Learn how to clean a vinyl shower curtain with ingredients you have at home! Soap scum and mildew just disappear, leaving your shower curtain looking like new again!
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It's that time of year again, isn't it? When you take a look in and around your home and realize it needs a good deep cleaning after a long, cold winter. The windows are cloudy, the dust bunnies have settled into the corners of every room, the carpet needs brightening, the bathroom tile is looking dull and you just need to "refresh." For weeks, okay maybe months, every morning, I had been staring at a dingy shower curtain liner caked with a ton of soap scum (starting to take on a strange pink hue).
I know it's gross. How could I let it go this long? Believe me, I've been looking for a replacement. My current shower curtain liner is kind of a cream color that goes perfectly with the rest of the decor in my bathroom. All the liners I've been able to find are too white and I just don't like them. Soooo, instead of throwing out the liner, I washed it. . .in my washing machine.
No scrubbing, no spraying. . .nothing more than just dropping it into the washer with a few key ingredients. Today is your lucky day because I'm taking you into my laundry room to walk through the entire process with me. As always, whenever I take my readers into the laundry room there's always a disclosure. Our laundry room has no windows - that means no natural light - which means unattractive, not-so-great photos. Kind of like when I showed you how to remove hard water stains from your toilet. You all seem to like watching me use my bare hands in the toilet though, so it turns out the bad photos don't seem to phase you too much. 😉
Alright, so go ahead, grab that dingy vinyl shower curtain or liner and let's get started.
Ingredients
- 1 cup vinegar
- ½ cup liquid laundry detergent (I used Tide)
- 3-4 light colored towels
First things, first. Start by filling your washing machine with warm water. You're going to put the curtain through a regular warm water wash.
Add the cup of vinegar to the washing machine.
Pour in the ½ cup of laundry detergent.
Add the towels. I had four towels that needed to be washed anyway, so I used those. The towels kind of work like scrubbers during the agitation cycle to help wipe away the soap scum and grime. Much easier than using your hands, right? Right. 😉
Now make sure your shower curtain and your towels are evenly distributed throughout the drum of the washer. Shut the lid and wait for the cycle to finish!
When the washing is complete, take your curtain and hang it up outside to dry or just carry it back into the bathroom and hang it back up in the shower and allow it to air dry in there.
I swung the curtain over the deck railing because it was a nice sunny day. In the summer I love to dry the comforters for our beds out here, too. Growing up we hung nearly everything outside on a clothesline. Since I don't have a clothesline, this is the closest I get. It works wonderfully!
Let me try to zoom in a little for you so you can see the difference. Don't worry about the wrinkles. Once you hang the curtain back up in the shower, the wrinkles will work themselves out over time. Not a big deal.
And as for our before and after. . .I'd say this worked brilliantly! Honestly, the curtain looks brand new.
So, if you have a vinyl shower curtain or liner that looks a little bit like mine, I promise you, you can bring it back to its original condition. No scrubbing, no spraying - just throw it into the washing machine with vinegar, laundry detergent and a few towels and voila. . .like brand new again! I can't wait to hear how your curtain turns out. Make sure to share in the comments!
How to Clean a Vinyl Shower Curtain
Materials
- 1 cup vinegar
- ½ cup liquid laundry detergent
- 3-4 light colored towels
Instructions
- First things, first. Start by filling your washing machine with warm water. You're going to put the curtain through a regular warm water wash.
- Add the cup of vinegar to the washing machine.
- Pour in the ½ cup of laundry detergent.
- Add the towels. I had four towels that needed to be washed anyway, so I used those. The towels kind of work like scrubbers during the agitation cycle to help wipe away the soap scum and grime.
- Now make sure your shower curtain and your towels are evenly distributed throughout the drum of the washer. Shut the lid and wait for the cycle to finish!
- When the washing is complete, take your curtain and hang it up outside to dry or just carry it back into the bathroom and hang it back up in the shower and allow it to air dry in there.
Notes
- Preparation is Key: Before starting the cleaning process, ensure that your washing machine is clean and free of any debris or detergent residue. Running a quick rinse cycle without any laundry can help ensure that the machine is ready to effectively clean your vinyl shower curtain.
- Use Light-Colored Towels as Scrubbers: Adding light-colored towels to the washing machine along with the curtain helps to agitate and scrub away soap scum and grime. The towels act as gentle scrubbers during the wash cycle, aiding in the cleaning process without causing damage to the curtain.
- Proper Drying: After the washing cycle is complete, it's important to dry the vinyl shower curtain properly to prevent mildew and odors. Hanging the curtain outside to dry in the sun can help to naturally disinfect and freshen it. Alternatively, hanging it back up in the bathroom and allowing it to air dry with good ventilation is also effective.
Nisha Mukesh Kumar
what if we don't have top load washing machine and front load who doesn't let us fill up water?
Sara
You can still use a front load washing machine. No need to fill it up with water first. It should still work out just fine.
Mike
FYI the vinegar did nothing for the hard water spots. Complete waste of effort.
Anonymous
Have to say I have known of this fix for many years. It has yet to work for me. I wish it would as I hate throwing these vinyl liners in the landfill.
Sara
I'm sorry to hear it hasn't worked for you! I've been using this method for many years!
Carolyn
I’ve been using this method since I first read about it, two years ago. In fact, I am still using the same shower curtain! Thank you so much for this brilliant idea it saves a lot of time and money.
Sara
Awesome, Carolyn! I think I've had my liner for about two years as well. It really helps get the grime off!
VIVIANE GLUCKMAN
WHAT IF YOU HAVE A FRONT LOADER WASHING MACHINE? IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO OPEN THE MACHINE AFTER IT HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR 10 MINS. MY WASHER HAS AN INDICATOR WHICH INFORMS ME AND ALLOWS ME TO "ADD AN ITEM" FOR JUST A WHILE BUT NOT THAT LONG ... and ....A FRONT LOADER WASHER'S CLOTHES DO NOT STAY UNTANGLED AS IN A DRUM
Sara
Viviane, you shouldn't have any problems putting the shower curtain as well as the detergent and vinegar into the drum altogether. It should work just fine. Let me know how it goes!
Jeanne Vogel
Love all these cleaning tips. Do you have a book with all of them? I want them all. It would take forever to print.
Sara
I don't have a book yet but I've often thought about putting one together for my subscribers! You may have just given me the inspiration I need to start it!
Angela Hall
I made shower curtain using drop cloths. And that's easy to wash in washing machine. Along with all other clothes.
Sara
Good idea, Angela!
Linda A. Moore
Awesome idea Angela! I'll try to implement this idea. Thanks for the advise though.
Lyn Hillman
Do you have a tip for cleaning rust stains off the shower curtains? We have very hard, and rusty water that a water softener usually takes care of it. Until you leave on vacation and leave your teenage son in charge. Well, my curtain went from white to rusty orange. Any ideas? TIA
Sara
Lyn, when you take your nail and scrape the curtain, does the rust "come off?" Does it seem like it's rusty "gunk?" If so, follow the instructions in the post. It WILL remove orange "gunk." If you feel like the curtain is actually "stained" your best bet may be just to replace the curtain, unfortunately.
Linda Gustafson
If you throw the vinyl curtain in the dryer with towels for a minute or two, with a dryer sheet, the curtain will come out soft and wrinkle free.
Sara
What a great tip! Thanks, Linda!
Janice
How would this work for a front loading washer? It uses a lot less water, and won't agitate.
Sara
I've only tried it in my top loader but I believe it will work just as well in a front loader. When you try it, could you please report back and let us know how it worked for you? Thanks!
Rachel
Would this still work if I use dry detergent? If so, how much do you think I should use?
Sara
I think it should work just fine, Rachel. Add about the same amount you would for a medium load of clothes.
Myrna
That "pink hue" you mentioned is mold, and it can make you sick. Spray your shower down with a mixture of 1/4 vinegar, 3/4 water after each use. This keeps the soap scum from building up for a longer period of time. Thank you for the shower curtain tip. My son takes long hot baths and our curtain needs washed often but I have fibro so scrubbing is out. This works great. 😉 Keep up the good work, I love your blog.
Sara
Thanks so much for your tips, Myrna!!
Jo-Anne
For years I have just bought cheap curtains and when they got grotty I would toss them out but now we have a washable curtain as Tasha brought hers when she moved it
Mary Beth
Why not just hang the wet shower curtain back into the shower to let it dry? 🙂
Sara
I mentioned taking the curtain back to the shower to dry as an option. I just opted to hang mine out over the deck rail to snap some pics for the post and also because I just needed to get outside on a beautiful and sunny spring day!!