How do mildew-proof shower curtains work?

A standard clear shower curtain liner costs me five bucks at Target, but they get filthy and I have to replace them every six months or so. Recently, I saw they are selling mildew proof liners for $10. Do they work, and if so how?

I’m sorry not to have an answer to your question about how the mildew-proof shower curtains work, but I suspect that much of the grime your shower curtain is collecting is actually soap scum and hard water deposits as opposed to mildew. To get them clean again, just toss them in the washing machine with some baking soda or a little white vinegar and bleach (actually, I’ve always had success with just vinegar, omitting the bleach), then hang right back up in the shower to dry. Voilà, good as new.

Oh, and I always hang mine so that folded up side of the hem at the bottom is up against the tub – that way it doesn’t collect water and get gunky the way it would if it was on the inside where the water runs down it.

Here’s a site that gives instructions on washing shower curtains in the machine.

I have had mildew-proof shower curtains in the past, and yes, they do work. I have no idea how, but they work.

Shayna – if not cleaned, most shower curtains will accumulate enough grey water residue to grow mildew. It doesn’t grow very thick, but it does grow. Trust me, I have never seen black soap scum and calcium deposits :slight_smile:

I just guessed they are made of a certain material that the mold cannot utilize, or maybe it inhibits their attachment in some way. Or maybe they line it with antifungals, though that would be a bit extreme.

Just to answer the “do they work” question, although I see someone else beat me to it, yes, they apparently do work. I was buying the el cheapo $3 liners for a while, and they’d invariably start getting black mildew streaks after a couple of months or so. Finally invested in the $10 “mildew-proof” liner, and I’ve had it for six months now with nary a trace of mildew. Well worth the bucks. Will be interested to see if someone has a definitive answer on how they work.

A quick google would imply at least some of these plastic curtains are treated with mildew resistant chemical such as Vinzyene.

And apparently you can mildew-proof your own by soaking them in a vinegar or salt water solution. [

](http://www.creativehomemaking.com/cleaning/shower-curtain-tips.shtml)

You folks like new car smell? That odor is the off-gassing of plastics. Plastics are treated with various chemicals to alter their properties, such as making them self-extinguishing when exposed to open flame, or in this case, mildew proof. I’m presuming that the vinyl is treated with some form of mildewicide, and it releases that product slowly enough to inhibit mildew growth for some length of time.

I’ve had a mildew-proof curtain for about 18 months. It does eventually get mildew, but much more slowly than others. I started noticing mildew about 6 months ago, cleaned it off, and now I’m starting to see it again. So it’s not 100%, but way better than what I had before.

Same here.

When mildew appears, I spray it with Lysol All-Purpose Cleaner with Bleach. It disappears in a couple hours. Don’t even have to wipe it off.