How do you clean soap scum off a vinyl shower curtain?
The bottom area of my clear vinyl shower curtain has quite a film of soap scum. Can I put it in the washing machine? With detergent?
Easy....throw it in the washing machine,,on a warm wash,,with a good splash of both vinegar and bleach....dead set..this works !
(let it soak for about half hour before wash cycle)
Soap scum is a layer of film that forms from soap residue, minerals in tap water and dirt. It leaves behind a residual film on everything it touches, such as the shower curtain. There's no way to avoid the buildup of soap scum that accumulates on shower curtains and liners. Regular cleaning is the best way to keep soap scum at bay. It's a simple chore that gives your bathroom a much cleaner feel.
Place the shower curtain in the washing machine along with a couple of white towels.
Step 2Add a scoop of laundry detergent and a cup of bleach.
Step 3Allow the load to agitate for several minutes, and then turn the washer off.
Step 4Allow the shower curtain to sit in the washer to soak in the water and bleach for an hour before turning the machine back on.
Step 5Hang the shower curtain up to dry.
It is not safe to mix vinegar and bleach.
You can safely and effectively wash it by doing these things:
Wash in a washing machine, in HOT water, with white towels and good detergent.
Hot water will activate bleach so that mold and mildew (which are living organisms) are killed.
Put at least 1/2 cup of bleach in the bleach dispenser. If the washer doesn't have a bleach dispenser, add the bleach to a quart of HOT water and pour in 5 minutes after the washer has begun agitating.
Put at least 1/2 cup white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser (no fabric softener on towels).
If the washer doesn't have a FS dispenser, you can put the vinegar in a Downy ball (linked below) or pour it in manually while the final rinse water goes into the machine.
Do not put the shower curtain in a dryer.
If you can dry it in direct sunlight, that will sanitize it further. You could hang it over a clothesline or swing set, etc.
If you can't hang it outside, you can hang it over the shower curtain rod until dry, then hang it on the hooks.
You can dry the towels in the dryer. :-)
Hope this helps!
I spray mine with a non-toxic shower cleaner (one that removes soap scum) when they are still hanging in the shower (we have two for our clawfoot tub). I let them sit for 10 minutes or so. Then, I get in and scrub the curtains when I shower. I've shredded too many curtains in the washing machine to try that route again. I may have been doing it wrong but, in the process, I've destroyed my shower curtains so I now just do them by hand. Make sure that your bathroom is well-ventilated if you do the scrubbing by hand when you're in the shower.
I use laundry products that don't contain all those harmful chemicals and soaps and shampoos, that don't either. So, I get a little build up, but very little, and it takes a really long time.
Wash the shower curtain in warm water and add about half a cup of baking soda. That's if the curtain isn't too far gone, already ;-)
You can, use cold water and detergent and the gentlest cycle you have. It may get torn in the washer, but if it's bad enuf it's worth the risk.
Take it out immediately after washing and hang it back on it's rod so it can dry straight.
Spray it with bathroom tile cleaner..let it hang where it is in the bathroom for and hour or so, and then give it a cold wash in the washing machine with a normal amount of soap powder.Hang on the clothes line to dry.
I simply replace mine when it gets stuff on it. The don't cost much and to me it's not worth the effort to salvage the old one.
It may help to lay it over a table & scub it first, to make it easier for the washer.
The washing machine will shred it. Just replace it - they're cheap.