How to Clean Plastic Shower Curtains and Shower Mats
Put the plastic shower curtain and the tub mat in the washing machine with two bath towels, on cold, with your normal detergent plus half a cup of baking soda. The towels do the scrubbing. Then hang the curtain straight back on the rod to drip-dry. Do not put it in the dryer. That removes soap scum and the pink film in one cycle, and it works on liners, on PEVA, and on suction-backed tub mats.
Why do the towels matter?
They provide the friction. A plastic curtain washed on its own just floats in the drum and comes out as dirty as it went in. Two old bath towels give the soap scum something to abrade against for the length of the cycle, which is what actually lifts it.
Use towels you do not care about (the curtain will transfer some grime), and do not overfill. Curtain, mat, two towels is a full load.
What settings should I use?
| Setting | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Cold or lukewarm | Hot water warps PEVA and vinyl permanently |
| Cycle | Gentle / delicate | High agitation tears grommet holes |
| Spin | Lowest, or none | A high spin creases plastic into hard folds |
| Detergent | Normal dose + ½ cup baking soda | Baking soda handles the film; detergent handles the oils |
| Rinse | Add ½ cup white vinegar to the rinse | Softens residue and deodorizes |
| Drying | Rehang wet on the rod | Dryer heat melts and warps plastic |
Do not use bleach on a colored liner and never mix bleach with vinegar. If you want to bleach a white liner, run it as a separate wash and skip the vinegar rinse entirely.
How do I get rid of the pink or black spots?
The pink film is a bacterium that feeds on soap residue; black spots are mildew. Both come off in the same wash, but they come back within weeks unless the drying habit changes.
For a heavily spotted liner, presoak in the tub for an hour in warm water with a cup of white vinegar, then run the machine cycle above. Beyond that point it is not worth the effort. A replacement 71 x 79 in. waterproof liner is $23.99 and is genuinely a consumable item, unlike the fabric curtain in front of it, which should last years.
How do I clean a suction-backed tub mat?
Same load, but rinse the suction cups by hand first and never tumble dry. Heat destroys the cups and the mat stops gripping, which is the whole point of the product.
Our Bubbles tub and shower mats (28 x 15 in. oval, $19.99; 20 x 20 in. square, $23.99–$24.99) hold water under the cups if left flat in the tub. Lift the mat out and hang it over the tub edge after each use. That single habit does more than any cleaning product. If cups have gone stiff and cloudy and no longer grip on a wet surface, replace the mat.
What about a fabric shower curtain?
Polyester curtains wash on cold and tumble low, but they should not need washing often, because the liner takes the water. If your fabric curtain is getting mildewed, the liner is missing or hung on the wrong side.
The liner goes inside the tub; the decorative curtain hangs outside. Reversed, water runs down the fabric and onto the floor, and the fabric never dries. Hookless curtains such as the Cubic 79 x 71 in. ($43.99) are the quickest to take down and rehang, which in practice means they get washed.
How do I stop it coming back?
Pull the curtain fully closed after every shower. A bunched curtain traps water in its folds and stays damp all day; a flat one dries in about an hour.
- Run the fan or open the window for 20 minutes after showering.
- Shake the water off the bottom hem before you leave the room.
- Wash the liner every 4–6 weeks rather than waiting for spots.
- Rinse bar-soap residue off the tub wall. It is the food source for the pink film. A wall-mounted magnetic soap holder ($14.99) keeps the bar draining instead of dissolving into the ledge.
- Keep the shower squeegee, sponge and brush off the tub floor. A hanging shower caddy ($10.99) drains into the tub.
Common questions
Can I put the rings in the wash too? Take them off. Plastic shower curtain rings ($7.99 for 12) can crack in the drum and can tear the grommet holes. Wipe them with the same vinegar solution instead.
Will this work on a vinyl liner as well as PEVA? Yes. The rule is the same for both: cold water, low spin, no dryer.
How long should a liner last? Six to eighteen months with this routine. If yours is failing in under six months, the bathroom is not drying out between uses. That is a ventilation problem, not a cleaning one.
Can I wash a bath rug in the same load? No. Wash bath rugs separately on cold with no fabric softener; the plastic curtain will transfer grime into a plush pile.
