Wash Your Shower Curtain Liner

If you use a shower curtain liner, sooner or later you will get some soap, lime, and mildew buildup. Luckily, getting rid of it is easy with a washing machine.

Steps

Using Your Washing Machine

  1. Separate the shower curtain and the shower curtain liner. You can wash them both the same way, but, depending on what the actual shower curtain is, that could change. You might want to add something to the soap, or wash at a different temperature, for a cloth curtain as opposed to the plastic-y liners. It is ok, however, to wash them together if they are the same material.
  2. Set your washing machine for a small to medium sized load with cold water. No need to waste water or electricity. Furthermore, cold water is better for the materials in the long term, as hot water can cause some melting and issues. Place the liner in the wash.
  3. Let the washer start filling up and pour in about a cup of vinegar. You can pour this right where the soap is supposed to go.
  4. Add as much soap as you deem appropriate. A half-portion of your normal soap amount should be fine, as this is about half the size (or less) of a normal load of laundry.
  5. Do not use fabric softener on your liner. The liner is not fabric -- it is plastic. The softener will do nothing but give a strange, chemically smell to your liner.
  6. Choose a gentle, regular cycle. Because the liner is the only thing in the wash, you could choose a shortened cycle if you have the option. Otherwise, just let the washing machine do its job.
  7. Once washed, hang it right back up to dry. You must, however, be prepared for the dripping water. Do not put the liner in the dryer to heat dry it. While you could stick it in the drier for a few minutes on cool to shake off excess water, be careful. Hot air can melt the liner and ruin both it and your dryer.

Using an Alternate Method

  1. Remove the shower curtain liner and throw it in the wash to remove surface stains. Simply take it off, remove the big plastic cuffs, and put it in the washing machine. This method is more for surface stains, not removing mold.
  2. Add a towel to the load. This will be used to "scrub" your liner. Again, this method is more to wipe up surface stains than do a deep cleaning.
  3. Run the wash, adding a little vinegar or soap to kill bacteria. You won't need nearly as much as needed for a full load. A cup of white vinegar or a 1/3 cup of detergent should do.
  4. Hang back up on the shower rod to dry everything off. You can put it in the dryer, too, but only on cold and only for 4-5 minutes to get the big bits of water off.



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Sources and Citations

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