How do you deep clean a vinyl shower curtain?

January 3, 2016 7:35 PM

What should I do for a scrub or soak or other method that'll help get the job done? It's a vinyl curtain that's kind of stiff and hard to deal with (not cloth), and it's too big for my washing machine. Details inside.

I've been using borax powder and a scrub brush. I take it off the hooks and scub it inside the tub and then rinse off but it doesn't seem to get all the soap buildup off. By that point I usually say eh good enough instead of going for a second round, but I'd like to give it a good cleaning one of these days.

I feel like I do a pretty good job of scrubbing and the vinyl looks clean in the tub after I scrub it, but after I rinse it off it looks a little grimy. I think the soap buildup is actual soap buildup and not mold but I guess I don't know for sure. Most of it comes off.

posted by atinna to Home & Garden (22 answers total)

If it's soap scum and not mold try using a little dishwashing detergent to clean it and a microfiber cloth to dry it.
posted by Room 641-A at 7:45 PM on January 3, 2016

Or even just try plain water and a microfiber cloth first.
posted by Room 641-A at 7:46 PM on January 3, 2016

I haven't tried it myself, but I would imagine that a magic eraser would make quick work of the soap scum.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 7:48 PM on January 3, 2016

Best answer: We've used dish soap and a scrub brush.
posted by stormyteal at 7:50 PM on January 3, 2016

I use this foaming scrubbing bubbles stuff on mine and it kicks ass. Can't remember the name of it but it's in a green can that has a comic scrub brush on it.
posted by Sternmeyer at 7:53 PM on January 3, 2016 [1 favorite]

I use bleach (for mold on a vinyl shower curtain liner.) Last time I took the whole thing down and dealt with it in the tub, but next time I'm going to try Lysol bleach spray and wiping down.
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:07 PM on January 3, 2016

Best answer: I've used hot, soapy bleach water with a scrub brush.

I got tired of doing it so often, so I bought this polyester curtain. It works good, doesn't seem to need a liner, doesn't get mildew. After a long time it got a little yellowed at the bottom. I washed in washer with laundry detergent and it looks like new. It dries faster than the vinyl, so mildew doesn't grow.
posted by H21 at 8:08 PM on January 3, 2016 [1 favorite]

I used to throw it in the washing machine with a cup of white vinegar. Maybe smoosh it around in the bathtub with vinegar?
posted by matildaben at 8:11 PM on January 3, 2016 [2 favorites]

Can you soak it in the tub with white vinegar? I'd use lots more than a cup tho. Probably a whole liter of vinegar for maybe half the tub of water.
posted by CrazyLemonade at 8:20 PM on January 3, 2016

Vinyl shower curtain, $5.99-$10.00. How much is your time worth to you, including cleaning supplies? Get a new one. They make a shower spray product that is supposed to keep up the clean if used frequently. When you get your new shower liner, use the spray a couple of times a week. Buy a squeegee if it is water deposits.
posted by Oyéah at 8:22 PM on January 3, 2016 [22 favorites]

If this is an inner liner - then this is why I buy super cheap ones and replace them every so often. If this is a vinyl curtain that doubles as a liner - then try some of the above. I'd specifically look for cleaners for soap scum and buildup that foams and doesn't require scrubbing.
posted by Crystalinne at 8:24 PM on January 3, 2016 [1 favorite]

I just had gleaming success using the washing machine and a vinegar-soaked towel along with the shower curtain. So I am pretty sure vinegar will work as a scrubbing agent in the bathtub with enough time and effort.
posted by oxisos at 9:29 PM on January 3, 2016

Find a laundromat with large capacity washers and wash it in warm water with 1 cup of vinegar, 1/4 cup of liquid detergent, and a couple old towels. I've done this many times in my home washing machine and it works great.
posted by ananci at 1:48 AM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]

Seconding the non-answer of: this is too difficult/impossible under some circumstances and its better to treat them as mostly disposable (liners).
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 5:59 AM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]

When you replace it, buy an opaque fabric liner-type curtain. Like this. Then keep a bottle of bleach cleaner around and spray it down every month or so. Throw it in the washer every once in a while. No more scrubbing.
posted by raisingsand at 8:33 AM on January 4, 2016

A magic eraser will take mold and soap scum off...well, like magic. Use with hot water +/- bleach as desired. I usually don't even take mine off the hooks since they're unwieldy to manage.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 8:42 AM on January 4, 2016

Take it to the car wash, hang it up on the wall with those clips for your floor mats, and blast the hell out of it.
posted by LarryC at 9:10 AM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]

Nthing that it's easier to replace it than deep clean. I'm willing to bet that you'll end up spending more money trying to clean the thing instead; vinyl shower curtains are cheap, even the heavy-duty ones.
posted by Aleyn at 1:08 PM on January 4, 2016

Response by poster: Scrubbing with dish soap actually worked surpringly well after soaking in hot water for about 10 mins. I had done a borax scrub earlier so the curtain was mostly clean already but the dish soap made a visible difference to where there was some leftover soap grime.

Thanks for the 'just replace it' comments as well but I'm really not looking to replace my shower curtain.
posted by atinna at 1:25 PM on January 4, 2016

I fill the tub with a diluted bleach solution, then leave the liner to soak in it for a few hours. Seems to do the trick.
posted by Chrysostom at 1:47 PM on January 4, 2016

The vinyl ones always got wrecked in my washing machine. I ended up buying a non-vinyl replacement liner (polyester, I think), like the ones hotels use. I'm not 100% sure, but it might be this one. It absorbs water instead of sheeting it, but it does 100% prevent the floor from getting wet. It also collects mildew over time, so I just wash it (not as often as I should). Problem solved!
posted by cnc at 4:30 PM on January 4, 2016

CLR (Calcium, Lime, and Rust Remover) does a really good job. That said, I ditched my vinyl liner for a white cloth liner that I can throw in the laundry periodically. It's much better all the way around.
posted by ReginaHart at 5:00 PM on January 4, 2016