Do you use a fabric or vinyl shower curtain liner?

13 years ago

Over the years I keep switching back and forth from using a fabric shower curtain liner, to a vinyl one. I find that a vinyl liner gets a build up of soap scum eventually, no matter how carefully I try to rinse it off before getting out.

The fabric liners are often too lightweight and billow around when I have the window open to keep the steam from settling everywhere. I've tried the ones with a weighted bottom, but they're usually not heavy enough. Do you wash your vinyl liners on delicate in your machine, try to clean them by hand, or just toss them when they need serious cleaning?

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Comments (14)

monica_pa Grieves
13 years ago
I have no problem with fabric liners, and put them in the same hot-water wash load as the towels.
Mystical Manns
13 years ago
I use a vinyl liner. I take the liner down every couple of months to wash (I put it in with a load of towels) and never have a problem with anything building up. I am sure to buy a heavy-duty liner tho, otherwise DH or DS will rip it when they swish the curtain open or closed. They're not the most careful of creatures.
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bearcat_va
13 years ago
Vinyl, and I replace it when it gets gooky.
trishaw
13 years ago
I have both. A vinyl insert with a fabric curtain in the boy's bathroom. I think I may go to plain old vinyl in there. I have a vinyl one in my bathroom and I am thinking of switching to fabric. We have to replace the vinyl one more often, boy's rip it all the time.

Trish
nodakgal
13 years ago
Both.
I have a clear vinyl curtain inside with a fabric curtain outside.
I always buy the vinyl curtains that have the metal grommets...the plastic ones are ripped in no time flat otherwise.
I do wash the vinyl one often...I put the old rag bath towels that we use for cleaning in the middle of the curtain (the gunky side) wash on warm and add bleach. The towels rubbing against the vinyl wash it right off. Of course after so many washes you can see its time to replace, but I don't have to replace the vinyl ones as often.
My GF leaves the shower rings right on hers when she washes it. I have sometimes but I don't know if that would work without a front load machine..might get ripped on the center agitator in a top loader.
amicus
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for your responses. I have tried washing my vinyl liner in the washer by itself and it ripped, so I will put towels in with it next time as some of you have done. A fabric liner washes great in my machine, but I haven't found one heavy enough to not billow around when my window is open.
azzalea
13 years ago
Vinyl liner behind my fabric shower curtain.

At $1 each, I just put them up for a month or 2 then toss them when they start to get yucky, or the holes tear. I suppose that's a little wasteful, but I'm excruciatingly frugal in almost every way. Having a new shower liner every 6-8 weeks is a little luxory I enjoy.
jaybird
13 years ago
For those who use clear liners, Family Dollar store has a REALLY heavy one with a fiber heading and metal grommets. It is great and washes like a dream in the towel load. (It dries nicely on the back fence too ;^)
kathi_mdgd
13 years ago
I use a vinyl,and i also take it down every so often and wash it with a load of towels.I then throw it in the dryer with the towels for just a couple of minutes,note i said"COUPLE".I stand by the dryer for those minutes and when i pull it out it's wrinkle free,soft and i then just hang it back up.
DO NOT walk away from the dryer while it's in there.
Kathi
cynic
13 years ago
I have glass shower doors, but I use a vinyl (or is it plastic?) liner against the wall since the grout is bad. I give an occasional spray with shower clean stuff and it does fine. I've always bought the cheapies and toss them after a year or two if they get really bad although usually they get ripped or something.
drewsmaga
13 years ago
Ditto azzalea. I find them for $1 at Dollar Tree & Ikea.
Marilyn_Sue
13 years ago
I use a plastic shower curtain liner and a cloth curtain. I washed them both at the same time and dried them at the same time. I then hung them and they look good as new. I have used them for some years now. Not sure where I got the liner, but maybe at a dollar store. It does have the metal grommets. Oh, I dried it just as long as I did the cloth shower curtain always have, no problem. I have never tried washing them with the shower curtain rings on, I think mine would probably all come apart in the wash.

Sue
Happyladi
13 years ago
I have a fabric liner and a fabric curtain. The liner gets a reddish build up on the bottom of it and I have to bleach it to get it out, just washing it doesn't work. The liner says not to bleach but it bleaches just fine.

I have the same kind of liner in the kid's bathroom but it doesn't get a red film on it. Maybe it's the type of shampoo we use.
glenda_al
13 years ago
Don't shower, and it's just me. No liner. Fabric curtain, just for looks!