Updated 14 Apr 2016
Baking Soda and Vinegar
Baking Soda and Vinegar
Snapshot: Baking Soda and Vinegar Baking Soda and Vinegar is a powder and liquid bathroom cleaner that is quick and easy to create. But how well does it remove soft and hard soap scum?
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Test results
Overall score
Soft soap scum removal
Hard soap scum removal
Good points
- No obvious good points.
But
- Just OK at removing soft soap scum.
- Poor at removing hard soap scum.
How we test
Overall score
- Soft soap scum removal - 80%
- Hard soap scum removal - 20%
Soft soap scum
To simulate soft soap scum, we use a scum comprised of hard soaps, synthetic sebum (simulating bodily oils) and carbon black (to give the scum colour so its removal can be measured). The scum is baked on to white ceramic tiles at 80°C and is then scrubbed off with a mechanical scrubbing arm. To determine the scum-removal score, we measured the light reflected before and after scrubbing. We repeated each test three times and averaged the results.
Hard soap scum
To simulate hard soap scum, we used a combination of calcium stearate and carbon black. Calcium stearate is the most common hard soap scum and is formed due to the reaction between soap ingredients and calcium ions present in water. The scum is baked on to white ceramic tiles at 180°C and is then scrubbed off with a mechanical scrubbing arm. To determine the scum-removal score, we measured the light reflected before and after scrubbing. We repeated each test three times and averaged the results.
