How to Clean Shower Curtain

Irrespective of the type of shower curtain you own, be it vinyl, plastic or cloth ones, all collect a film of soap scum imbibed with body oils and adhere to the surface within a short period of time. The scum collected on the shower curtain needs to be dealt with. In fact, there is nothing grosser than a shower curtain that has not been cleaned for a long time. Despite the scum, even mildew makes its presence around the edges of the curtain. Some people do not bother to clean curtains, instead remove them and discard the dirty curtains. Even though shower curtains are not very expensive, just throwing them away is under-utilizing them, to say the least.

Cleaning a Shower Curtain

Washing a shower curtain is not rocket science and takes only about 5-10 minutes of your time. Let's have a look at the steps for cleaning them.

Step 1: Remove the curtain from the shower and remove all the rings as well.

Step 2: Dump the curtain into the washing machine with 2-3 large towels. These towels are necessary as they act as scrubbers during the wash cycle. Add half cup of detergent, half a cup of baking soda and cold water and wash the curtain on a gentle cycle. Using hot water to wash the curtain may conduce to melting of the curtain, so it's best to stick to cold water. Add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.

Step 3: As soon as the curtain has been washed and rinsed, quickly hang them in a ventilated area where it can air-dry. You could also hang it back onto the curtain rod to dry. Never put these curtains in the dryer, as they will melt. It does not matter if the curtain appears a little wrinkled after the wash. This will be taken care of by the steam from a normal shower use.

Step 4: To clean the curtain rings, fill a bucket or tub with hot water and add some dish washing liquid soap into it. Scrub the rings clean with a sponge and rinse them out in tap water. Use a brush if the dirt is stubborn.

Step 5: Once both the curtain and the rings have been washed, it's time to replace them.

Cleaning Mildew from a Shower Curtain

Mildew stains on the curtains can make one feeling all gross in the shower. Though these stains appear daunting, getting rid of them is not that difficult. To deal with the mildew, you need a spray bottle. Into this bottle add bleach. Do not dilute with water, as plain bleach works well. Place some old towels on the floor by the side of the tub and place your shower curtain into it. Spread the curtain open and spray the bleach onto the mildew stains. After half an hour, rinse the bleach off the curtain with hot water. Just let the hot water drip from one end of the curtain to another till all the bleach comes off.

To prevent mildew from attacking your shower curtain, stretch out the curtain after each shower. To prevent mildew from attacking a new curtain, spray disinfectant onto it. Moreover, to prevent soap scum from collecting on the lower portion of your curtain, just rub a little baby oil onto it.

If you want to keep your new shower curtain looking fresh for a longer time, one solution is to hang it on the same rings with the old curtain. This way the beating taken from the soapy water is encountered only by the old curtain, while the new outer curtain maintains the new look for a longer time. Now that you know how to clean shower curtains, you do not need to throw away the curtains after some use. Wash, hang them up fresh and use them till they rip apart!