Living in the Pacific Northwest has many perks, but one of them is definitely not mold and mildew. We live in the place where your grass is brown in the summer and your sidewalk is green during the winter. Unfortunately last week we discovered green, fuzzy, icky mold growing in two different spots in our apartment. (I did take pictures for our manager, but I will spare you the gruesome photos.) I clean all the time, but I don’t think there is a way to have a completely mold spore free house, even if I am allergic to penicillin. Anyway, we contacted our manager and they immediately took care of things. We also have done our part in making our home environment less mold friendly.
Every day we spray our shower curtain with clean shower mist and then quite frequently we will clean it with bleach or Lysol. However, it still manages to grow black grime and pink ooze. Therefore, I decided to take even more action to fix the problem. I removed the heavy duty plastic curtain from the rings and rod and then washed it in the washing machine on the normal warm water cycle with 1 cup white vinegar, the typical amount of laundry detergent, a scoop of Oxi Clean and about 1/2 cup of Borax. It came out looking brand spanking new.
And thanks to Minerva of Making Bread, I have also been adding about 1/4 cup 
of 2o Mule Team Borax to all of my loads of laundry. No longer am I assaulted by stinky dish rags in the kitchen and no longer does that horrid smell rub off on my fingers.
In case you were wondering, 20 Mule Team Borax can be found in the laundry aisle of any major shopping store.
For more Works-For-Me-Wednesday ideas and tips, please visit Shannon of Rocks In My Dryer.
Thanks for the great tips! Our “Anti-mold” shower curtain sadly doesn’t live up to it’s name, either. Last week, I took a scrub brush and vinegar to it while I was showering. I think I like the throwing it in the washing machine better!
Borax is wonderful! I will have to try this with my shower curtain. I’ve recently discovered it works in the dishwasher too. Just 1 tablespoon Borax and 1 tablespoon Baking Soda cleans a whole load.
Thanks for the tips. I live in the Pacific Northwest too and I also have the pink mold despite all efforts to remove it. I’ll try the Borax, thanks!
I might have to try this. I got so disgusted I started buying shower curtain liners at the $ store and chucking them every few months. This is much more environmentally friendly.
We have this problem, too! Thanks for the healthy & frugal tip.
I live in the Northwest too and I try and try with the pink mold. One time it got the best of my curtain and my hubby asked it I had been painting. LOL SHHHH he has no idea it was mold. I have a fabric curtain, but I bet this solution will work for it as well. Thanks
Oh, I am totally trying the Borax thing (since I live here too).
Finally, someone else that acknowledges the smelly dishrags (that come clean out of the dryer) and leave a scent on their fingers (as soon as they get wet)…I thought I was the only one…
Thanks for sharing this tip. I have that problem with my shower curtain and I’ve not been able to get it clean. I never thought of adding vinegar or Borax to the wash. Thanks!
I have a homemade laundry detergent using the borax if you are interested. Excellent tip and thank you!
Make sure you run your bathroom fan, all the time, but especially during/after you shower until all the walls and the tub are completely dry. After managing apt. in seattle for 7 yrs, I know all the tricks, ha ha.
I guess we’ve been fortunate to have an anti-mold shower liner that actually works. I think I paid $20 for it, but when it does start getting the pink slime on it, I just toss it into the washer, too.
Very effective.
Wish I would have known this when I lived in Alaska! But now that I have three kids, I am totally trying it anyway. Thanks for the tip!
You are so inspiring! I am going to start throwing my shower surtain in the washer again. I had gotten sick of it, and had decided, like Jane, that I was just going to buy a new one every few months at the $1 store. I’ll be good to the environment, though…. and not be so lazy.
great to read love it
That’s exactly what I do. Soak in bleach in the washer, then wash! Comes out brand new
It’s so funny to me that you mention the Borax. I just bought some (of the kind you mention) at the store today because someone told me it was good for all kinds of cleaning. Unfortunately they weren’t specific on exactly what kind of cleaning. Thanks for the information!
Despite what everyone thinks, we in the south get our fair share of mold. It’s just so dang humid…so believe me, I know ALL about the pink mold…I just didn’t know that there was such a simple solution! Thanks!
Talk about synchronicity! Thank you!
Oh, how funny, I was just admiring the lovely black spots and yummy mildewy smell on my curtain during this morning’s shower. I think I’ll go through it in the wash RIGHT NOW. I even have Borax already.
I wash mine as well, but I had always used bleach until we moved to WA and septic tanks. Here, I found that if I dry the shower curtain and the walls when I get out of the shower it helps immensely. . not that I always remember to do it.