Shower curtain liners cost like eight dollars. So when mine got pink mildew at the bottom, I just tossed it and bought a new one. Three times. That is twenty-four dollars and a chunk of plastic in a landfill because I was too lazy to Google “can you wash a shower curtain.”

Turns out you can. In the washing machine. With towels.

The Method

1. Take the curtain down. Plastic liner, fabric curtain, or the combo kind — they all work. Remove the hooks.
2. Throw it in the washing machine with two or three old towels. The towels act as scrubbers — they rub against the curtain and physically knock the mildew off. Without towels, the curtain just swishes around ineffectively.
3. Add your regular detergent. Nothing special. Half a cup of white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser helps kill mildew and remove soap scum.
4. Wash on warm or hot, regular cycle. Do not use hot if your curtain is thin plastic — warm is fine.
5. Hang it back up to dry. Never put a plastic curtain in the dryer. It will melt into a crumpled disaster. Just rehang it on the rod and it will drip-dry in a few hours.

What About Fabric Curtains?

Fabric curtains are even easier. Same method — wash with towels on warm — but you can put them in the dryer on low heat. They come out soft, clean, and smelling like laundry instead of mildew. I have a white waffle-weave fabric curtain and it looks brand new after five washes.

Preventing Mildew Between Washes

• Leave the curtain spread open after every shower. A bunched-up curtain stays wet and grows mildew fast. Spread it across the rod so air can circulate.
• Run the bathroom fan for 15-20 minutes after showering.
• Spray the bottom edge with a mix of equal parts water and white vinegar once a week. Takes ten seconds.

I wash my curtain once a month now. It has been the same one for over a year. No pink stains. No musty smell. And I have spent zero dollars replacing it. The towels do all the scrubbing — I just push a button.