My bathtub could be the poster child for “ring around the bathtub”. My little boys like to take a bath in my tub because it is extra deep and they love to practice their swimming moves at bath time. Then we let the water out, leaving a line of dirt and grime all the way around the tub. It builds up fast and usually requires a lot of scrubbing on my part to remove. Until I found this miracle homemade tub and shower cleaner recipe.
This 2-ingredient tub cleaner recipe has been “out there” for awhile, and I finally got around to trying it (back in June) and am finally getting around to sharing it with you – I actually have lots of new cleaning tips and even a homemade laundry detergent recipe I will be posting here soon.
Updated 2019: This homemade tub and shower cleaner is still my favorite way to clean the grime off my bathtubs.
You are going to love this tub/shower cleaner though. I promise. It easily cuts through layers upon layers of grimy film and leaves your tub and shower sparkling clean. The best part is how easy it is to make with non-toxic grocery store ingredients. Stuff you probably already have right now at home.
What You’ll Need:
- White Vinegar
- Dawn dishwashing liquid (the blue kind).
- A spray bottle
How To Make:
1. Heat 1.5 cups of vinegar until very hot, almost boiling.
2. Carefully pour the hot vinegar into a spray bottle and add 12 ounces (1.5 cups) Dawn original dishwashing liquid.
3. Shake it up until mixed.
How To Use:
1. Spray the tub and shower area with the Vinegar/Dawn mixture until the entire surface area is coated.
2. Allow the cleaner to work its magic for 10-20 minutes.
3. Use a cleaning cloth to wipe down the tub/shower area. Dirt and grime should wipe off easily. Rinse tub/shower area thoroughly with water.
Every time I use this DIY cleaner, I am amazed with the results. My tub gets filthy because of the kids, and I normally have to scrub and scrub and scrub to get it all clean. Now that I use the Vinegar/Dawn, it cuts right through the dirt so it wipes off as easy as anything. The rinsing part at the end can get a bit sudsy (because of Dawn’s soap bubble action) but everything quickly rinses away, leaving a squeaky clean tub. This recipe is a keeper for sure!
Have you ever cleaned your tub and shower with a Dawn/Vinegar mixture? Try this homemade cleaner recipe for yourself and let me know how well it works for you.
Want to see another DIY Cleaner recipe that I love to use? Check out my blog post: Homemade Mopping Solution Floor Cleaner!
Julie Wood says
I have all the ingredients and I am going to make this bathtub cleaner. What an easy way to clean my bathtub and it doesn’t cost a lot of money. Thanks for the recipe.
Nicole says
Let me know how it goes – I hope you love it! -Nicole
Julie Wood says
No one in my house uses the bath tub except me. I made your recipe and used it on my tub and it came out clean and smells very nice. Thanks for an inexpensive recipe!
Nicole says
Yea! So glad you tried it and like it. Thank you for letting me know. I think it works better than any tub cleaning products I have ever bought at the store.
mrscontent says
I am going to temp you with a little twist haha. I use equal parts of dawn, cleaning vinegar and lemon juice. This stuff is addictive, so enter at your own risk haha
Nicole says
OOOOOOHHH I am very tempted by your lemony twist on this cleaner! My tub is in need of a good clean this week, so I will give your recipe a try. Thank you for telling me about it. I love to mix things up (literally!) when I clean. Can’t wait to give it a go. 🙂
Mary A says
Is this safe to use on natural stone?
Nicole says
Hi Mary, Thanks for your question about using the DIY Tub and Shower cleaner on natural stone. I don’t know from personal experience, but I did a little bit of internet research and read that using Vinegar on natural stone is not recommended. Vinegar is acidic and can cause damage to natural stone.
Linda O'Rourke says
Can I use the regular apple cider vinegar ..not the white vinegar ..will it work the same
Nicole says
Hi Linda, Yes, you can use the regular apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar. It should work the same. Thanks for asking a great question! -Nicole
Cheryl Eversoll says
But BEWARE as the apple cider will attract some kinds of knats, and usually the white does not produce this effect!
Nicole says
Wow, I didn’t know that about the apple cider attracting gnats! Thanks for sharing the tip. I always use white vinegar in this recipe, and haven’t had any issues whatsoever. It’s still my favorite thing to use to clean my tub. 🙂
bn100 says
Easy and helpful tips
Maryann D. says
I love making cleaning products with vinegar. I need help with my shower area (it does not look as shiny anymore) so I do have to try this too!
poonam P says
Hello,
Do I need to make this recipe everytime I clean or I can save in the spray bottle for later use?
Nicole says
Hi! I usually make up a batch that lasts me for a couple of cleanings. There is no reason I can think of that the recipe wouldn’t keep for a long time on the shelf. Vinegar and dishwashing soap should keep just fine for at least weeks, if not months. I have never tried keeping it for that long, so I can’t say for sure what will happen if you mix it up and left it for a long time. I think it should be okay, but if you or anyone else out there reading the comments may have a better answer, please reply and let us know.
Thank you for your question! –Nicole
Andre says
I poured non-boiled vinegar into a regular-sized spray bottle, and squeezed plenty of dish soap into it. I shook the bottle, sprayed, then cleaned without waiting 10 minutes. This mixture worked well, for probably two months. When the bottle ran low, I refilled it, and I had not issues. I am om my third refill.
Nicole says
Hi Andre,
That sounds great. I’m so glad you were able to put your own spin on the cleaner, and make it work! This is still my favorite homemade recipe for tub cleaner, it really gets the job done. Thank you so much for your comment, I am sure others will find it helpful. Have a wonderful day! -Nicole
Robin Stanish says
Also use Dawn baking soda and hydrogen peroxide mix,to clean cat urine from carpeting…or mix as paste to apply to the dog that has been skunked,works better than tomato juice.
Nicole says
Thanks for the great tips, Robin. I don’t have a cat, but I can imagine getting rid of the cat urine smell can be a big problem. I do have a dog – who HAS been skunked before. I hope it never happens again, but if it does, I will definitely give him a Dawn/bakingsoda/peroxide the way you suggest.
Donna @ Modern on Monticello says
So easy and I’m sure the results are amazing. Thanks for sharing a great idea. #HomeMattersParty
sahana says
Such an easy recipe.I have to try it. I already have both the ingredients. #HomeMattersParty
Nicole says
It’s super easy to make and use, I love this cleaner for my tub more than any store bought! Let me know if you have any questions. Hope you love it, too!
Lorelai @ Life With Lorelai says
Vinegar is so versatile! This tub cleaner sounds fantastic. We are going to have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty 🙂
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Emily @DomesticDeadline.com says
Dawn really does cut through grease, but unfortunately, it has stuff in it that my daughter is allergic to. But, I’m going to try it with the dish soap we can use and see if it works. When my son is super dirty and wants a bath, I make him rinse off in the shower before filling the tub so doesn’t end up in dirty water, which helps with the ring around the tub. #HomeMattersParty
Nicole says
I would be interested to hear how it works with a different dish soap. If you give it a try, I hope you’ll let me know if it works well or not. That’s a good idea to do a pre-shower when the kids are super dirty. Sometimes mine don’t look that dirty and we still end up with ring around the tub. LOL Thanks for stopping by! –Nicole
Mrs. C says
I’m a little confused with the recipe are we heating The vinegar and adding lemon also can this be used on stainless steel stainless kitchen sink
Nicole says
Hi and thanks for your question. To make this Dawn and Vinegar recipe, you heat the vinegar before adding the Dawn soap. If you are using Lemon vinegar, you will want to infuse the vinegar with lemons and strain out any pieces of lemon before you heat up the lemon vinegar. I hope that helps answer your question, but if it doesn’t, please email me back and I’ll be happy to help clear up the details. –Nicole
Anna says
Hi there! I used seventh generation dish soap with the vinegar, and it seems to work great!!! I will try with dawn as well and see if there is a difference soon! Thank you so much for your post!!!
Nicole says
Hi Anna, Thank you so much for letting me know how it works with Seventh Generation. That’s great! –Nicole
Amanda says
Works like a charm I am impressed! Had to use use a couple times because I had build up Iv been trying to get off forever. But I’m so happy! I was lazy and did not heat up the vinegar. But I can only imagine if I did it would work even better. Thank you for the combo!
Nicole says
Hi Amanda, Thank you so much for coming back to tell me how this DIY Tub and Shower Cleaner worked for you. I am so happy to hear you loved it. It’s my favorite DIY cleaner recipe! Have a great day, Nicole
Sharon says
Did u really mean to use 1.5 cups dawn? That’s an awful lot
Nicole says
Hi Sharon,
Yes, I use 1.5 cups of Dawn when I make this homemade cleaner BUT it makes a lot so it lasts me multiple cleaning times. If you don’t want to make as much of this, just cut all the recipe ingredients in half or in thirds.
Mary Ann Cybulskie says
Actually Dawn is great for cleaning everything
Jessica says
I need to try this. I was wondering if you have anything for cleaning carpet for bad dogs? I have a 16 year old and a Male that is so bad and does what he wants.
Nicole says
Hi Jessica, Thanks for your question! I have a puppy, so I know how accidents on the carpet can be hard to get out. I don’t have a homemade recipe for a pet accident carpet cleaner, mainly because when it comes to pet urine, it is worth it to me to by an “enzyme cleaner.” Regular carpet cleaners may get out the stains, but an enzyme cleaner actually breaks down the urine particles and gets rid of the stuff we can’t see. Enzyme cleaners are also the best thing I have found to get rid of any lingering pet urine smells in the carpet. I hope that helps you find a solution! –Nicole
Kathy says
What is the reason for heating up the vinegar? Every where I have read suggests not heating so curious as to why you heat. Also, does it matter what blue dawn is used? like is Platinum ok? (thats what I have) Thanks, can’t wait to try.
Nicole says
Hi Kathy, Thanks for your question. You can make this recipe without heating up the vinegar. The reason for heating the vinegar is to help the ingredients mix together more easily. But, the vinegar and Dawn will mix together either way when you stir or shake together to combine. I haven’t made this with the Dawn Platinum, but I think you should be fine using Dawn Platinum. If anything, Dawn Platinum may be even better than the original since Platinum formula has extra cleaning power in its formula. If you give this a try (I think you should!) let me know how it works for you. The Dawn + Vinegar cleaner is great for tubs and showers, and any other grime cleaning jobs you may have inside and outside the house. I have heard people have successfully used Dawn Vinegar to clean the interior of the refrigerators, sinks and toilet bowls, garbage cans, and patio furniture. –Nicole
Teena says
If solution Remained then it could be used later on or not ? And where else we can use the remaining solution?
Nicole says
Hi Teena, Yes, if you have leftover solution, you can save it and use it later. Besides the shower and tub, you can use it to clean toilets, tile surfaces, and sinks, most types of patio furniture (I’m especially thinking the hard plastic kind), outdoor planters, garage door, refrigerator interior, and inside of trash cans. Hope that helps give you some ideas for ways to use it up. Thank you for your question. –Nicole