How do I clean a shower curtain?

Shower curtains grow mould along the bottom because they stay damp in folds. Washing removes it; the reason it comes back is that the curtain is left bunched up after every shower rather than spread out to dry.

What you'll need

• Washing machine
• Detergent
• Two old towels
• White vinegar (optional)
• Bicarbonate of soda (optional)

Step by step

1. Check the label — most plastic and fabric curtains are machine washable.If in doubt, wash by hand in the bath with warm water and detergent.
2. Take the curtain down and unhook the rings.Wash the rings separately in warm soapy water — they collect scum too.
3. Put it in the machine with two old towels.The towels provide the friction a light curtain cannot generate on its own.
4. Wash on a warm gentle cycle with normal detergent.Add half a cup of bicarbonate of soda for mould, or white vinegar in the rinse for limescale — not both together.
5. Never tumble dry a plastic curtain.Heat melts and deforms it. Fabric liners can usually take a low tumble.
6. Hang it straight back on the rail while wet.The weight of the water pulls out the creases as it dries.
7. From now on, spread it out fully after every shower.A curtain left bunched keeps water in the folds, which is where mould starts.

Tips

• Pull the curtain closed after showering rather than bunching it at one end — it dries far faster spread out.
• A weighted hem keeps the curtain against the bath rather than billowing, which also helps it dry.
• If a plastic curtain is heavily mouldy along the bottom, replacement is often cheaper than the effort of rescuing it.

Common mistakes

• Tumble drying a plastic curtain — It shrinks, deforms and can melt onto the drum.
• Washing it alone — There is not enough friction to clean it. Towels in the load make a real difference.
• Leaving it bunched after showering — The folds hold water, and that is exactly where mould grows.

Questions people ask