7 Surprising Ways to Clean With Shaving Cream

By
Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary Marlowe Leverette 2018
Mary Marlowe Leverette

Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry's most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40+ years of experience and 20+ years of writing experience. Mary is also a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

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Published on 05/12/23
Close up of shaving cream and razor

CaiaImageCLOSED / Getty Images

Shaving cream contains many of the same active ingredients found in bar or liquid soap —surfactants, emulsifiers, and cleaning agents. It is essentially a can of ready-to-use whipped soap. So, if you need to clean your hands or wipe down a bathroom sink, it can be used as a substitute.

The internet has exploded with cleaning hacks using shaving cream instead of other cleaners. If you decide to give some of the tips a try, stick to the most inexpensive and basic foaming shaving creams — no gels or added moisturizers and colors. These ingredients can leave stains if using shaving cream to clean porous surfaces.

If you're out of your regular cleaning products, give shaving cream a try for these 7 tips. You may just want to add it to your cleaning supplies.

  • 01 of 07

    Clean Grime From Painted Walls and Trim

    White flat paint on wall being cleaned up by gray towel in hand

    The Spruce / Ana Cadena

    Painted walls and around door knobs and light switches can quickly become grimy from our hands. Because shaving cream contains so little water, it is a good choice for quick clean-ups with no drips onto cleaner areas of the wall. It also works great on painted kitchen cabinets.

    • Dampen a microfiber cloth with water and wring until it is not dripping.
    • Spray a small dollop of shaving cream onto the cloth.
    • Gently scrub away the smudges and dirt.
    • Use a dry microfiber cloth to wipe away any residue.
    Continue to 2 of 7 below.
  • 02 of 07

    Remove Laundry Stains

    coffee stain on white clothing

    The Spruce / Letícia Almeida 

    Shaving cream can be handy to treat stains on washable clothing.

    • For spills, blot the stain with a paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible.
    • Lift any solids away from the fabric with a dull knife or spoon. Never rub a stain because it pushes it deeper into the fibers and makes it more difficult to remove.
    • Dampen the stained area with water
    • Work a dab of shaving cream into the fabric with your fingers.
    • Flush the area with cold water, or wipe it with a white cloth dipped in cold water. Always use a white cloth or paper towel to prevent any color transfer from one fabric to the other.
    • Finally, blot the area with a dry white cloth or paper towel if you are wearing the garment, or add it to your regular load of laundry.
    Continue to 3 of 7 below.
  • 03 of 07

    Prevent Bathroom Mirror Fogging

    Bathroom with big round mirror
    in4mal / Getty Images

    Jill Nystul of One Good Thing by Jillee recommends using shaving cream to prevent a bathroom mirror from fogging after your shower.

    • Spray some shaving cream on a clean microfiber cloth.
    • Use the cloth to apply a thin layer of shaving cream to the mirror.
    • Do not rinse.
    • Use a second, clean, dry microfiber cloth to buff away the foam.
    Continue to 4 of 7 below.
  • 04 of 07

    Shine Stainless Steel

    Applying cleaning paste with a microfiber cloth

    The Spruce / Sarah Lee

    Stainless steel sinks and appliances are durable but can develop streaks and water spots. Shaving cream can make stainless steel shiny again.

    • Dampen a microfiber cloth and wring until it is not dripping.
    • Use the damp cloth to rub shaving cream on the stainless surface.
    • Use a second, clean microfiber cloth to remove the residue and buff the surface to a shine.
    Continue to 5 of 7 below.
  • 05 of 07

    Shine Chrome Fixtures

    Green lint-free microfiber cloth drying off chrome sink faucet

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

    Many bathroom and kitchen faucets and fixtures are made from chrome. Shaving cream can help restore the shine.

    • Spray some shaving cream onto a damp microfiber cloth.
    • Wipe the fixtures to remove soap scum and water spots.
    • Use a dry microfiber cloth to buff the fixtures to a shine.
    Continue to 6 of 7 below.
  • 06 of 07

    Clean the Bathtub or Shower Floor

    empty bathtub

    The Spruce / Ana Cadena  

    Lynsey Crombie, the self-proclaimed The Queen of Clean, offers this shaving cream and broom bathtub cleaning hack to save your back.

    • Spray shaving cream liberally over the end of a broom's bristles.
    • Scrub the tub.
    • Rinse well.

    Tip

    Be sure your broom is clean before you try scrubbing your tub. No need to spread dirt from the broom in the tub.

    Continue to 7 of 7 below.
  • 07 of 07

    Clean a Microfiber Couch

    Damp green microfiber cloth rinsing blue microfiber couch with water

    The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

    If your microfiber couch has a care tag that says it can be cleaned with a water-based cleaner, you can use shaving cream for spot-cleaning or overall cleaning.

    • Start by vacuuming the couch to remove loose dust and soil.
    • Spray a small amount of shaving cream on a damp microfiber cloth or sponge.
    • Start at the top of a cushion or the couch back or arms, and evenly spread the shaving cream and scrub well.
    • Once an area has been cleaned, slightly dampen a microfiber cleaning cloth with plain water and wipe down the area.
    • Repeat the steps until the couch is clean.
    • Allow the fabric to air-dry completely.
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