Homemade Soft Scrub

Do you have soap scum in your tub or shower?

Kitchen sink dull or scratched?

Surface stains on your counter?

Hard to clean food stuck on dishes?

Then you are going to be so happy that you found this DIY soft scrub recipe!

Here are a few of the reasons I love this cleaner:

• easy to make:  only 4 ingredients (and one is water).  only takes about 2 minutes to whip up a batch.
• inexpensive:  only costs pennies per use
• effective:  it works!  You can see in photos below that I use this soft scrub to clean stuck on food from dishes, remove surface stains from counters, clean & shine sinks, cut through soap scum in bathtubs and showers, and clean dirt & grime from sinks.
• natural:  non-toxic, no harsh chemicals, and eco friendly

Use diy soft scrub to clean stuck-on food from dishes

Use diy soft scrub to clean surface stains from laminate counters (this lovely mess was from making blueberry pancakes)

Use diy soft scrub to disinfect and restore shine to kitchen sinks

Use diy soft scrub to clean soap scum from bathtubs and showers

Use diy soft scrub to clean dirt and grime from sinks

What’s in this homemade soft scrub?

baking soda – acts as a mild abrasive to help remove dirt, grime, and surface stains

unscented liquid Castile soap – grease, dirt, & soap scum fighter

essential oil – degreaser, deodorizer, and disinfectant

distilled water – thins the consistency of the soft scrub so it can be spread out over the surface that’s being cleaned

Free printable labels and recipe cards

Be sure to click here get your free printable soft scrub labels and recipe cards.  Feel free to use these printables yourself, share them with your team, or use them as handouts for a make & take class.  Printable has three pages, so that you can print exactly what you need.

• 1st page –  1 bottle label & 1 recipe card (print this page if you just want to make soft scrub for yourself)
• 2nd page – 8 soft scrub labels (print this page if you want to share labels at a Make & Take class)
• 3rd page – 4 soft scrub recipe cards (print as many copies of this page as you need for a Make & Take class)

How to Make Homemade Soft Scrub Cleaner?

step 1:  using a funnel, add 3/4 cup baking soda to a 8 oz jar or squeeze bottle

step 2:  add 2 Tbsp unscented liquid Castile soap

step 3:  add 2 Tbsp distilled water

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step 4:  add 12 drops essential oil

suggested essential oils that are great degreasers, deodorizers, and disinfectants:

lemon essential oil

sweet (wild) orange essential oil

grapefruit essential oil

tangerine essential oil

tea tree (melaleuca) essential oil

use 12 drops of a single oil or use a combination of essential oils (such as 5 drops lemon, 5 drops tangerine, and 2 drops tea tree)

step 5:  use a chop stick or wooden skewer to stir soft scrub mixture together

once it’s well mixed, it should look like this (below)…

It should be a thin paste.  If it’s too thick, add another teaspoon or two of distilled water to thin it out.

step 6: print out free labels (get them here)

step 7: cut out labels

step 8: put label face down on packing tape

step 9:  adhere label to bottle

getting labels to stay stuck to squeeze bottles can be a little difficult.  I’ve found the trick is to overlap the tape at the  back of the bottle so that the tape sticks to the tape as well as the bottle.

Here’s the Soft Scrub Recipe One More Time

(get free printable of recipe cards here)

add 3/4 cup baking soda to a 8 oz jar or squeeze bottle

add 2 Tbsp unscented liquid Castile soap

add 2 Tbsp distilled water

add 12 drops essential oil (see suggested oils in step 4 above)

use a chop stick or wooden skewer to stir soft scrub mixture together

It should be a thin paste.  If it’s too thick, add another teaspoon or two of distilled water to thin it out.

How to use

• Squeeze out a small amount onto the surface to be cleaned
• Using a damp sponge or microfiber cloth, scrub the surface
• If stains are really tough, let the mixture sit for a few minutes and then scrub again
• Rinse with warm water

caution:  Baking soda is a mild abrasive.  Test soft scrub in an inconspicuous spot to make sure that’s it is safe for your surface.

tip:  if soft scrub dries out or become too thick, you can add a little more distilled water to thin it out.

Where to get supplies?

baking soda – baking aisle in the grocery store, or do what I do and get a gigantic bag of baking soda at Costco for about $6

unscented liquid Castile soap – I get mine here

distilled water – get it in the water section of your grocery store (or in place of distilled water, you can use boiled and cooled tap or filtered water)

8 oz squeeze bottle – I get mine here.   You cold also clean and sanitize an empty condiment bottle and use that.  Or you could use a glass jar and scoop the soft scrub out.  But I do really like my squeeze bottle for this soft scrub – it’s so easy and handy to use!  Makes cleaning a breeze!

funnel – any funnel will do.  Or skip the funnel – the opening is wide enough, you could just pour the Castile soap, water, and essential oils directly into the bottle (the bottle opening is pretty wide).  For the baking soda, I recommend using either a funnel or create a makeshift funnel by rolling up a piece of parchment paper.

chopstick or wooden skewer – raid your kitchen drawers for something long and skinny that will fit down into the squeeze bottle.  I use something like these 12-inch skewers.

click here for free printable labels and recipe cards

If you liked this post, here are a few other essential oil posts that I think you’ll like:

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Clever & Creative Ways to Use Empty Essential Oil Bottles

Best deals for essential oil supplies– diffusers cases, spray bottles, carrier oils, essential oil tools

calming diffuser blends for stress

soft & silky body butter with essential oils

essential oil face wash for your skin type

lavender, oatmeal, & milk bath soak for dry skin

25+ Easy DIY Gifts Made with Essential Oils

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Please note: Products mentioned in this article have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products and information on this page are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This website is not a substitute for professional care.  Always consult your medical doctor regarding your medical care. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

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