Keep a shower curtain liner white by rinsing it with water and spreading it flat to air-dry after every shower. To deep clean and brighten it, toss it in the washing machine on a gentle, warm-water cycle with regular detergent and a cup of white vinegar.
To make a shower liner white again, machine wash it with towels on a gentle cycle using laundry detergent and 111 cup of baking soda or vinegar, then hang to dry. For severe stains or mildew, soak the liner in a bathtub with 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon of water for 5–15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
Wash It Well
But if the worst has already happened and mildew has arrived with a vengeance, wash your curtain with two large bath towels and one cup of hydrogen peroxide each month. The towels will act as an exfoliator to scrub the curtain clean, and peroxide should make sure it stays bright and sparkly.
Shower liners turn yellow primarily due to a buildup of soap scum, body oils, and hard water minerals. Over time, these residues combine with bacteria, mold, and trapped moisture, chemically altering the plastic or vinyl and resulting in yellowing or orange-pink discoloration.
Hotels often use detergents made of hotel sheets and towels. These detergents are mild and light enough for use on shower curtains.
Yes, yellowed plastic (often caused by UV damage, heat, or aging flame retardants) can be whitened. The most effective method is reversing the chemical degradation using hydrogen peroxide and UV light.
Use a brush to scrub the stained areas and rinse. Mix 1 part water with 1 part vinegar in a spray bottle. Apply to the entire shower/tub and let it sit for 10 minutes. Scrub any visible stains and rinse.
You should replace your shower liner every 3 to 6 months, or up to every 12 months if you clean and maintain it well.
Spray undiluted white vinegar on your shower curtain and give it some time to work. Come back in an hour, then use a bristle brush to remove the soap scum. Once your shower curtain or door is nice and clean, you need to keep it up. I love this anti-mildew shower bathtub spray made with hydrogen peroxide.
If your white clothes have lost their bright appearance, you can help to bring them back to life by adding a whitening agent, oxygen bleach or bleach-free products like baking soda or vinegar. Always consult each item's laundry care label to avoid damaging the garment.
OxiClean™ bathroom cleaners and laundry additives provide the solutions you need to clean shower curtains and liners and help extend the life of those items so you can avoid throwing them away.
Bleach Get mold and mildew off your shower curtains. Wash them — along with a couple of bath towels (to prevent the plastic curtains from crinkling) — in warm water with 1/2 cup chlorine bleach and 1/4 cup laundry detergent. Let the washer run for a couple of minutes before loading.
Orange shower curtains turn orange from hard water minerals like iron and magnesium, which oxidize when exposed to air and leave visible residue. Slimy orange buildup on your shower curtain indicates Serratia marcescens bacteria, which thrives in moist bathroom environments and needs prompt cleaning.
Hydrogen peroxide
Abrasives to Remove Hard Water Stains
Many window cleaners prefer Bronze Wool over Steel Wool for the simple fact that it lasts longer and does not rust. Either option will work though. For milder stains, a scrubbing pad and a bit of elbow grease and buffering can go a long way!
Hotels keep glass shower doors spotless by combining strong commercial cleaning agents with routine maintenance and smart preventative coatings. Because they deal with heavy daily guest turnover, housekeeping staff rely on quick but highly effective strategies to prevent soap scum and hard water buildup.
Use Distilled White Vinegar
Fill the container with equal amounts of warm water and distilled white vinegar or cleaning vinegar. Set it aside at least overnight but 24 hours is even better. Pour the water and vinegar mixture out of the container, wash it in hot soapy water, and rinse with warm water.
Yes, yellowing can often be reversed. The success and method of reversal depend entirely on what is causing the discoloration.
To quickly whiten and sanitize a plastic or fabric shower curtain liner, toss it in your washing machine on a hot cycle with laundry detergent and 1/2 cup of bleach, along with 2-3 heavy bath towels to act as scrubbers. Hang it immediately to air dry.
While white vinegar is an excellent natural cleaner, its acidity means it can damage certain surfaces, strip finishes, or cause rust. You should generally avoid using it on:
The ultimate lazy shower hack is the "Shower and Soak" method. Mix equal parts distilled white vinegar and original blue Dawn dish soap in a soap-dispensing dish brush. Keep it in your shower, and while your hair conditioner sits, give the walls a quick scrub. Rinse as you shower for a perpetually clean bathroom.