (see the very top picture). I rinsed it with water and it was immediately bright white where the cleaner landed (with NO scrubbing). I completely cleaned one side (see the before-after above), built up dirt and soap scum GONE!
Toilet Cleaning
- The cleaner also works great in toilets. The Sal's Suds helps the vinegar cling to the sides of the bowl allowing it to work on mineral deposits and hard water stains.
- I sprayed the inside of the bowl focusing on the top ring where hard water tends to build up and waited 10 minutes. I then brushed and rinsed, hard water stains gone!
Grout Cleaning
- I use hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to clean stained or discolored grout. Get the full tutorial here.
Cleaning the bathroom may not be fun, but it can be greener and EASIER with this Non-Toxic No Scrub Shower Cleaner. I hope you try it in your home!
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Nancy says
I just stumbled onto your site and I am so glad! I love seeing all your natural non-toxic cleaning solutions! I wish you had more (lol) but I pinned just about all of them 🙂
Bren says
Thanks Nancy! I’m adding more all the time. I hope you enjoy the posts.
Kendria says
This site is so wonderful!! Thank you Thank you
Bren says
Thanks, Kendria! You are too sweet!
Amy says
Hi! I am thrilled to find your site! I have been working to eliminate toxins from my home for years, but it is somewhat cyclical because I use the homemade cleaners for a while, them get fed up with how ineffective they are and how often I have to mix them (like a new batch to scrub the tub every time I clean it!) So I give up and buy commercial cleaners, use them for a while, become disgusted by the chemicals, and go back to homemade. Your site just might be the answer to my troubles! Your recipes are simple and seem more effective than the ones I as previously using, and I love that you don’t include borax! Thank you!
I do have a question about this shower cleaner. I have used the dawn/vinegar combo a few times, but it irritated my throat and nasal passage, and made me cough a lot. I just tried this new recipe with Sal Suds and it had the same effect on me. I don’t mind it, necessarily, as long as it’s not toxic. I’d rather cough for a minute than scrub the shower and tub for 10 🙂 But I’m curious if that happens to other people, and if it’s possible that the vinegar and an ingredient in the Sal Suds combine and make a harmful gas?
Thanks again for your wonderful site! I am so glad I found it! Your dishwasher detergent is fabulous, and I’m excited to try your all purpose cleaner too.
Bren says
Thanks for your lovely compliments, Amy. I do love simple cleaners and easy cleaning alternatives. It’s my lazy side :). Your coughing is probably caused by the vinegar in the mist, it is a bit harsh! You can try watering down the mix to make it less concentrated. I am personally not concerned about inhaling it, better than commercial cleaners, but I do try not to breathe deeply when spraying in the shower because of the potent smell. Hope this helps! Thanks for stopping by to comment.
Amy says
Thanks for your quick reply! It worked wonders on my bathtubs yesterday so keep using it for sure 🙂 I also made your furniture polish yesterday, which made my family heirloom (read: beat up) piano look so much better than it has in years, and your all purpose cleaner, which cleaned the grout I have not been able to get clean with any other product or concoction! I’m hooked. Thank you!
Bren says
Thanks Amy! I am so glad you enjoyed the cleaners. It can be a challenge to find ones that work great and are not too complicated.
Stacey says
Thank you for this question AND answer. I had the same thing happen and wondered if it was just me! I’ve also used Dawn in the past so I appreciate learning a natural alternative.
Bren says
Thanks, Stacey! I’m glad you found it helpful.
Kris says
I had similar reaction with this spray. I would try diluting it, but I don’t want to lose its effectiveness. I do like this recipe more than the others, but it does take a lot to rinse it off. Other than that, it’s great.
Bren says
Thanks Kris. You can try doubling the vinegar to make it easier to rinse while still keeping its cleaning power.
Kris says
Thanks. I’ll give that a go!
Kerry Hunter says
Oh My Gosh! I can’t thank you enough for this. I have a shower stall and it’s always been a pain to clean and using store bought cleaners I would wear my flip flops in the shower because I didn’t want the chemicals on my feet (should have been my first clue). I didn’t get really serious about using all natural cleansers until I recently acquired my little dog. She loves to hop in the shower with me and play in the water not to mention lick it up. I absolutely didn’t want her ingesting all those chemicals. This stuff is amazing. I think the shower is actually cleaner than it was when I moved in! It actually shines now. Again thank you for doing all the work to figure out the best ways to keep a home not only clean but healthy as well. Now on to the floor cleaner because her favourite room in the house is the kitchen and she’s constantly licking that floor.
Bren says
I am so glad you like the cleaner, Kerry! I agree, having a pet makes you think differently about the cleaners you are using near them. I recently read about air freshener not being safe around pets. I make my own room freshener and my own dog shampoo and dog treats too. Can you tell my dog is my baby? 🙂
Sue says
Hi Bren…I tried out using baking soda to clean up the kitchen sink and it really did a great job. However since I live in Texas, we have very hard water. Is there anything natural that can be used to remove hard water or stubborn stains? I am also not a fan of toxic cleaners or having different chemical cleaners in the house. I do not have any children but do have fur babies so do not want any fumes. And also our female dog has a bad habit of licking the floor so we do not use chemicals on the floor. I do have to say that I can be a germ freak but I have resisted using chemicals or items like borax. Any advice you can provide for hard water stains in the kitchen / bathroom sink or tub / shower doors would be appreciated. Also are you a fan or have used hot steam cleaners? I have seen professional home cleaning companies on YouTube that use hot vapor steamers to clean up horrible build-up on sinks or tubs in the homes of some of their clients whom unfortunately were not able to keep up with cleaning up their homes. Thank you in advance and I truly enjoy all your information.
Bren says
I used to have a Shark steam mop, but I was never thrilled with the way it cleaned. Maybe a more commercial steam cleaner gets better results, however I have been hesitant to try a more expensive brand since we have very hard water and I am sure the cleaner would get lots of mineral build up. When we moved into our current house all the sinks, drains, tubs and shower head were caked with hard water build up and had water stains. Even the refrigerator ice maker had hard water build up! To clean the white mineral build up left behind by hard water I wet sponges or rags with white vinegar and lay them on the area for a few hours. You can then wipe the hard water build up away. I use a baggie half full of vinegar to clean shower heads. Just pull the bag over the shower head so the head is in the vinegar and then use tape or rubber bands to secure the bag around the arm of the shower head. Wait a few hours and remove the bag. I also use CLR to clean stubborn hard water stains, it’s a green cleaner (read more about how I use it to clean my dishwasher here). I also use carbon water filters in our showers to remove chlorine and minerals, they cost about $30.00 and the replaceable filters last for up to 6 months. (I have been very happy with the results. I have to clean the showers a lot less. ) Every few months I pour vinegar in our sinks to just cover the drains while I vacuum/dust then clean the bathrooms. This gives the vinegar enough time to dissolve the minerals. The house may smell a little vinegary but it works great and is better for pets. Hope this helps!
Laura Phillips says
Hi Bren, I am floored by how much faithful work you put into your blog. I wish I had the determination to keep up with this kind of undertaking. I was directed to your blog by something on Pinterest and could not stop reading, AH!
I just wanted to put in a vote for you to investigate putting all your great recipes up for sale in an EBOOK through Blurb or something. Great way for us to have them all in a reference format and be able to print single pages when needed, and recoup some expenses for all your time as well! Go-Bren-DO!
Bren says
Thanks for the kind words, Laura! I will definitely look into the ebook suggestion… though I can promise that won’t get done until after the holidays (Hee, hee!). I am so glad you found the site!
Ginny says
Thanks Bren for posting all these awesome recipes. I was wondering if there were an alternative to the Sal Suds product. I can’t seem to find it anywhere. Only the Bronner’s Castile soap. And it’s either sold out online or excessively priced. ( I live in Canada). I’m really hoping to try something that works for my shower stall.
Bren says
Ginny, you can use any hand washing dish detergent in place of the Sal’s Suds (not Castile soap, it breaks down in vinegar). I would suggest a non-toxic hand washing dish detergent such as Seventh Generation, Honest Company or Attitude (I think Attitude is a Canadian company). Good luck!
Celine says
Hi Bren, can i use this on glass shower screen?
Bren says
I use it to clean my composite shower with tile walls and a frosted glass shower door.
Debbie says
I noticec you said you rinse the shower after the shower cleaner with water and a product call Kapow – where do you purchase Kapow?
Bren says
Hi Debbie! I meant I rinsed the shower with water and “wow” it was clean! Ka-pow is just the expression I used, not a product. Sorry for the confusion! 😉
Michele says
I used this in my shower and while it did become very clean, it left the shower floor VERY slippery. Is there anything I can do to help with this?
Bren says
Make sure to rinse the floor very well, it should not be slippery if it is rinsed completely.
Kris says
Hi Bren! I love sal suds! I made this but the bubbles almost took Over there were so many of them! Could I reduce it to 1/4 cup of Sal suds and it be OK?
Bren says
Kris, you can definitely reduce the Sal’s suds to the level that works for you!
Bonnie says
Hi Bren, I used this on my showers today. Was happy with the results but it is a pain to rinse. I will try doubling the vinegar to see if that helps. I’ve got a question in the detergent vs. soap section. Which one breaks down when vinegar is added? Maybe I’m just not reading it correctly.
Bren says
Bonnie, vinegar breaks down soap (such as liquid Castile soap). You can read more about it in my post Green Cleaning ingredients you should never mix. Detergetn stands up to vinegar which is why I use dish detergent (Yes, we call is dish soap in the us but it is detergent) in this recipe. Hope this is clear. -Bren
Tata says
I have the same question on soap vs detergent question. I think there is typo error somewhere ans that only one of them (either soap or detergent) loses its efficacy when combined with venigar. I hope @bren will reply
Bren says
Soap is broken down when combined with vinegar. Detergent still cleans when combined with vinegar. It get confusing because we use the words interchangeably in the US. For example the Dawn and SalSuds in this article are both detergents but are often called dish washing soap. Hope this answers your question!
Dottie says
I just used this today. All I had was regular dish soap, but I figured it would still be better than the very smelly foam cleaner I usually use. I’ll be honest I wasn’t sure it would work, but I was very happy to see that it did! It worked BETTER than my foam cleaner in fact and dare I say got the bottoms of tubs even whiter than when I clean them w bleach. I wasn’t scared to have my 2 yo daughter in there helping clean either and I won’t be worried about giving her a bath tonight. I can’t wait to get the Sals Suds and give t a shot w that. Thanks so much for figuring this out and sharing it!!!
Bren says
Dottie, I am so glad that the cleaner worked well for you! I agree, I like it much better than bleach… I always seem to bleach my clothes with cleaning with bleach!
Nancy Blue says
Great cleaning tips, Bren. Just received my SalSuds and Castile 18-in-1 which I plan to use today!
Can I make a large batch of the NO SCRUB SHOWER CLEANER to have ready to go when needed? How long is the shelf life?
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How about something for countertops? Really would like a change from Windex.
Thank you so much.
Bren says
Nancy, I make a full bottle of no scrub shower cleaner and leave it in the shower for a few months. For counters I generally use water or vodka (you can see my easy vodka cleaner here)
AnonJohn says
I really appreciate your site for getting the underlying chemistry right! It’s amazing how many websites make the basic (sorry for the pun) mistakes that you take time to explain.
Bren says
Thanks, AnonJohn. Love the pun! 😉
Sharim says
I love your cleaning solutions. This one did not work for me. The solution became very thick and did not spray. Any suggestions?
Bren says
I’m sorry it didn’t work for you, Sharim. You can thin the cleaner with more vinegar until it is sprayable (is sprayable a word?). The extra vinegar will not reduce the cleaning power. I often make it by just eyeballing the ingredients. Good luck! -Bren
George says
Hi Bren! Beautiful name! 🙂 I’m a dad who does most of the cleaning at my house, and was so blessed and happy to find your blog. my name’s George, and I have become increasingly concerned about exposure to the harmful and toxic chemicals in most household cleaners, especially now since the birth of our 17 -month precious little guy.
Thank you so much for your heartfelt and passionate efforts and work to keep not only your family safe, but numerous other families safe, with easy and very practical recipes to clean up messes and get the job done. I’m so grateful and already feel so much better knowing those little hands and feet will touch and tread on very safe surfaces, and get no unintentional exposure to toxic fumes.
Where would you recommend trying to get Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds without any issues of availability? I love Dr. Bronner’s Castille soap too, and we hardly use anything else for our showers. We do have another milder body wash brand for Baby (SheaMoisture Raw Shea Chamomile & Argan Oil Baby Head-To-Toe Wash & Shampoo), that’s so good, safe, and my absolute favorite for him.
Thanks so much, and blessings to you and all your precious ones
Bren says
George, thanks for the kind words. If you’re having trouble finding Sal’s Suds you can use any natural dish detergent meant for hand washing. Hope you enjoy the cleaner!
Shar says
First time to your site, and I must have spent a couple hours already browsing and noting down all your recipes. For this one, I have to ask out of curiosity – would your own hand-washing dish detergent work as a substitute for Sal’s Suds? I know it uses castile soap, which is the big problem when mixing with vinegar. If it wouldn’t work, do you have a DIY detergent in mind that would?
Thank you ahead of time.
Bren says
Shar, I would not recommend using either of my handmade dish washing detergent in the shower cleaner since they both contain washing soda which would be neutralized by the vinegar. And hand washing dish soap works in the recipe. I like to use a natural one that is better for the environment.
Karen says
Hi Bren, Love, love, love your page! Can I ask, would 18 in 1 citrus castile soap be ok to use instead of the sal suds? xx
Bren says
Karen, you cannot use Castile soap in this recipe. Soap will break down and lose it’s cleaning power when it is mixed with vinegar, detergent has a different chemical makeup and does lose it’s cleaning power in a mixture with vinegar.
Stephie says
I’m curious, what is the difference between SalSuds and Castile soap?
Bren says
Sal’s Suds is a detergent, Castile soap is soap. You can read more about the difference in my post Do Homemade Laundry Detergents Really Work.
Sally says
I was planning on trying this on my tiled shower, but then read your post on grout cleaning. Since vinegar is not recommended on grout, is it true that I should not use it in my tiled shower?
Bren says
Sally, I have used it on my tiled shower but concentrate the solution on the tiles and floor, not the grout. For grout cleaning I recommend a solution of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.
Kyla @ A Life Adjacent says
I’d been looking for an alternative to expensive natural shower cleaners. This recipe sounds perfect, and so easy! Can’t wait to make some! I’m going to order some Sal Suds immediately 🙂
Bren says
Thanks, Kyla.
Terrie says
Bren, I am so happy I found you. I just perused the EWG sight and discovered my cleaning products are harming the environment. Who knew that Mrs. Meyer’s all purpose cleaner caused aquatic toxicity? Both my Method and Mrs. Meyer’s products scored a C. I bought them because they were advertised as environmentally friendly. And what else is in my kitchen? Yeah, it’s Dawn. I had no idea that dish soap could be toxic. I need to go through my house and “clean” out those cleaning products! I’m not quite sure how to dispose of them though. Any suggestions?
Thank you so much for this post. I just recently discovered you but I think you’re my favorite blogger. 🙂
Is Sal’s Suds normally $20 a bottle? How long does it last?
Bren says
Terrie, thanks for the kind words! When I started green cleaning I followed a “do not replace” policy. When one product ran out I would find a better replacement. This gave me some time to find a better substitute and maenat I waan’t just pouring them down the drain. Hope this helps! I can get 16 ounces of Sal’s Suds for around $10. The bottle is quite concentrated and lasts a long time.
REBECCA RANZAU says
Hello Bren,
Thoroughly enjoy your site. I have been using Sal Suds for years, just absolutely love it for washing dishes too ! You have so much good information and appreciate that you don’t use Dawn as an ingredient for DIY cleaning as other bloggers do 🙂 How long will this mixture last as a spray? Do you have to make a new batch each time you want to use it ?
Bren says
Rebecca, it last for a long time. I have mixed a big batch and left it in the shower for months! You can add some water to make it a lighter spray that will last longer and save on the Sal’s Suds!
Tiffany says
Love your site! You are awesome to revisit and update your older articles with new tips and honest re-reviews. Your comment about using it this cleaner in the toilet made me wonder if you ever tried a toilet pumice stone wand? My fave natural toilet cleaning tool for stubborn water stains and even some scratches, like from plumber snakes. It’d work great as a companion to your recipe.
Bren says
Thanks for the tip, Tiffany! I have heard lots about pumice stone wand and need to get one!