Both :-)

I take mine down and wash it in the machine with bleach and detergent and that gets it pretty clean. When it get to the point where it doesn't seem to be working as well I toss it out and buy a new one. Whenever I buy a new shower curtain I buy a new one too.

Also add some towels in the wash to brush against and keep it moving if its the plastic kind.

I just buy a new one, they are cheap.

When I lived with unsoftened water I would add Calgon to the washer and wash in the machine.

I tryed washing my plastic shower curtain in my clothes washer. It came out sliced up in ribbons. Not sure why. But now I buy I new one when it gets dirty. They cost about $9.99 at Target.

In the washing machine with detergent, a cup of vinegar and a couple white towels. Always comes out clean.

It's not that much trouble and I'd rather save that $10 than spend it on a new liner, but I don't do it as often as once a month.

Must be cheaper in So. Cal I buy really nice quality at the Home Goods store for $5.

And....if you cut the ham off the bottom, it won't hold water and keep getting cruddy at the bottom.....and spraying with shower cleaner helps a lot.
Linda C....with a shower with a door now.

I just take mine down, drop it in the tub and let it soak in Clorox water. Cleans the tub at the same time. Then hang it back up on the rings to dry. No messy water drippings dripping through the house.

I not only have washed mine over the years, but I throw it in the dryer, which takes the wrinkles out.

I can not tell you how many liners I have ruined washing them in the washer! Why? I was washing them on the regular cycle! DUH! You can wash them on the gentle cycle but I would reccomend you buy a heavy duty one for around 6 bucks at some place like Walmart. Your $2.50 deals at the dollar stores do not seem to hold up too well.

I use Clean Shower to stop mold and mildew. It's basically alcohol, water, and a little soap.

THey're only a dollar--I'm frugal, but at that price, they're simply too cheap to worry about the price (costs more to wash them, than to replace with a new one, I figure). I generally replace mine monthly. And in between, I give it a good spraying with Scrubbing Bubbles now and then, letting the cleaner sit a few minutes before I rinse it off with the hand-held shower.

I also toss mine in a hot wash with towels and then into the dryer to get the wrinkles out and hang it up while it's still warm... they come out looking great for several washes.

I live in the moldy Pacific Northwest, and yet my shower curtain does not get mildewy. How? Well, on whim, I bought one of those new anti-mildew plastic shower curtain liners, and so far it seems to be working. I've had it since April. It's a really nice liner. The package said it was supposed to lay more like fabric, and, lo, it does. No more billowing plastic liner. I love it.

Incidentally, it cost about $15, and came from my local grocery/home goods store (Fred Meyer).

Wesring green for St Patrick's Day is always a good idea. But it's really not nice to preach.

I use to wash mine in washer hot water when done hang up immediately doesnt weinkle.

I buy the heavy duty clear one from walmart I think its 6 bucks or so, when it needs it wash it in warm water with towels and throw it in dryer on low to get rid of the drips. When it's worn I throw it away- that's what you are supposed to do with trash. I buy a new one usually 2 a year.

I have no qualms about buying a new one every 6 months or so ( from the local $2 Shop) as washing has never been very successful for me and I am more concerned about the health effects of the mould/slime/dirt/general gunk etc.

I do NOT just put them in the bin, but store them in the shed where they are used at least several times before tossing out for such things as paint dropcovers ( not just for my painting efforts, but my local handyman/gardener welcomes donations of them for the same purpose ) and also for many other ad hoc uses.

I DO care about the environment but I will not go to ridiculous lengths to avoid the waste of an occasional plastic shower curtain whilst big business and major pollutant industries carry on regardless and divert attention from their GRAND scale pollution by trying to make the "little people" feel unnecessarily guilty. There has to be a balance somewhere !

I spray mine with Clean Shower after every shower, and replace it when it starts tearing or looking bad (maybe twice a year) from the local dollar store. I've never had to wash it, the Clean Shower does wonders. Be sure to spread it open to dry regularly to avoid mildew.

Aside from the usual cleaning, I do two things, the first is to help prevent ALL mildew, not just on the shower curtain. Many people do not have enough air circulation in their baths to dry them out after using them.

First we use fans. We installed a ceiling fan and run it after every shower or bath. I don't bunch the curtain up, I pull it 3/4 across the tub so air can circulate and dry it well. In the winter, surprisingly more so than in the summer, we experience more moisture due to condensation. That is when we also use an additional fan.

Second, about every couple of months I place a five gallon bucket filled with hot water and a teaspoon of chlorine bleach. I then soak just the bottom 12 inches or so, this is where the mold would tend to grow.

I have a fabric curtain and a plastic liner, and I never use that tub as it's a guest room, but believe me, I've washed my last plastic liner. My time is worth more than the $5 it would cost to replace it.

Buy a fabric liner. Easy to wash, and no spots.

For plastic, wash with towels, vinegar, and detergent or baking soda.

First of all I would like to THANK YOU All for sharing your wonderful ideas about "The SHOWER Curtain) ours has gotten slimy and I just heard all you have to do is wash it on the Gentle cycle in the washing machine and add 1 cup of any vinegar and WAAHLAH it will be just as good as new.....I have not tried it and after reading some of the ideas and what has happened in the washing machine, I am opting for filling the tub up with water and adding the vinegar in there...Then if it is still slimy I will add just a tad of bleach as I am allergic to its aroma....I will let you all know tomorrow!!! Thanks Again this is a very helpful site and I look forward to visiting it often.....

I've done the washing machine with vinegar & detergent and it worked fine.

I prefer dropping it right in the tub with vinegar or bleach as described above. Easier in my opinion.

Cleaning your shower curtain
The recommended home- made solution that work great on mildew stains,is vinegar and water,and depending on the type of shower curtain you have, If its cheap toss it in the trash, and buy a shower curtain that will last, keep it clean once a week with spraying it down after you get out the shower with vinegar,and this will kill the mildew stains Vinegar works great on mildew, along with bleach especially if you have tile block in your bathtub, I also recommend when using these product make sure you wear a mask for health reason and protection. Advise, to keep any fungus or bacteria from growing wash your shower curtain once a month.

Make sure you have the hemmed side facing your actual curtain, this will prevent water from getting into the hem. If your liner is in the water when you take a bath, it is hung too low. Raise the bar to where the curtain only hangs 6-8" inside your tub, this will help keep the bottom edge cleaner.

A good cloth liner will last years and can be washed in a washer with your towels. No need to buy the cheapy plastic ones.

So glad I found this thread. I sometimes think we're the only ones that get mildew on our curtain! We tend to leave it partially open to hang towels over the bar to dry so I know that adds to mildew developing in the creases. I'll try spraying it down more often, and I'm going to hang my new one with the hem facing away from the water spray. Next time, I may try the cloth liner instead.

Above someone mentions a cloth liner. I go that idea some several years ago when my job required me to travel. The fine hotels I stayed in had cloth liners.

Later I moved into an apartment with a sliding glass door. In a flash of brilliance, I have these flashes often when not needed but this time the flash was pertinent, I put a cheap rod above the glass door and hung a fabric shower curtain on the inside. Neat, attractive and minimized cleaning.

Thanks for everyone's advice. I usually buy cloth liners because they are so easy to clean, but my new house came with some heavy duty plastic ones ready for our move in. I don't like to throw away plastic, and these can't be recycled where I live, so I will try some your ideas here. I also don't use bleach (long term use has badly affected my mother's lungs), so I will try soaking it in the tub with laundry detergent, baking soda and Oxyclean and hot water. My tub needs a scrubbing as well, so I'll both done at one time!

Again, thanks for all the ideas!

I bought the "perfect" shower curtain liner at Bed Bath & Beyond.(Im not hawking for BB&B). It's supposed to be bacteria and mold resistant. I put it up several months ago (along with the outside fabric shower curtain that matches my widow curtain.) After my shower, I spread both curtains wide to drip into the tub and open the window or put on the bathroom fan. When we remodeled our bathroom 6 years ago, it was town code to have a shower fan installed.

I have tried the above (washing machine, bleach and vinegar) with mixed results, but did not try the dryer, fearing a meltdown. I have heavy-duty plastic liners and they came out wrinkled and spotted last time I did this even though I hung them right away.

The machine is currently whirring away with hot water (last time I used warm) and I put it on XL load, figuring maybe it didn't all rinse last time?.
Am going to use a low heat setting on the dryer for a few minutes to see what happens.

I also threw in some dingy dishrags to see if that will scrub the crud off. They were looking REALLY gross, with colored mold growing on the long one hung in the shower that gets multiple uses every day.

Like xantippe I am also in the Pacific Northwest, so am interested in going to Fred Meyer or BB&B to see if those mold/mildew resistant ones might be on Back-to-School sales still? Possibly worth the investment?

I hate the cheap dollar store ones, but am also too stingy to buy fabric ones now since we are moving in a year to a place with glass doors in the bathrooms. Might try albert_135's idea of lining them with a curtain, though to cut down on cleaning them.

Thanks so much everyone for their advise... Will re-post with my results :)

Get a plastic net laundry bag ($1.00 at Dollar Tree), put your plastic liner in it, and put it in the washer with the rest of the clothes. The net bag will keep it from being torn. I've got a front loader, so don't know if it works as good in a top loader. All the soap scum disappears, and then just hang it back up in the shower, do not put it in the dryer.

I buy them at dollar tree or big lots for less than $5. Mine has yellowed, but it is not slimy and it's not mold or mildew. It is dry and doesn't wipe off, doesn't hurt anything. It's not visible unless you are in the shower.

This post was edited by EmmaR on Tue, Sep 3, 13 at 12:57

I have washed my shower liner with towels and a warm water setting....hung as soon as they were done washing. With the warm water setting, no wrinkles.

I use to throw mine with a little bleach in hot water in washer,hang up when done or throw in dryer a few minutes but don't walk away and forget.