The Easiest Way to Clean Your Bathtub + The Best DIY Tub Cleaner EVER

If you asked me what my favorite cleaning tasks are the list would probably be really, REALLY short (okay, maybe none existent). Most sane people don't find cleaning particularly fun but nevertheless it's something that must be done. We live and play and go through our day-to-day routines making messes all along the way (More so if you are a child. Us parents are extra lucky!). I particularly hate cleaning the bathroom.

Let's face it, a bathroom is a gross place! You know what goes on in there!?! All kinds of body functions germing up the place. I find it kind of funny though how the germiest place in the house is also the place you go to degerm and get clean. Irony at it's best!

While gross things happen in the bathroom no one wants to go in a dirty one. Think highway gas station bathrooms. Some of those places make you think peeing on the side of the road is a good idea. Yuck!

While I hate cleaning bathrooms I have found what I consider the easiest way to clean your bathtub:

Get Bathtub Dirty

I don't know about you but I have noticed that taking baths on a regular basis seems to grime up the bathtub more quickly than if you took only showers. My kids regularly take baths (as does my husband) and so our bathtubs get nasty FAST.

It must be something about dirty water just sitting there in the tub for a decent amount of time. You get that prominent ring of dirt and grime. Lovely, I know.

Funny thing is that our bathtub gets nastier than the kids'. Maybe it's that man grime??

Make The Best DIY Tub Cleaner EVER

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup grease-fighting dish soap
• 1 tsp lemon essential oil (optional)
• empty spray bottle
• 2-cup glass measuring cup

Directions

Place the vinegar, dish soap, and lemon oil in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Stir. Microwave mixture for 55 seconds. Pour into a spray bottle.

If asthma or other respiratory issues are a concern, keep in mind that vinegar fumes may trigger certain individuals. For these reasons, this recipe might be best avoided. To reduce the risk of triggering reactions, diluting the solution with water might be a good idea.

Spray Tub Cleaner All Over The Bathtub

Thoroughly, spray your entire bathtub with this cleaner including faucets, handles, and drains. Okay, I am not going to lie. It will smell kind of bad. The lemon essential oil helps the vinegar smell a bit but not quite enough, unfortunately. Now it's time to relax. Yes, I said RELAX. Let the tub cleaner do it's magic while you go watch a TV show or take a nap. Come back in an hour or two.

Wipe Down The Bathtub

After a bit of relaxing, it's time to do some cleaning. Not hard active, sweat your butt off kind of cleaning. An almost tranquil kind of cleaning. Grab some sponges. I like to get mine at my local Target. It's the closest real store to my house so I am ALWAYS there.

Don't just get any sponges, though. Get quality ones like Scotch-Brite™ Brand. I grabbed a few different kinds –  the green Scotch-Brite® Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge and the blue Scotch-Brite® Non-Scratch Scrub Sponge.

I couldn't resist the savings so I even bought a Scotch-Brite® Heavy Duty Soap Dispensing Dishwand for my kitchen. It's been a lifesaver on pots, pans, grill racks, tools, tires, and sinks.

I used the green heavy-duty sponge to clean the base and sides of the tub. Not a lot of real scrubbing action was needed thanks to the awesome cleaner but I know that using a product that removes tough, baked-on messes 50% faster than other competitive sponges was the way to go. That grime looked scary and  I am all for cleaning tough messes 50% faster! Time is of the essence.

When it came to my oil rubbed bronze faucet, handle, and drain I opted to use the blue non-scratch sponge. I wasn't about to scratch those babies up! I knew something that was safe for non-stick cookware definitely could safely clean these guys without scratching.

Rinse The Bathtub

Once you have wiped the whole bathtub down with those amazing sponges it just needs a good rinse. Rinse it all away with water. Heck, maybe even take a nice, HOT shower to get the job done. Guilty as charged!