How To Clean Your Shower Curtain

Copyright (c) 2011 Joe Maldonado

Like all things in the bathroom shower curtains will get dirty. Primarily the type of material the curtain is made from will determine the cleaning method you use. The damp area, dirt and soap scum can also lead to build up of mold on most materials. Hard water deposits will make them even more difficult to clean. Difficult is not impossible however.

Okay I know what most husbands would say, ” buy a new one” but we have spent hours getting the exact shower curtain to match our style in the bathroom and we want to keep it that way. And it is a challenge that must be conquered.

For some shower curtains it might be good to use a bit of bleach and throw them in the washing machine with some of the sheets or towels. If however they are not vinyl and have colors that might bleed it may be best to use color safe bleach. For those of you that are environmentally conscious use one of the oxygenated products for the same results.

Once the spin cycle has stopped take out the shower curtain remove the shower curtain. Shake gently to remove wrinkles in the fabric and hang them back up in the bathroom to dry. The hot steam from future baths or showers should take out any remaining wrinkles.

Vinyl or plastic shower curtains are prone to having soap scum build up. Often this does not come out in the wash. For these especially hard to remove films you can add 1-cup vinegar to the wash. Wash this separately on the gentle cycle. Again all that is left is to hang it up.

These ideas work even better if you can hang the shower curtains outside to dry in the sun. Some people even dry lean their fabric shower curtains. This one way to be certain they are both cleaned and sanitized. Mold is the death of a plastic shower curtain. Mold stains and embeds its spores in the pores of this material. Even if you clean it the mold will eventually return besides it just looks awful once it gets dotted with the mold stains.

An ounce of prevention can save you aggravation and money. The drier you keep your shower curtains the better. By taking the time to remove a large amount of the liquid from them after a shower you can keep them fresher longer. Rinse away soap scum in between washings to avoid the build up. To prevent mold and mildew removing the excess water is the only option. Wipe down the shower and the shower curtain for optimum effect. Open the shower curtain so that the folds can also air dry.

Keeping a clean and fresh shower curtain is not rocket science but it does take a commitment from you to always keep them as dry as possible. Mold can be a killer at worst and a breathing hazard none the less.

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