Several years ago I learned that making your own soft scrub was a super easy thing to do. Basically you just mix baking soda and dish soap, although if I’m feeling fancier I love to make my homemade lemon soft scrub too. I’ve grown accustomed to always keeping a batch of my money-saving homemade soft scrub on hand and would be rather lost without it, especially for cleaning my kitchen and bathroom sinks.

And then one day I was reading an article about different uses for Murphy’s Oil Soap and one of them was to use it for shining your stainless steel sink. Hmmmm, I said to myself . . . that sounds like an interesting idea to try, but if I’m going to use oil soap to shine my sink, why not just add it to the soft scrub I’m already using to clean the sink? After all, it’s a liquid soap like the dish soap I usually use. I decided it was time to give it a try!

My hunch was right and I found that an oil soap like Murphy’s could indeed be substituted into a homemade soft scrub mixture and it’s been a fun new addition to my arsenal of homemade cleaning strategies.

How To Make Homemade Soft Scrub With Murphy’s Oil Soap

As mentioned above, homemade soft scrub recipes are usually a basic two ingredient affair, and this recipe is no different. It’s a simple matter of measuring out some baking soda and then stirring in your liquid soap. For this recipe I’m using 2/3 cup baking soda + 4 tablespoons oil soap. (And as you can see in the photo below, I’m currently using my frugal version of Oil Soap from my local dollar store instead of the more popular name brand).

When it comes to mixing the soap into my soft scrub mixtures, I always think of my recipes in terms of tablespoons so that I can add it into the mixture gradually, one tablespoon at a time, until I’m happy with the consistency.

And when do you know if you have the right consistency? I usually say “mix until it looks like frosting”. Every time I make homemade soft scrub I can’t help but see that comparison!

Although sometimes it also looks like mashed potatoes . . . or maybe I’m just hungry.

Why I Like My New Oil Soap Soft Scrub

So why make this new version? What makes it different or better than my usual homemade soft scrub recipe made with dish soap?

Here are a few things I noticed:

First, I noticed it rinsed away very nicely. Sometimes dish soap can be very bubbly and you can find yourself chasing suds all around the sink as you try to finish up with your DIY soft scrub. With this oil soap version, I noticed that it rinsed away very easily and did not leave any baking soda residue either.

Second, it cleans AND shines. After I finish cleaning up my stainless steel sink with this scrub, it really does seem to have a little extra shine to it.

And finally, the mixture stays blended well. Sometimes the baking soda and dish soap can separate a bit when your homemade soft scrub mixtures are not being used. Although this is still a somewhat new mixture for me, so far it has stayed mixed together when setting and seems very promising in this regard.

So far I’ve used this mixture on both my kitchen sink and my bathroom sinks with very good results. Remember if you are trying a new homemade mixture and have any reservations, try it in a smaller less noticeable area first.

And if you want to give your stainless steel sink a final shining, you can just put a little bit of the oil soap straight onto a rag or paper towel and then rub it around the sink and buff it down. This takes a little more elbow grease to get it all rubbed in well, but it will leave the surface of your sink very shiny and easier to clean for several days.

So using an oil soap in homemade soft scrubs is definitely a strategy I’ll use in the future. I just wish I had thought of it sooner!

More Homemade Cleaning Ideas:

• Make Your Own Powdered Cinnamon Sink Scrub
• 6 Easy Homemade Cleaning Sprays
• The Frugal Way To Clean A Smooth Stovetop
• DIY Lemon Soft Scrub