How to Wash Plastic Shower Curtains

Save yourself some money and wash your dirty plastic shower curtain.

If your plastic shower curtain is an unsightly mess with soap scum, mold or splattered shampoo streaks, it's time to wash it. Of course you can go out and buy a new shower curtain for fairly cheap and be done with it, but there is no need to spend the money when you can just clean it at home and save yourself a few bucks. It's a very simple chore that you probably already do all the time.

Things You'll Need

• Bath towels
• Baking soda
• Laundry detergent
• White vinegar

Instructions

1. Turn on the shower faucet and spray the inside of the plastic shower curtain with hot water for two or three minutes. This will loosen up any soap scum, splattered shampoo and mold. Let the plastic shower curtain drip excess water into the tub.

2. Remove the shower curtain from the curtain rod. If you have an oversized or long shower curtain, fold up the shower curtain so the dirty side faces out. If the shower curtain is fastened by shower curtain hooks, be sure to leave the curtain rings in place on the shower curtain rod so it will be easy to put it back up.

3. Carry the folded shower curtain to the laundry area and place in your washing machine. Make sure you unfold it so it spreads evenly around the washer and that the dirty side of the shower curtain faces out.

4. Add a couple of bath towels to the load. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda along with the normal amount of laundry detergent. Wash it on a gentle setting with hot water.

5. Add 1/2 cup of white vinegar during the rinse cycle.

6. Remove the plastic shower curtain carefully -- let excess water drip off first -- and inspect it for cleanliness. If it is not as clean as you would like it to be, repeat the process. If it is clean enough for your standards, simply unfold it and put it back up on the shower curtain rod and let it drip dry.

Tips & Warnings

• You can get away with washing a plastic shower curtain 3-5 times before you'll have to buy a new one (unless you are using the super cheap thin plastic ones - those shower curtains will probably survive only one wash).

• Do not dry the plastic shower curtain in the dryer -- it will melt.

References

• Reader's Digest: How to Wash Shower Curtains
• Mrs. Clean: Shower Curtain Cleaning