Soap scum is a combination of soap, bacteria, dead skin, and body oils that builds up builds up on showers and bathtubs.

This waxy film can often be difficult to remove, if you don't have the right products.

Throughout my cleaning career, I have cleaned a lot of showers and tubs -- many times without great success. But over time, I've found what I consider to be the best products and methods for soap scum removal.

 

Trying to choose a good cleaner can be a hassle because the store shelves are full of so many different cleaners, and a lot of them basically do the same thing.

Personally, I clean about 200 homes in a year's time -- not including my own home. So I use a lot of cleaning products.

I have tried a variety of different cleaning products, but I usually stick to the ones that I think are the best. 

These household cleaners work the best, in my opinion:

Got an email from a visitor to this site the other day:

I'm hoping you could give us some insight here. Our son used a permanent purple hair dye, and very badly stained our vinyl tub surround [it's BRAND new] that is only 6 months old. We no longer have the manufacturers info on the tub, so ANY help you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for having the site. -- M.W.

Since I seem to be on a mission to document every possible way that Magic Erasers can be used to solve unique problems around the house (see below), I thought I'd share.

Perhaps others can use this info, should you happen to get a bad stain in a bathroom tub surround.

Preparing for a yard sale is definitely a process.

But how in the world do you start?...

First, here are the Top 10 Reasons To Have A Garage Sale:
(according to Afton Nelson)
#1 To earn extra money
#2 To make room for new stuff
#3 To prepare for a move
#4 Because it's fun
#5 To teach your kids about work
#6 To turn the "junk room" into a ___ room
#7 Because your teen doesn't play with Strawberry Shortcake anymore
#8 To do some Spring cleaning
#9 It's Step 5 in the "Packrats Anonymous 12-Step Program"
#10 To achieve family goals

I've written about how amazing Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are before.

But these nifty little sponges continue to amaze me...

Here are a few more first-hand examples of how the Magic Erasers have made our home and other products look like new again!

Who knew, that I'd first hear about Mr. Clean Magic Erasers at a conference about blogging?

It's true. When Glenn Reynolds (a.k.a. "The Instapundit" and godfather of the blogging world) mentioned in passing how much he liked this handy household gadget, I knew they must be great. And when he commented on their ability to work on a wide variety of surfaces, rather than just those stated on the box, I knew this product would be right up my alley.

I'm not kidding when I say these Magic Erasers truly work miracles... and they're only about a buck apiece!

• These foam-like pads are extremely lightweight and resemble pieces of styrofoam.
• They are made of a porous melamine material that gets into hard-to-clean surfaces and tiny grooves... like magic!
• All it takes is a dab of water to moisten the eraser. No other cleaning chemicals needed (...and no elbow grease).

My Favorite Uses For Mr. Clean Magic Erasers

The very first time I tried a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, I was SHOCKED. It worked so well... but what really sold me was its ability to clean that slightly rough, textured surface that the handles of our appliances are made of.

After a few minutes of wiping down appliances, light switches, and cupboards (also lightly textured), I was compelled to go all around the house LOOKING for stuff to clean... These things are great at getting into the tiny cracks & crevices of virtually any surface!

My other faves:

Removing scuff marks from floors, doors, and baseboards (...not only scuff marks, but also years of black grime & built-up hairspray on white baseboards in the bathrooms & door panels of cabinets/doors)

Making tennis shoes look like new again

Cleaning white grout effortlessly

Removing set-in tea stains in the Mr. Coffee Instant Tea Maker (pitcher & tea holder)

Cleaning the textured plastic parts of the computer monitor, keyboard & mouse

Removing set-in stains from drink coasters (...even those ceramic ones)

Cleaning in the tiny nooks & crannies of the electric can opener

...but wait, there's more!