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Your plastic shower curtain is a great place to see dirt. It gathers oils from the bodies that visit the shower, scum and residue from products used in there, dirt from dirty water that rinses off the bodies, and even minerals from the water. What a mess. These curtains are only a few dollars and many people just toss them out and get a new one. But that adds plastics to the landfills and those dollars can add up over time.

Of course, a shower curtain isn't hard to clean. Additionally it is one thing that you can do all-natural for a clean look and a shower curtain that lasts longer.

Step 1:

Take the shower curtain down from the shower. Remove your curtain from the curtain rings or hooks.

Step 2:

Take your hooks or rings down as well if they are dirty. It isn't quite as often that your hooks or rings get dirty, but occasionally they do. When this happens, take them down for a good cleaning as well.

Step 3:

Toss the curtain in the washer. Your plastic shower curtain can easily be washed in the washer. Add one cup of vinegar and one cup of baking soda to cold or warm water for a very clean curtain when you are done.

Step 4:

Wash your hooks or rings in hot soapy water. Fill your sink with hot soapy water (dish soap works well) and scrub your hooks or rings clean using a brush, sponge, or rag.

Step 5:

Hang your curtain back up to dry. Your curtain will dry naturally in the shower. Just hang it back up and make sure it is spread out well to dry.

Step 6:

Prevent mold. After each use your shower curtain should be spread out as well as possible to prevent mold. This will make it easier to keep clean.

Step 7:

If mold or mildew does happen, you can spot treat. Use some vinegar or bleach and a sponge to clean the spots. You can put it in a bottle mixed with water (1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar or bleach) to spray on if that makes it easier - just make sure that your spray bottle is clean and doesn't have any other chemicals in it.

Keeping a clean shower includes keeping a clean shower curtain. The number of people using the shower and how dirty they are will determine how often your curtain needs to be washed. For most families, once a month is enough to control buildup and keep the curtain looking clean and new and the shower somewhere you would like to be. With this method you can use your shower curtain again and again till it rips (which can actually be years later).

Comments

I just hate plastic shower curtains for the simple reason that I did not know it can be washed in the washing machine. I suppose the setting has to be gentle wash.

Mary Norton's picture
By Mary Norton 10 weeks 2 days

    Nope, it can be your normal cycle. My husband works in a shop and comes home dirty and greasy. Our shower is a pain to clean because of it and the shower curtain gets dirty a lot. We just take the bar down, slide the curtain off of it, remove the rings and toss it in the washer. I usually wash it on the longest setting so it agitates the most. It comes out looking new. Eventually it will rip, but it usually takes a few years...

    By Danelle Karth 10 weeks 1 day