How to Get Mildew Out of a Fabric Shower Curtain
Keeping your fabric shower curtain laundered monthly may help prevent mildew from growing, once you get the mildew out. Soap scum that falls onto your shower curtain during your morning shower may be providing the organic nutrients necessary for mildew growth. Mildew of course, thrives in damp, humid places, so your shower can provide optimal growing conditions. At the first sign of mildew growth, take action to prevent mold growth from damaging the fabric. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
-
1
Use a bristled scrub brush outdoors and vigorously brush visible mold or mildew from the surface of your fabric shower curtain. Brushing your shower curtain outside, away from the house will help prevent mold spores from finding a new place to grow inside your home.
-
2
Soak your light colored fabric shower curtain in a 5-gallon bucket of water with 1 cup of bleach for 15 minutes before washing it. Mix the bleach thoroughly into the water before putting the shower curtain into the bucket. For dark colored shower curtains, add a 1/2 cup of salt and 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the water instead of chlorine bleach, and mix thoroughly. Soak the dark shower curtain in the saltwater and lemon solution for about 30 minutes.
-
-
3
Wash the fabric shower curtain in hot water, or as hot as fabric directions allow, with your regular laundry detergent and borax laundry additive, according to the directions on those two packages.
-
4
Hang the laundered shower curtain outside in the sun to dry, if possible. The sun naturally bleaches materials.
-
5
Repeat as often as necessary to keep your fabric shower curtain clean and mildew-free.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Spraying your clean, dry, fabric shower curtain with a water repellent spray can help prevent future mildew.
Using chlorine bleach on dark colors can leave white spots or lighten fabric colors.
References
- Photo Credit Julia Fuller
