Clean A Shower Curtain Liner | Showering Enthusiast

The Sun Herald:

Why is it that shower curtain liners get so mucky? There are all kinds of cleaners in the shower. One would think that a curtain, unlike a mat that you stand on and would expect to get dirty, would stay just as clean as the day you bought it.

The answer comes in several forms.

The first is that the human body has oils that mix with soap to create that filmy stuff called soap scum. Another is that, in general, tubs and showers are damp places that, unless they’re in use, are relatively dark. And you know what damp and dark equal: mold, mildew and sometimes pink slime. Yet another is just plain and simple soap. Once it gets splattered about and dries, it creates that filmy mess.

So how do you clean your shower curtain, and are there ways to prevent scummy buildup and mildew? There are several methods for cleaning a shower curtain (whether cloth or vinyl), and none of them includes a spray-on solution used while the curtain is still hanging.

To get your curtain really clean, you have to take it off the rod and wash it in your washing machine.

Most of the methods I researched required equal parts of either baking soda, bleach or vinegar and regular laundry detergent. And some dirty towels, preferably white ones if you use the bleach method. I decided to use all of the options at once, figuring I couldn’t go wrong that way, and considering my curtain is vinyl, I didn’t think I could hurt it.

You can’t just mix up your cleaners, throw the towels and the curtain in the wash and forget about it. Remember the episode of “The Brady Bunch” where Alice and kids made the volcano with baking soda and vinegar? There are steps involved.

First, remove the rings so you don’t scratch the tub of your washer. Set your water temperature to warm (hot water could melt the curtain) and let the tub fill up about halfway before you put in equal parts detergent, baking soda and bleach - about a cup of each.

Then put in your towels and curtain. Apparently the baking soda, being primarily salt, will retard mildew growth and the bleach will remove any mold there now. Keep reading…