Cleaning plastic shower curtains
38 comments
Put the shower curtain in the washing machine with 1 cup of white vinegar, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of your favorite liquid laundry detergent, and several old, light-colored towels. Fill the washer with warm water and run through a complete wash and rinse cycle. Remove from the washer and hang on the shower rod immediately.
Submitted by Tami from Arkansas
by JNBEEBOWER
November 08, 2009
If you simply close the curtain all the way after each shower, this will cut out nearly all of the mildew and stains that otherwise would usually accumulate. After years of doing this simple thing, I usually only have to replace them when they wear out and a good one seems to last forever.
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by BARSEA
November 07, 2009
Just toss the thing out, a new one is not that expensive.
by PUDDER43
November 08, 2009
I keep my old plastic curtains to use as a paint drip cloth or for anything that may spill and stain the carpet. These are great because they are square and lay nice!!
by Y1DER
November 08, 2009
Oh my...this is why our landfills are full...reduce, reuse, recycle PLEASE!
by PIOTZ
November 07, 2009
EWWW! Got to make sure the cat is staying out of the shower...couldn't be my hubby! LOL
by BOGET
November 07, 2009
HIBEAM, oh my gosh that is so gross, I am going to get after a few people on my house that is just nasty,peeing in the shower makes the curtains red oh YUCK..I am glad I checked back..
by SUSIEQ55
November 07, 2009
I have a fabric shower curtain but I always use a plastic liner (and yes, they get yucky). But if you use a fabric liner, won't it leak and get your curtain and floor wet? Are they treated with something to make them water repellant?
by PUFFIN101
November 08, 2009
The fabric liner works fine to keep the water in the shower where it's supposed to be.
by PIOTZ
November 06, 2009
Is the red on the shower curtain the same bacteria that is pink on the floor of my shower? I clean weekly and still the pink yucky stuff comes back! Maybe I should just meet you all at Dollar Tree!
by HIBEAM
November 07, 2009
I found out what that pink was - I told hubby no more weeing in the shower! and the pink stopped
by 539STEPHANIE
November 06, 2009
We do the same thing, but instead of using towels, I wash the bath rugs, just one load in the washer and it's all clean. Thanks for the good tip! Plus washing and re-using is better then trowing one away!
by SAILING
November 06, 2009
I use a shower curtain liner and use a spray bottle mixed with bleach and water for use after each shower. This keeps the mildew and mold at bay. No need to buy anything extra.
by BOGET
November 06, 2009
Thanks for the tip, I was just looking at my curtain, and I need to wash it I don't know what our water is like, we have city water but my curtain, gets red at the bottom, it's icky looking, I buy fabric shower curtains, less waste then the plastic ones.
by KTROLLOPE
November 06, 2009
I have found after being stationed at different bases the last 15 years you seem to either get the regular black mold or the red/orangish kind.
by ELVISSYKES
November 06, 2009
Actually, the red at the bottom is a bacteria called pseudomonas speas. It thrives in warm, damp places. It won't hurt you unless your immune system is severely compromised. Just use bleach or Lysol to kill it.
by KELBUNNY
November 06, 2009
The red at the bottom is probably mildew. Wash well with bleach and it should take care of it.
by MN550
November 06, 2009
I must be missing something. I've had the same shower curtain for years. I've got really hard water, but my shower curtain looks great. The Dollar Tree has a mist-and-go shower spray, which breaks the surface tension of the water. After every shower I spray all sides of the shower and the curtain, and do not see any buildup on it. A bottle of the spray lasts for months, and (obviously) only costs one dollar. Am I missing something?
by HERB
November 08, 2009
Comment about the Dollar Tree.....I love it! They have such nice things for a buck. I especially love the holiday things!
by ENDLESS FAITH
November 06, 2009
I love the mist-and-go shower spray. I get mine from the dollar tree too. Great for the tiles too.
by DEBBIERAE
November 06, 2009
No MN550, you're not missing anything, but I think I am, need to head out to the Dollar Tree....
by MN550
November 06, 2009
P.S. The surface tension of water makes it bead up and dry where it is. Without surface tension, the water doesn't bead up, but slides down and off the curtain, taking the calcium with it.
by 130863
November 06, 2009
When I clean the liner the first time I wash it in with
detergent and vinegar, then I wash it again, along with some old towels with detergent and bleach to kill
any mold. Run in the dryer with a DRY towel just two or three minutes to remove the wrinkles and hang up
immediately!
detergent and vinegar, then I wash it again, along with some old towels with detergent and bleach to kill
any mold. Run in the dryer with a DRY towel just two or three minutes to remove the wrinkles and hang up
immediately!
by PUFFIN101
November 06, 2009
I used to wash my plastic liner using a little different method. I would put baking soda and detergent in the wash water and vinegar in the rinse water. I also skipped the spin dry cycle so that it was a little drippy but not as wrinkled. Also, the towels are very important; this doesn't work nearly as well without them. That being said, I recently got a fabric liner and I love it! Much easier to keep clean!
by REDHEARTLOVE
November 06, 2009
I go to the dollar store for one quarterly. Costs less than the H2O & soap to wash one!!
by HEATHER (OHIO)
November 06, 2009
I just pitch mine after a while. Liners are so cheap to replace. The curtain, however, I will wash this way as mine are fabric.
by ASB27
November 07, 2009
Throw one of the old liners in the trunk of each car. When you have a flat or car trouble it is great to protect your clothing or hubbies while crawling around to fix. Also, great on the ground under a blanket at outdoor theater or picnic.
by FEAR&LOATHING
November 06, 2009
I used to buy the cheap vinyl liners until I got sick of replacing them, they always tear where the rings are. So...I bought one that is really thick and reinforced with metal grommets, I wash it using the mentioned method along with the fabric curtain. I never threw the cheap liners away though, still have a box of them in my garage! They're great to have around the house, many, many uses for them.
by KTROLLOPE
November 06, 2009
I have to go with Kariann1 on this...I'm not super eco person but I can't see throwing liners away constantly as it is no helping the overfilled garbage dumps we have already.
by KARIANN1
November 06, 2009
They might be cheap, but they take 1000 years to degrade in the landfill. Save them for drop cloths when painting or to cover your table for messy projects. Use it under a cat litter box or any other creative re-use you might think of.....Heck, use it for a picnic tablecloth. They are made of polyvinyl or some other nasty chemical that leaches into our (and our childrens) drinking water. Or just get a clother curtain and a liner you can wash numerous times.
by 1ADMIRAL
November 06, 2009
Thank you all very much. I just took mine outside the other day and used a power washer on it and it still didn't come clean.
by DEBBIERAE
November 06, 2009
1ADMIRAL, if you took a pressure washer to yours and it didn't come clean, head out to Target and buy a new one, you deserve it after that!
by NAPOLEONBAKER
November 06, 2009
When done washing, the shower curtain will be all wrinkled, so I put it in the dryer for a minute or two. That removes the wrinkles. Hang immediately!
by CARRIEERIC
November 06, 2009
Thanks for sharing your tip, Tami. Also using body wash as opposed to bar soap can cut down on buildup and the need to clean the curtain in this manner. Certain bar soaps do not cause bad build up either. I usually just take my shower curtain bar down, spin it around and put it against the shower wall ( with the plastic liner facing me) and spray it with tub cleaner and let the cleaner run down. All the mess stays in the tub and then you rinse it and spin it back around and your done. Takes about 10 minutes tops. But I know that not every curtain rod can come down as easy as mine does.
by 120960
November 06, 2009
I think some people use the shower liner as their shower curtain.
by DEBBIERAE
November 06, 2009
Wait, I think I;n confusing shower curtain and shower liner....
by DEBBIERAE
November 06, 2009
I do basically the same thing but I don't even turn it around. After a shower I just stay in the shower and spray the curtain and let it drip and then face the shower head to the curtain and rinse it off. I guess I could turn it around, but even one less step is heavenly for me!
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