Using Sugar Soap To Clean Your Shower
Is it safe to use Selleys Original Sugar Soap to clean the shower?
Yes — Selleys Original Sugar Soap can be used in the shower, and showers are among its listed bathroom uses along with tiles, bathtubs, basins, toilets, glass and mirrors. But it comes with conditions you have to follow, and Selleys is clear that there is a better solution for cleaning a shower: Selleys Complete Clean Bathroom & Shower Spray.
The Complete Clean product is a household grade disinfectant cleaner that powers through tough soap scum, dirt and grime while killing 99.9% of germs (S. aureus and E. coli). It is made for showers, bathtubs and toilets.
If you are using Sugar Soap: directions
- Add half a cup of Liquid Sugar Soap to 5 litres of water.
- Use a soft cloth such as a Selleys Super Cloth. Soak it in the solution, wring off the excess, and clean the surfaces.
- Remove splashes promptly with clean water.
- Rinse the shower recess well after use. This is a stated requirement on the product's data sheet — floors, baths and shower recesses must be rinsed well.
The three limits that matter in a bathroom
Do not use it on aluminium and brass surfaces. If you do, wipe it off immediately. Sugar Soap can tarnish or discolour bare brass and aluminium — see what Sugar Soap does to brass and aluminium. In a shower this covers frames, rails, and older tapware and fittings.
Rinse well from glass before the product dries. A shower screen is a large expanse of glass in the direct path of everything you spray or wipe. Sugar Soap is a salts-based cleaner, and solution that dries on glass leaves a hard deposit that is difficult to remove — the subject of streaking on windows after using Sugar Soap.
Rinse the recess thoroughly afterwards. A shower base holds residue in corners and around the waste, and the next person in barefoot is standing on whatever is left.
Two more general points apply: never add another product to Selleys Original Sugar Soap, and note the safety directions — it causes serious eye irritation, so avoid contact with skin and eyes, wear rubber gloves if you have sensitive skin, and wash your hands after use.
Why the Complete Clean spray is the better fit
The difference is what each product is designed to do.
Sugar Soap is a professional-strength alkaline cleaner with a pH of around 11, developed for cleaning walls and ceilings before painting. It is a capable general cleaner, but it is a concentrate you mix, apply and then have to rinse off carefully.
Selleys Complete Clean Bathroom & Shower Cleaner is a ready-to-use spray formulated for exactly this job — to power through soap scum and remove the dirt you can see and the germs you cannot.
| Property | Typical result |
|---|---|
| Packaging | 750 mL plastic spray bottle |
| Colour | Clear and colourless |
| Density | ~1.02 g/mL |
| pH | <3 |
| Disinfecting contact time | 10 minutes |
Figures are indicative data only and are not intended for the preparation of specifications.
Note the pH: below 3, where Sugar Soap is around 11. They are at opposite ends of the scale, which is another reason never to use them together or one straight after the other without rinsing.
How to use it
- Do not mix it with other detergents or chemicals.
- Test suitability in a small inconspicuous area first.
- Turn the nozzle to the ON position while directing the trigger away from your face.
- Spray the area to be cleaned until it is thoroughly wet.
- Rinse and/or wipe with a clean damp cloth.
- For disinfecting, rinse and/or wipe with a clean damp cloth 10 minutes after use. The disinfectant claim depends on that contact time — spraying and wiping straight away cleans the surface but does not give the product the time it needs.
- Turn the nozzle to OFF when not in use.
Where it must not be used
Selleys Complete Clean Bathroom & Shower Cleaner is not suitable for use on marble, natural stone, porous tiles, or aluminium surfaces.
Check your bathroom against that list before you buy. Stone shower bases and natural stone or unglazed feature tiles are common, and an acidic cleaner is the wrong product for them. If your shower has stone or porous tiling, this is a genuine exclusion rather than a caution.
Its safety directions call for protective gloves and clothing including eye and face protection. If it gets in your eyes, hold them open, flood with water for at least 15 minutes and see a doctor.
Common questions
Can I use Sugar Soap in the shower?
Yes. Showers are a listed bathroom use. Dilute half a cup into 5 litres of water, clean with a soft cloth, and rinse the recess well afterwards.
What is the correct dilution?
Half a cup of Liquid Sugar Soap to 5 litres of water.
Do I have to rinse?
Yes. Floors, baths and shower recesses must be rinsed well after use, splashes should be removed promptly with clean water, and glass must be rinsed before the product dries.
Will it damage the shower screen?
Not if it is rinsed off before it dries. Left to dry on glass, it leaves a hard salts deposit that is difficult to remove.
What about the tapware and frames?
Do not use it on aluminium or brass. If it does contact them, wipe it off immediately.
What is the better product for a shower?
Selleys Complete Clean Bathroom & Shower Spray — a household grade disinfectant cleaner made for showers, bathtubs and toilets that kills 99.9% of germs (S. aureus and E. coli).
How long do I leave the Complete Clean spray on?
For disinfecting, rinse or wipe with a clean damp cloth 10 minutes after use.
Can I use it on a stone shower base?
No. It is not suitable for marble, natural stone, porous tiles or aluminium surfaces.
Can I mix the two products for a stronger clean?
No. Never mix them — one is strongly alkaline and the other strongly acidic, and both data sheets say not to mix with other cleaners.
What about scale build-up in the shower?
Neither product is a descaler. See removing lime and calcium from bathroom tiles. For mould in the recess, see how to get rid of bathroom mould.
Is Selleys Original Sugar Soap safe to use to clean a shower?
Yes, Selleys Original Sugar Soap can be used to clean shower floors and tiles.
How do you prepare Selleys Liquid Sugar Soap solution for cleaning a shower?
Add ½ cup of Liquid Sugar Soap to 5 litres of water to prepare the cleaning solution.
What is the recommended method for applying sugar soap to shower surfaces?
Using a soft clean cloth like Selleys Super Cloth, soak it in the sugar soap solution, wring off the excess, and wipe down the shower floors and tiles.
What should you do if Liquid Sugar Soap splashes onto a surface?
Any splashes of Liquid Sugar Soap should be removed immediately with clean water.
Are there surfaces you should avoid using Selleys Sugar Soap on?
Yes, Selleys Sugar Soap should not be used on aluminium or brass surfaces. If accidental contact occurs, it should be wiped off immediately.
How should glass be treated after applying sugar soap?
Glass must be rinsed well before the sugar soap product dries to prevent residue buildup.
What final step is needed after cleaning shower surfaces with sugar soap?
After cleaning, floors, baths, and shower recesses should be rinsed well.
Is there a product better suited specifically for cleaning showers than sugar soap?
Yes, Selleys Complete Clean Bathroom & Shower Spray is recommended as a better solution for cleaning showers. It is a household grade disinfectant cleaner that powers through tough soap scum, dirt, and grime while killing 99.9% of germs (S. aureus and E. coli), making it ideal for showers, bathtubs, and toilets.