De-creasing shower curtain

13 years ago

Ah, my last shower curtain, which had a nice design of bamboo on it, is finally getting worn and I'm about to replace it.

The old one always annoyed me because the plastic "remembered" how it was folded in the package and wouldn't hang right on the sides or when I adjusted it to dry more quickly after taking a shower. (Why is it the little details bother us more than the big stuff in life?)

Well, the new one I bought has the same kind of fold/crease marks in it. Anyone know of a way to permanently remove them without damaging the shower curtain?

Oh, the package says it's made out of EVA, I looked that up and it's ethylene vinyl acetate, a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate. I call it plastic. Anyway, I think ironing is out! ;-)

Featured Answer

Janis_G

13 years ago

Use the dryer and remove it as soon as it gets heated up.
It does such a good job removing wrinkles, I'm tempted to crawl in the darn thing myself.

Comments (10)

mwoods
13 years ago
Do you have a dewrinkle setting on your dryer? It's a very low heat
gabriell_gw
13 years ago
I would put in washer with some thick towels and fabric softener. Run a short cycle and hang up immediately.
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west_gardener
13 years ago
If it's vinyl, it can take low heat or dewrinkle on the dryer setting. I buy flannel backed vinyl table clothes for my outdoor table and it works for me.
meldy_nva
13 years ago
I'm another who machine-washes plastic shower curtains, (gentle, cold water, with a couple towels) but I use a 1/2 cup of vinegar instead of softener. They look more wrinkly when removed from the washer, but hang immediately and the wrinkles disappear. IF the wrinkles remain after drying, toss into the dryer with a damp washcloth and run just long enough to warm the plastic. Hang immediately.
leaveswave
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for all the ideas!

meldy, have you ever tried it without the vinegar? I'm curious how you came up with the idea, and what effect the vinegar has...

I'd love to have a job testing various "home remedies or solutions", kind of like Cook's Illustrated does for recipes and Consumer Reports does for products--that would be really fun! I'd have some science advisors to help explain why the effect it does; I always want to know the mechanisms behind the effects!
leaveswave
Original Author
13 years ago
Well, in the dry with towels didn't work. I left it in for a few minutes, and it was quite warm and soft when I took it out, but the creases are still there.

Next up, the washing machine treatment!

Just to confirm, we are all talking about the plastic curtain that hangs inside the tub, not those fabric things that some people hang on the outside for decorator purposes, right?

I would have guessed that these are packaged the same across the country, but maybe not. The creases are pretty sharp/distinct. I know I should worry about bigger things than how the edges hang, but I guess it's a bit of a pet peeve. lol
meldy_nva
13 years ago
Yes, the curtains that actually do the work :) I've used all sorts, clear and colored, from el cheapos that barely reached from rod to tub, to deluxe that made my wallet gasp. Although I've forgotten all the chemical names, that covers most if not all of the common plastic shower curtains.

I'm told that towels in the washer help 'scrub' the plastic, dunno about that, but I put a couple towels in anyway. Water temp doesn't seem to matter (or else today's soaps/detergents are better). The vinegar in the rinse is mainly to 'cut' the soap scum... that is, it helps the soap disperse into the rinse water instead of clinging to the plastic.

A side-note about vinegar: seamstresses use it to "set" creases in polyester and poly-blend fabrics. Another dunno, but I wonder if it helps relax the plastic when in the dryer. Set the dryer to "warm" and give it a few minutes. If the creases remain after being hung for day, I'd take the curtain back and complain ...
instar8
13 years ago
try a blow-dryer while it's hanging...that has worked for me, but i buy pretty cheap shower curtains!!

lynn
sheila
13 years ago
Get a second curtain, of fabric. It will hide the plastic curtain. I have a double curtain like that. In other words, plastic liner, elegant fabric curtain.