Do you remember the last time you washed your shower curtain? How about your bath mat? If you can't remember, we think you're due to give them a very good deep clean. Both your shower liner and bath mat is a breeding ground for bacteria, mold, mildew, and sometimes even left-behind urine and feces particles. How gross! Your bathroom should be a sanctuary for cleanliness and wellness, so we've got the run-down on how often you should be washing these bathroom staples and the key steps to disinfecting them to keep your space clean and yourself and family healthy and well.
Bath Mats
1. Determine how often you should wash your bath mats.
This all depends on how many people are using it. The more people using it, the less time your bath mat will have to fully dry before the next use to prevent the build-up of dirt, mold, and bacteria. If you live in a household with two or more people, you should wash your bath mats every 3-5 days to get rid of any bacteria build-up. If you live alone, cleaning your bath mats on a 10 day cycle will work.
2. Place the bath mat in the washer machine.
To make sure you're not overloading your washer machine, we recommend washing one at a time. You can add a few towels to the load to prevent off-loading the machine.
3. Use a gentle detergent (Add a capful of white vinegar if your bath mat is extra grimy to kill bacteria).
Our Sensitive Skin detergent pods are perfect for this. Opt for the small loads version to prevent too many suds from forming. Consider also adding an Oxi Booster pod for added sanitization and freshness.
4. Wash on a gentle cycle with warm or hot water.
Depending on the color of your bath mat, wash in warm or hot water to properly disinfect.
5. Hang your bath mats outside to dry or tumble-dry on the lowest heat setting.
Avoid using high heat to dry your bath mats as the rubber or plastic backing can crack or melt in the dryer.
Shower Liners
1. Wash your shower liner once a month.
Pencil a reminder into your calendar now!
2. Remove the rings from the shower liner and throw it into the washer machine with a few towels.
The towels will help balance the washer machine, while also adding friction to help scrub the shower liner.
3. Add a gentle detergent. Plus 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda.
We obviously recommend our Small Loads Sensitive Skin Detergent Pods. Consider also adding an Oxi Booster pod to tackle tough mildew stains and mold spots.
4. Wash on a gentle cycle on the hottest temperature setting.
Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize!
5. During the rinse cycle, add 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar.
Again, sanitize, sanitize, sanitize!
6. There's no need to put the shower liner in the dryer after the rinse cycle.
Just hang the shower liner to dry on the shower rod and you're good to go. We recommend waiting to use the shower until after the shower liner is fully dried.