How to Clean a Bathtub with Dish Soap and a Broom
Updated: Mar. 30, 2023
This unusual method cuts right through soap scum.
When bathroom cleaning day comes around, rubber gloves and a sponge aren’t the only things in our arsenal. The toughest jobs call for even tougher cleaning products: disinfecting cleaners, vinegar, sometimes even bleach. But if have persistent stains and want to remove the soap scum, add one more product to your cleaning caddy: Dawn dish soap.
Here’s how (and why) this not-so-secret method works!
How to Clean Your Bathtub
We’ve covered a lot of home cleaning tricks, like this oven-cleaning hack from TikTok. There are so many quick fixes to a clean tub on TikTok, but the broom-and-dish-soap method we’re about to share has acclaimed results from other corners of the internet. Tested by both The Kitchn and Apartment Therapy, this two-ingredient trick will leave your tub sparkling.
To start, grab that bottle of Dawn (or any other dish soap) from your kitchen sink and the broom stowed away in your closet. Dish soap is designed to cut through tough grease and food stains on our delicate dishware, but it will also disintegrate the dirty marks and soap scum lining your tub. Pour a generous amount of dish soap into your tub and then start scrubbing with the broom. The stiff plastic bristles will deliver a deep clean, even against tough stains.
When you’re done, rinse the tub and you’re all set.
Do I Have to Use a Broom?
If you’re used to scrubbing with a sponge, using a broom might seem a little odd. No, you don’t have to use one, but we do recommend it. The bristles on a utility broom are tough, and the long handle makes for a less-intensive scrubbing process—no getting on your hands and knees. Any scrub brush with plastic or stiff bristles should do the trick, though, even the handheld ones!
You can also clean your shower with a dishwasher tablet.
Our Picks for This Cleaning Project
Originally Published: January 25, 2022
