Shower curtains become dirty due to the environment that they are in. Mold, soap scum, dirty water, and moist environment are the main cause of dirt to the curtain. In some cases, dust from the sand which comes on during dry and windy days makes it dirty too. There are several ways to clean the shower curtains. Among them are cleaning by the use of bleach.
So what is the procedure of using this agent to make the curtain clean? For more information, read this informative article “how to clean shower curtain with bleach?”. You will get to understand all the steps to undertake this duty.
What are the methods with which you can clean the curtains?
You can wash the shower curtain by either:
Using the hand.
Machine washing.
We are going to discuss each method below.
⇒Cleaning the shower curtain by hand washing.
This method is preferred by most people because it a cost-effective method and cleaning can be done by anyone at any time.
The procedure to follow is:
1. Dampen a clean cloth and add baking soda.
Baking soda is known to be a bleaching agent. Immerse a clean cloth fully into the water. A face towel is best suited for this work. Squeeze excess water out of the cloth and sprinkle baking soda over its surface until it forms a white coat.
2. Brush off lighter stains.
Bring the cloth over the curtain and give it a light scrub. A light scrub will take off loose stains that are hanging over the curtain. Do not worry about tough stains because they will be washed out in a moment.
Brush the curtain in an up-down movement. Most of the dirt might be concentrated on the downside. This means that you may need to place more emphasis on that part.
3. Rinse the curtain.
Dampen a new cloth in warm water and brush the curtain with it. This is to get rid of baking soda which was used to clean the curtain initially. Ensure that you remove all the baking soda from the curtain. Add as much water as you like until the baking soda is fully removed.
4. Wash out the remaining tough stains.
There are those tough stains that had not been cleaned out initially. They are to be taken off at this stage. To do this, sprinkle some baking soda on such spots. Focus mostly on the places which are affected by mold. Scrub these areas with some extra force until all the dirt is eliminated. Repeat the process as much as possible, while adding water to the cloth until the stains are removed.
5. Rinse the curtain.
Dampen another clean cloth in clean water and use it to rinse the cloth. Scrub it on the curtain until all the traces of baking soda, soap, and dirt are removed. You can add as much water to the cloth as possible. When done with rinsing, the curtain should be clean.
6. Dry the curtain.
Leave the curtain in its position to dry. Do not take it out of the bathroom for it to dry. You are advised not to use the bathroom while the curtain is drying. It does not take long to completely become dry.
A point to note.
Please note that if the curtain is seriously soiled, you will need to clean it using the same procedure as that of the washing machine. The only difference is that you will not use a washing machine anywhere. Machine cleaning process will be discussed below.
⇒ Cleaning the shower curtain by machine washing.
The second option of doing the work is by use of a washing machine. The procedure is as follows:
a) Gather the required material.
These materials include a washing machine, a liquid or powdered bleaching agent, detergent and a large basin.
b) Remove the curtain from the hooks.
Unlike when using the hand to clean, when using the machine, it is impossible to clean it while hanging. You are therefore to remove the curtain off the hook in preparation for washing t. The basin should be large enough to allow full immersion of the curtain.
To the basin, add a cup of liquid bleaching or a big spoon of powdered bleach. Add a full gallon of water to the basin. The water should be hot. If you have a larger basin, then you should consider doubling or even increasing the ingredients. For every addition of a gallon of water, another cup or a scoop of bleach should be thrown in.
Leave the mixture to settle for a while before placing it in the curtains.
c) Immerse the curtain.
Place the curtain into the basin containing water and bleach. Let it soak for about three hours. If the curtained is not seriously stained, then you may not need to soak it for three hours. For the seriously soiled curtains, you may even leave it overnight so that tough stains can be removed. Keep on checking the curtain to see if the stains have been removed.
d) Place the curtain in the washing machine.
Once the stains have been removed, then place the curtain in the washing machine for it to be cleaned. If you can still notice stains on the curtains, then you may need to repeat the process of soaking until the stains are removed. By repeating the process, you have to drain the water from the basin and add fresh water together with the bleach. Let it settle for some extra time.Once the curtain is in the washing machine, set it to do the cleaning on the warm water. Warm water removes tough stains such as grease and oil with ease.
Together with the curtains in the washing machine, place a few clean towels. This is to help in preventing the curtain from being shredded. The towels also help in scrubbing out the stains from the curtain. Allow the water to fill in a bit.
e) Add the bleach and detergent.
Add some little bleach and the detergent to the washer. Leave the machine to complete the cleaning process which takes around three hours. When ready, the machine will stop by itself and you are to take out the curtain and confirm whether it is clean. If it is not clean, then you may be forced to put it back to the washing machine and let it be cleaned again. You may even decide to complete the process by hand. But if the curtain has been cleaned well, then hang it back on its hooks and let it dry.
Conclusion.
It is good to clean the curtain quite often. Leaving it to accumulate a lot of stains may cause problems when cleaning in the future. Stains also reduce the lifespan of the shower curtain.To clean it, you can either do it by hand or even by a washing machine. Have all the materials ready before beginning the process.