How to Clean a Shower Curtain and Liner — The Right Way

Shower curtains and liners are some of the most neglected surfaces in a bathroom. The liner — the plastic or PEVA sheet that hangs inside the tub — accumulates soap scum, body soil, hard water mineral deposits, and eventually pink or black mildew. The fabric curtain itself accumulates dust at the top, water spots and mildew at the bottom, and soap scum in the middle. Here's how to clean both effectively.

Plastic or PEVA Liner: Washing Machine Method

Most plastic and PEVA shower liners are machine washable — this is the fastest and most effective cleaning method.

1. Remove the liner from the hooks
2. Place it in the washing machine with two or three old towels — the towels act as agitators and protect the liner from getting balled up
3. Add your normal detergent (a small amount) and ½ cup of white vinegar to the drum
4. Wash on a gentle cycle with warm water (not hot — high heat warps plastic liners)
5. Do not put the liner in the dryer — hang it back on the hooks in the shower to air dry, or hang outdoors in sunlight which also kills residual mildew

For heavy mildew or pink stain buildup, add ¼ cup of baking soda to the wash cycle in addition to the vinegar (add them in separate compartments, not together).

Fabric Shower Curtain: Washing Machine Method

Fabric shower curtains (cotton, polyester, or linen) are almost always machine washable.

1. Check the care label — most fabric curtains can handle a warm gentle cycle; some are hand-wash only
2. Wash with normal detergent; add ½ cup of white vinegar to the drum to cut any mildew smell
3. Remove promptly after the cycle finishes — leaving a wet fabric curtain in the drum encourages the mildew you just removed to return
4. Hang to dry in the shower on its hooks, or machine dry on low if the care label permits

Spot Cleaning (Between Full Washes)

For the bottom of a liner where soap scum and pink mildew accumulate between full washes:

• While it's hanging in the shower, spray with a bathroom cleaner or a 50/50 vinegar and water solution
• Let sit 5 minutes, then wipe with a sponge or cloth in a downward motion
• Rinse with the shower

How Often to Clean

• Plastic/PEVA liner: monthly
• Fabric curtain: every 1–2 months
• Spot cleaning the liner bottom: weekly

When to Replace

Replace a plastic liner when black mildew staining no longer comes out in the wash — black mildew is embedded in the plastic and poses a health concern. Replace a fabric curtain when it retains a persistent mildew smell after washing, or when the fabric is visibly stained beyond recovery. Liners are inexpensive enough to replace every 6–12 months regardless.

Maidless's standard bathroom clean includes wiping the shower curtain and spot-treating the liner. Book a Toronto house cleaning — HST included.