Tuesday, July 3, 2012

How to Clean a Shower Curtain (the Non-Toxic Way)

Clawfoot Tub
I have been doing a whole house cleaning--first decluttering, and then cleaning, as part of my homemaking class.  It is great to get rid of stuff and simplify, keeping only what we really need.  That makes it so much easier to clean!  Now, I haven't tackled our children's rooms yet--that will be a challenge I'm sure.

Since I like to clean with homemade concoctions and non-toxic products, I thought I'd share with you how to get your shower curtain nice and shiny again.  You will need borax, white vinegar, and your regular laundry detergent.  All you need to do is
  1. Take down your shower curtain(s).
  2. Put them in the washer
  3. Add your laundry detergent
  4. Add some borax (sorry I didn't measure, but just put some in).  I find this in the laundry department at Walmart.  It comes in a white rectangular box and is a powder.  The only brand I know of will say "20 Mule Team Borax" on it.  Borax is great to have around because you can use it in many other cleaning recipes; the same with white vinegar.
  5. Add some white vinegar to the rinse cycle (however much you would use as a fabric softener).
  6. When the wash cycle is done and your curtain is clean, hang it up to dry, right back in its bathroom home.  Don't put it in the dryer or it might get destroyed.
If your shower curtain is really, really dirty, you might have to repeat this once or twice, but it works wonderfully.  This will get rid of soap scum and mildew, and your shower curtain will look so much better.

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19 comments:

  1. I've always been wondering how I could keep my shower curtains clean. However, I wasn't aware that you could place vinyl shower curtains into your washing machine. Won't this ruin the washing machine in some way?

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  2. I don't think it would do any harm to the washing machine, Mara, and I have never had a problem with it. I have read various recommendations in books before to wash shower curtains in the washing machine too. Thanks for visiting!

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  3. That is how we do it here to1 Great minds think alike!

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  4. Will have to give that a try sometime. Thanks.

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  5. I have never tried this with the borax. I have done it with detergent and vinegar without much luck. I will definitely try it again with the borax. Thanks!
    Linda

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    1. I hope it works well for you with the borax, Linda.

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  6. I have done this without the borax and it didn't work so I will definitely get some borax and try again. Thanks for the tip!
    Linda

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  7. In a previous house we had a shower curtain which I found got very dirty, we now have glass doors which are so much easier to keep clean and manage.

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    1. I have never had glass doors. I'm sure they both have their ins and outs. I just discovered a rip in one of our shower curtain liners and will need to replace it.

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  8. This worked so well for me today! Thank your for this helpful post!

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  9. Very interesting idea, I like the fact it is completely biological. The only problem I can see for me being in the UK is that I cannot get borax? Or would you know where I might source it? Thanks

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    1. Hi there. You can get borax from Amazon, which you can get to if you click on the borax link. Doesn't Amazon ship to the UK? I thought they did. Here, maybe this page will help you http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/279-1109176-9046656?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=borax&x=0&y=0

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  10. Great tips... thanks for sharing this tips its very useful for me… Actually I like to clean my home and I was looking those blogs which providing me a good advice for cleaning the shower curtains. Your blog really inspired me. I generally use the same method to wash shower curtains, i used 2 tbsp white vinegar, laundry detergent and add required amount of water then mix up in a plastic container after that dab all the shower curtains on the plastic container and wash it nicely...

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  11. Can we use borax for washing all type of curtain? Actually I have not tried this before so I am thinking that it is safe or not. It should not affect my curtain fabric. But anyway your tips are really easy to apply. Thanks for sharing this!!

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  12. Great advice, thanks for the tips. Very helpful.

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  13. I have bookmarked your website, the articles are route superior to anything other comparative web journals.. a debt of gratitude is in order for an awesome site! tile and grout cleaning mt pleasant sc

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