Cleaning stuff

[bobquasit]

One of our shower curtains was getting pretty grungy. It might have been mold, or soap scum...I don't know. It was a translucent gray-black stain that covered four or five square feet.

It was a decent shower curtain, a $3.99 one instead of one of those cheap $0.99 ones from the dollar store, so I decided to see if it was cleanable. To tell you the truth, money wasn't a factor; I just felt like giving it a try, and since the vinyl was on the heavier side, I thought it might survive the experiment.

First try: Formula 409 and paper towels.

I took the curtain down and spread it on the bathroom floor (it was dry, of course). I squirted it with 409, waited 30 seconds, and then went over it vigorously with paper towels. Result: dirty paper towels, and some reduction in the grime, but the curtain still looked pretty dirty.

Second try: dishwashing detergent and scotch-brite.

I put a few drops of dishwashing detergent on the curtain, wet an old piece of scotch-brite, and scrubbed fairly gently with a circular motion. Result: the grime came off like magic, instantly, with no visible damage to the curtain. The whole thing took less than two minutes. I put it up again, rinsed it off in the shower, and it has been fine for days.

I also found that dishwashing detergent works great for cleaning the toilet, the bathroom sink, and the tub. It just takes a few drops, too!

Jeeze. How do I end up making posts like this?

Comments

[oldwolf.livejournal.com]

Could it be the potasium phosphate???

[donnad.livejournal.com]

I usually wash my plastic shower curtain in the washing machine with a load of towels. The agitation of the towels against the plastic scrubs off the yuck. (You can always run the towels again if you are worried about them being clean after, but I have never had an issue with it.) The only thing is the shower curtain will come out all wrinkly. But stretch it out and hang it up anyway and after a couple of hot steamy showers it straightens right back out.

I usually do this about once a month until I notice it just not coming clean anymore. Then I replace it.

I read about doing it this way in some woman's magazine years ago and have been doing it ever since. It makes the curtains last a good long time. I buy the heavier, more expensive ones as well. I might replace mine once a year if that.

If you are really into scrubbing, which I am not, you can also try plain white vinegar and the scrubbie pad.