Your shower curtains get exposed to soap, scum, dust, and steam, among other things, whenever you take a bath. They can get dirty quickly.
Although necessary, most homeowners never see the need to clean shower curtains. They simply wait for them to become too dirty or wear out before discarding and replacing them.
Those who clean their shower curtains apply different cleaning methods, including the use of a washing machine.
But do you know you can clean a shower curtain effectively through hand washing?
Depending on how dirty your curtain is, you can either wipe it with microfiber clothing or spot clean it. You can also submerge it in a water tube, make a swishing action with your hands, then rinse it later.
We’ve explained in detail how you can use these methods to clean mold and dirt from your shower curtain.
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How to wash plastic shower curtains by hand
To clean a plastic shower curtain by hand, use any of these methods:
1. Spot cleaning and spraying
With spot cleaning, you don’t have to take your curtains off the rod to clean them.
It is one of the best shower curtain cleaning hacks, whereby you only clean the part of the curtains that has a stain on it.
However, you have to use the right cleaning products depending on the stains you see on your plastic curtains.
To spot clean your shower curtains:
- Scrap off any excess stain matter from the curtains.
- Mix laundry detergent, stain remover, and dry cleaning fluid in a bucket of water. Alternatively, put some white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the curtains.
- Damp a cloth in the solution and use it to gently scrub off the grime and dirt from the plastic curtain.
- Rise the curtains and wipe them dry.
- Allow the curtains to air dry.
Spot cleaning and spraying are more effective when done immediately after you see a stain on the curtains.
2. Use microfiber clothing
Using microfiber clothing is a great option if you want to clean your plastic shower curtains without a washing machine.
You can find microfiber clothing in your local store or online. We recommend Mr. Siga 12-pack since they are not only strong but also durable and offer value for money.
Once you’ve got your microfiber cloth, follow these steps to clean your shower curtain:
- Mix a solution of water and baking soda.
- Dampen a microfiber cloth in the solution.
- Scrub the shower curtain or liner with the microfiber cloth to remove dirt or surface grime.
- Use another microfiber cloth or towel rug to rinse the shower curtain.
- Dampen the cloth in warm water and wipe the curtains.
- Hang the curtains on a cloth line or curtain rod to dry.
If you are dealing with stubborn stains, consider increasing the amount of baking soda in the water and scrubbing the curtains with a sponge.
3. Use the swishing method to clean plastic curtains
Swishing is a manual method of removing dirt, grime, or stains from plastic curtains.
Follow these steps to clean a plastic shower curtain in the tub through this method.
- Fill a tub with warm water.
- Add detergent of your choice to the water. To clean a plastic shower curtain with bleach, add about ten milliliters of bleach to a 20-liter tub of water.
- Mix the detergent or bleach into the water.
- Soak the shower curtain in the solution for about 20 minutes.
- Use your hands to gently move the curtains around in the water to remove the dirt. Then, make a swishing action with the curtains in the water.
- Remove the curtains from the dirty water.
- Add clean water to a different tub.
- Rinse the curtains by pulling them in and out of the water to remove any soap.
You can now dry the curtains in the sun or air them. You can use bleach to remove mildew from a bathroom and a plastic shower curtain.
However, ensure to soak them first before you hand wash them.
Final thoughts
You can clean a plastic shower curtain or liner by hand, even without taking it down.
A quick way of doing it is to spot clean or spray it using a vinegar solution. But you can also wash it by hand or use microfiber clothing.
Alternatively, you can wash your plastic curtains by hand with a swishing action in a water tub.
Ensure to use a mild detergent when washing by hand. Also, consider soaking the curtains to remove stubborn stains and wash them later.