• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
go to homepage

Search by
Category
  • Cleaning Blog
  • Automotive
  • Bathroom Appliances and Fixtures
  • Carpets and Rugs
  • Cats
  • Closets and Organization
  • Dogs
  • Electronics
  • Fabrics
  • Floor & Carpet
  • Floors
  • Food
  • Furniture
  • General Housecleaning
  • House
  • Household Appliances and Fixtures
  • Jewelry
  • Kitchen Appliances and Fixtures
  • Kitchen and Bathroom Surfaces
  • Kitchenware
  • Metals
  • Outdoors
  • Other Pets, Animals and Pests
  • People
  • Stain Removal
  • Stuff
  • Surfaces
  • Things You Own
  • Tools and Techniques
  • Walls and Ceilings
  • Windows
  • Everything Else
  • Ask us your cleaning question

go to homepage

How To Clean Stuff.net

Search by
Category
  • Cleaning Blog
  • Automotive
  • Bathroom Appliances and Fixtures
  • Carpets and Rugs
  • Cats
  • Closets and Organization
  • Dogs
  • Electronics
  • Fabrics
  • Floor & Carpet
  • Floors
  • Food
  • Furniture
  • General Housecleaning
  • House
  • Household Appliances and Fixtures
  • Jewelry
  • Kitchen Appliances and Fixtures
  • Kitchen and Bathroom Surfaces
  • Kitchenware
  • Metals
  • Outdoors
  • Other Pets, Animals and Pests
  • People
  • Stain Removal
  • Stuff
  • Surfaces
  • Things You Own
  • Tools and Techniques
  • Walls and Ceilings
  • Windows
  • Everything Else
  • Ask us your cleaning question

Home / Cleaning Guides / House / Surfaces / How to Remove Shower Gel from Wood

How to Remove Shower Gel from Wood

Table of Contents:
  1. Salt Method
  2. Oil Method
  3. Additional Tips and Advice

Barbara asked: How do I remove shower gel from wood? A bottle of shower gel has spilled over the base of a wooden drawer and soaked into it. I have removed as much as possible with a dry cloth.

When the dyes and liquid soap get absorbed by wood, they can be difficult to remove entirely. The likelihood of this spill coming up completely depends in part on the ingredients found in the gel and a great deal on whether or not the wood was finished. Unfinished wood will allow the soap to be absorbed into the pores of the wood. It may never come clean, but you can improve the appearance by following these steps.

Salt Method

You Will Need:

  • Salt
  • Vacuum

Steps to Remove the Soap:

  1. Pour a generous amount of salt over the affected area.
  2. Rub it in with your hand, using a circular scouring motion until the salt has been well distributed and fully coats the mess.
  3. Wait for the salt to dry, then use the vacuum to clean it from the drawer. Alternatively, you can remove the drawer and dump it out, then wipe clean with a paper towel.
  4. Repeat until no moisture remains in the drawer.

Oil Method

You Will Need:

  • Vegetable oil
  • Paper towels or towels
  • All purpose cleaner

Steps to Remove the Soap:

  1. Wipe away as much of the soap spill as possible with paper towels. Cloth towels can be used as well and washed afterwards.
  2. Rub a thin layer of vegetable oil over the soapy area. The oil will bond with the soap and allow it to be removed.
  3. Allow it to set for a few minutes.
  4. Spray the all purpose cleaner onto the vegetable oil.
  5. Wipe the area dry with dry paper towels. This will remove both the oil and the attached soap.
  6. Repeat as necessary until the soap is removed.
  7. Allow the area to air dry completely.

Additional Tips and Advice

  • Be wary of adding moisture to the stain. You’re likely to end up with an even larger stain, along with rings or spots from the moisture.
  • If marks remain on unfinished wood, you can lightly sand the affected area. It’s possible this may remove the stain, but you should be aware that the stain may have seeped deep into the wood and will not come out.

Cleaning Guides, Surfaces

Was This Guide Helpful?

+5
-1
Rating: 84%. From 6 votes.
Please wait...

Related Posts

  • How to Remove Wood Marker from Surfaces
  • How to Remove Lotion from Bare Wood
  • How to Remove Paint from Wood Trim
  • How to Remove White Smudges from Cherry Wood
  • How to Remove Water Stains from Wood
  • How to Remove Superglue from Wood

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, conse ctetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit sed diam.


Thank you for subscribing!

Reader Interactions

About the Author

Avatar photo

Susan

I'm a stay-at-home mom who used to run a small housecleaning business. These days I consider myself more or a mad cleaning-scientist. I do most of the testing for our articles - as well as helping Mark & Melanie write them.

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Helpful comments include feedback on the recipe or changes you made.

Primary Sidebar

Featured Guides

How to Clean a Hairbrush

How to Clean a Microwave Oven With ZERO Chemicals

How to Clean Every Dental Retainer

How to Clean your Macbook’s Screen

Join our mailing list.
Be the first to know about new arrivals, sales, and special events.
Thank you for subscribing!

Footer

Browse by Category

  • Automotive
  • Clothing & Fabrics
  • Floors & Carpets
  • Housecleaning
  • Kitchen & Bath
  • Outdoors
  • People & Pets
  • Household Stuff

Contact

  • Ask Us Your Cleaning Questions
  • Contact Form

Follow us on Social Media

Site Information

  • Cookie Policy
  • Guest Post Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • XML Sitemap

Copyright © 2023 · HowToCleanStuff.net · All Rights Reserved · Website by Anchored Design