Because of their function, shower curtain liners are often wet—and where there's moisture, there's the inevitable mold, mildew and soap scum. Here's how to wash a shower curtain liner and keep it clean. Psst!
Prepare a spray bottle with either white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide and mist the shower curtain after each shower. Either of these products will keep mildew from forming.
While there are plenty of fabric options to choose from, both Varela and Roman Peysakhovich, Co-Founder of national cleaning company Onedesk, recommend opting for EVA vinyl, which "acts as a natural water repellent," says Peysakhovich, and is strongly resistant to mold and mildew.
If your bathroom is stuffy and/or you live in a humid state, you need to replace your shower curtain liner every six months — but at least once a year even for the most well-ventilated bathrooms. Furthermore, the cleaning pros at Merry Maids say you should be washing the liner monthly between replacements.
Washing machine (+ vinegar or baking soda)
You can wash the shower curtain or liner with either laundry detergent or substitute the detergent with ¼ cup of white vinegar, same as you'd use to pretreat the shower curtain. Vinegar will cut the soap scum buildup, oils and mildew.
Fill your laundry machine with water and add in the recommended amount of colour-safe bleach. Toss the curtain in and let it sit for 20 minutes. Run a cycle until the mold stains are gone, then run a rinsing cycle. Let it air dry.
How often to wash a shower curtain? As a best practice, consider washing your shower curtains at least once a month. With daily usage in your home, shower curtains and liners can quickly become soiled, but by regularly hand washing or running through your washing machine can help keep them fresh and clean.
Shower Curtains & Shower Curtain Liners: Every 6 Months
If you have a plastic shower curtain liner, it's easy to see when mold, mildew, or other buildup has accumulated. You can wash it with a diluted bleach solution and a sponge, throw it in the washing machine (hang to dry), or just toss it and purchase a new one.
Put the outer curtain outside the tub and the liner inside if you're using a curtain and liner set.
Vinyl liners are all water proof. Water runs off their surface into the tub. They do not leak. Fabric shower liners are water repellent and if they become soaked or have repeated washings will leak water.
If you're already dealing with grout stains and shower mold, or if you're planning a bathroom remodel to prevent those problems, acrylic shower walls that look like tile are the ideal solution.
Stay Dry
Moisture in the air can encourage mold growth, which is why bathrooms are often prime real estate for the stuff. Do your best to keep your bathroom well-ventilated by running an exhaust fan during and for several minutes after each shower or bath, and leave the bathroom door open whenever you can.
Polyester: While polyester is considered somewhat of a substandard fabric when it comes to items like sheets and clothing, this synthetic material actually performs well as a shower curtain liner. It repels water, is easily washable, and generally makes for an inexpensive product.
Mildew has a gray, white or light brown color and generally rests flat on the surface of a moist area. It has a powdery appearance that may have a distinct, foul odor. Mold has a fuzzy, raised appearance and in unaired areas has a strong, musty smell. It often appears in darker shades of black, green and red.
Add Magnets
Attaching heavy-weight magnets to the inside or outside of the shower curtain can help to weigh it down. This method keeps the curtain in place during your shower, preventing it from billowing inward. Consider placing the magnets along the curtain's bottom edge to ensure even weight distribution.
Cotton Believe it or not, there are also cotton shower curtain liners that do help keep shower water in the shower. (They're heavyweight, made of cotton duck.) Easily washable, cotton is another great option for avoiding plastics.
“Ideally, you should be cleaning your shower curtain liner regularly,” Carson explains. “The overall consensus is that it should be sprayed down at least once a month, in addition to replacing them every six months.” Becky Rapinchuk of Clean Mama recommends throwing the curtain in the washing machine.
Because of their function, shower curtain liners are often wet—and where there's moisture, there's the inevitable mold, mildew and soap scum. Here's how to wash a shower curtain liner and keep it clean.
Wash in cold, warm or hot water, depending on the material. For plastic curtains/liners, you should wash on cold to prevent melting or warping. At the rinse cycle, add 1/2 to 1 cup of distilled white vinegar. Allow fabric curtains to run through the spin cycle, then hang to dry.
Penetrations in shower linings should be waterproofed with a proprietary system or sealant to prevent water damage.
How to Protect Plastic Shower Liners & Curtains. You don't necessarily need to change out plastic shower curtains or liners when they become grimy. As we've discussed, OxiClean™ bathroom cleaners can help you remove soap scum, or stains from hard water or mold and mildew.
Scrub the affected areas with a mixture of warm water and mild detergent. For tough stains or mold, use a paste of baking soda and water or a mix of equal parts vinegar and water. Let the solution sit for a few minutes, then rinse thoroughly and air dry the curtain.
"Regular washing, or about once every one to two weeks, is recommended to maintain cleanliness and a healthy sleep environment," says Harris. Once a week if you don't use a top sheet. Once a month if you do. Once a week if you don't use a top sheet.
Never put it in the dryer, as this may cause the curtain to become misshapen or melted. Because mildew breeds in damp, warm areas, it's important to keep things dry. After showering, keep the shower liner inside the tub and the curtain outside of it so that air can move between the two.