DIY Natural Cleaning Recipe: Homemade Soft Scrub

This is an all-purpose homemade soft scrub recipe that can be used in your kitchen and bathroom sinks, showers, bathtubs, and more! The best part is that it’s made from natural cleaning products and super simple to make with only three ingredients needed. It’s quick and easy to make while avoiding toxic chemicals in many store-bought products. Making it one of my favorite recipes and soon to become yours too!

benefits of making your own cleaning products

Making your own DIY cleaning products can be a great option for many reasons. This recipe is more affordable, it works better than the ones I have bought from the store and avoids many of the harsh ingredients in many cleaning products. While prices are always changing, this recipe costs me less than a dollar to make a single batch which I can use to clean my kitchen sink, bathroom sinks, and bathtub in one use. Plus you can make an effective cleaner in less time than it would take you to buy one!

where to use a soft scrub cleaner in your home

This homemade soft scrub recipe is incredible for cleaning grease, stains, or hard-to-remove spots. At the same time, it’s very gentle and can be used on a variety of surfaces in your home. I love that it doesn’t have any harsh chemicals and actually leaves my hands soft instead of red, cracked, or burning.

My favorite places to use this homemade soft scrub are in the kitchen and bathroom! It is so, so good for cleaning kitchen sinks (especially a white kitchen sink or one that is easily stained), stovetops, and inside your oven. Using the soft scrub for your kitchen sink and a few other tips for sink cleaning are all in this blog post. In the bathroom, this soft scrub is great for cleaning sinks, toilet bowls, showers, and bathtubs. I share a few more extra uses for the soft scrub at the end of this post.

natural ingredients

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1 capful thieves cleaner
• 5-10 drops of lemon essential oil

diy soft scrub cleaning recipe

This is going to be simple and go really quickly, but that’s the beauty of this homemade soft scrub recipe.

First, add 1 cup of baking soda to a mixing bowl.

Then add 1/2 – 1 capful of thieves cleaner and 5-10 drops of lemon essential oil to the baking soda. While you can use other essential oils, I like using lemon for the grease cutting and sticky residue, natural antimicrobial properties, and freshens the air! Other citrus oils may also work as well.

Mix all of the ingredients together until well distributed.  This may take a little time, especially to get the clumps evenly spread out in the baking soda.  You can press a spoon down on any stubborn spots to ensure they are well-mixed.

Add the homemade soft scrub to a glass jar for storing. It is best if used 8 hours later up to overnight before to allow the mixture to meld together.

how to use your natural soft scrub

To use your homemade soft scrub recipe, you will want to add 1 part water to 2 parts soft scrub. This will make a paste to apply to your kitchen sink, stovetop, bathroom sink, bathtub, shower walls, oven, or anything else you are cleaning. If the paste is too thick, you can add more water if needed. Typically, when I use this for my kitchen and bathroom sinks I just eyeball the ratios and start small since a little goes a long way. Just try it out, since you can’t really go wrong.

Using a cleaning scrub brush, rub the paste in a circular motion. Depending on what you are cleaning, leave the soft scrub paste for 5 minutes to absorb any stains and start working. Come back a second time, using the scrub brush with warm water to start rinsing and washing away the soft scrub. Make sure to thoroughly rinse away the soft scrub, as it can leave behind a white residue from the baking soda. You can also wipe with a damp cloth to ensure the baking soda is gone.

Repeat as needed or allow the soft scrub to sit for up to 20 minutes for hard-to-get-out stains.

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how long does a natural soft scrub last?

This homemade soft scrub can last up to 2-3 weeks in your glass airtight container. This allows you to use it weekly without having to make another batch. If you find you are running out quickly, go ahead and double or triple the recipe the next time.

Using DIY cleaning products can be a great start to a low-tox lifestyle and an economical way to clean your home. Baking soda and thieves cleaners are staples in my home and are such versatile cleaners. Once you start using these natural cleaning products in your home, there is no going back to anything else!

what else can you use this diy soft scrub for?

Some of my favorite cleaning hacks are to use this homemade soft scrub when I can’t get a stain out of something or tough cleaning jobs. This has worked to get scuff marks off walls as well as getting out tough laundry stains. This combination of ingredients has even gotten grease marks out from my husband’s work clothes!

For laundry stains, my recommendation is to add a soft scrub with just enough water to form a thick paste. Gently rub into the stain and leave for 15 minutes to several hours or overnight before washing the item in the laundry as normal. If the stain remains, repeat the process and don’t put the item in the dryer otherwise your stain may be set permanently.

More Natural Cleaning & Laundry Recipes

• Best Way to Clean a White Kitchen Sink
• How to Make a Lemon Vinegar Cleaning Spray
• DIY Anti-Wrinkle Release Spray
• Homemade Laundry Scent Booster

Hi, I’m Kristin.

I am so glad you are here ready to make some really incredible diy recipes with simple ingredients. Join me in learning how to use essential oils in all of your homemade personal care products and creating a natural home.

Read more about me here.

Lastly, if you make this diy recipe please share your comments below. I love to hear from everyone who makes these homemade recipes and do my best to respond to all of them!