Picture of Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser for Bath and Kitchen, 26 ounce bottle, front view.

Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser Review

Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser for Bath and Kitchen smells citrusy. You don’t have to worry about splattering it on your clothes.  Why not?  No bleach here.  It’s superb at cleaning off mildew, grease, limescale, and soap scum in the kitchen and bathroom.

We’ve used this product since 2013, and find it quite the all around, not too scratchy liquid cleanser.  It’s easy on the skin as it has no harsh chemicals like bleach.  It emits no unpleasant odors or fumes. You instead get the fresh lemon. aroma.





A single 26 ounce bottle has enough cleaner to keep a bathtub sparkling clean for a year or more.  The whole line of Soft Scrub cleaners is affordable, pretty safe on surfaces, tough on dirt, and simple to use.  It saves lots of elbow grease that you’d spend scrubbing without it.  But, with no bleach, Soft Scrub is much better known for its scouring powers.

Picture of Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser for Bath and Kitchen, 26 ounce bottle, front view.
Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser for Bath and Kitchen, 26 ounce bottle, front view.

Benefits, Pros, Advantages, and Features of Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser

Creamy Lemon Scented Cleanser 

Thin enough to poor, but thick as natural maple syrup, this lemony cleaner features micro-fine scrubbing particles, with a slippery feel when rubbing it between the fingers.  The grit here is too small to feel however, which helps it clean dirt without scratching much.  This opaque white liquid visually resembles heavy dairy cream.  It’s dense, but still thin enough to poor and spread with ease.  Not a gel; neither clear nor transparent.

Useful Bathroom Cleaner

We most use this liquid cleanser in our small bathroom, for removing soap scum and mineral deposits from the bathtub, sink, soap dispensers, and occasionally the toilet whenever a stubborn rust spot appears under the rim.  Soft Scrub works particularly well at removing the most common bathroom dirt and scum.

Good Kitchen Cleanser Too

We keep a bottle near the sink when a particularly dirty pan arrives.

Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser Has a Gentle Lemon Essence

This lemon Soft Scrub has a gentle but not overpowering citrus aroma.  So you need not open windows or turn on exhaust fans while using it in confined spaces like a small bathroom.  Plus, the scent does not hang around until becoming obnoxious.  Within five minutes of rinsing away, its smell disappears as well.

Scratches Very Little

We’ve never scratched any bathroom or kitchen surface with this cleaner.  Yet it has effectively cleaned almost every surface tested.  But this product is not well-suited for cleaning aluminum, copper, brass, silver, wood, painted surfaces, and rubber items.  Avoid cleaning these with this product as discoloration and other damages might happen.





Use Rags or Sponges

Works just as well when applied with a rag as with a sponge.  We prefer rags, just because we can better feel, through the rag, the state of what we’re scrubbing, and can more rapidly tell when all stuck on food and grime has been scoured away.

Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser Quickly Rinses

Rinses away completely, and quickly.  Today’s formula rinses even faster and more easily, with its smaller, less perceptible particles.

Lifts Pot and Pan Grime

We’ve found the lemon scented Soft Scrub to work particularly well on pots and pans.  But do not use it on nonstick cookware, as you may rub away or damage its no-stick surfaces.

Easy to Find

This household cleaner is a snap to find in just about any grocery or home improvement store.  We get ours at Walmart or Giant Eagle.

Long Shelf Life

Remains effective as long as you keep the lid tightly closed when not using, although you may have to shake up the bottle if you let it sit for too many months.  And you may notice that the lemon citrus aroma weakens after years of storage.

Picture of the 26 ounce bottle, back view.
The 26 ounce bottle, back view.

Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, and Limitations of Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser

May Scratch if you Rub Too Hard

Can indeed scratch if you rub too hard while cleaning certain surfaces; particularly, soft metals.  So, rub no harder than you must. Also, be sure to test surfaces first, in a hidden locations to see how much this cleaner might scratch.

Not a Disinfectant

Not sure how good a disinfectant this Soft Scrub cleanser is, as it contains no bleach.  So I do not rely on it for actual disinfecting.  If I must clean a surface that also requires disinfecting, I follow up the Soft Scrub with some Lysol or spray bleach cleaner.  Fortunately, Soft Scrub cleanser is also available with bleach for situations like this.





Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser Can Dry Out

With the lid not tightly closed, this product can thicken and become too dry to squeeze out of the bottle and use.  So, to head off this problem, store unused portions of it in original containers, in a cool, dry place, and make sure the caps are tightly screwed onto bottle heads and that the snap top lids are clean and tightly snapped shut.  If it does dry up, you can generally and effectively reconstitute this product by adding some water.

Our Rating for Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser

We like Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser, and can’t think of a day since 1980, where we’ve not kept at least one bottle around the house, ready to use.  The initial releases of this cleanser may have been somewhat more abrasive than today’s versions.  But this modern product, even with its dissolving, smaller scrubbing particles, still cleans well. Plus, it does so without nearly the scratch risk, and it has a pleasant lemony scent.  Love it.  Today’s Soft Scrub is made for today’s delicate surfaces as well.  Indeed, they’ve kept up with the times.  Thus, we  therefore rate this cleanser at 95 out of 100.

Look for it in the white plastic bottle with the blue label with yellow lettering. Find it  at Lowe’s, Walmart, Giant Eagle Market District, or many other larger grocery and home stores.

Related Posts to Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser

  1. Soft Scrub Anti Bacterial Bleach Cleanser Cleaner Review
  2. Bar Keepers Friend® Soft Cleanser Review
  3. Soft Scrub Original Cleanser Review
  4. Great Value Bathroom Cleaner Foaming Spray Review
  5. Bleach Soft Scrub Cleanser Review

References for Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser

  1. Soft Scrub Products   Official Web Site
  2. Where to buy   Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser

Revision History

  • 2019-05-13: Added targeting for ‘Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser’, deleted ad code, and added tags.
  • 2018-02-24: Revised the tags list.
  • 2015-10-20: Added appropriate tags.
  • 2015-09-13: Originally published.