Your guide to a better future

These tips will make your shower curtain just like new without ruining it.

Alina Bradford has been writing how-tos, tech articles and more for almost two decades. She currently writes for CNET's Smart Home Section, MTVNews' tech section and for Live Science's reference section. Follow her on Twitter.

Resist the urge to toss your shower curtain when it becomes grimey. Clean it without lifting a scrub brush by tossing it in the washing machine.

But be sure to follow these tips if you want to prevent your shower curtain from coming out of the machine in shreds (been there, done that):

To keep your shower curtain fresh, make sure to close the curtain when you get out of the tub or shower so it can air-dry properly. 

Also, make sure the curtain doesn't bunch up on the floor of the shower or tub. If it does, hang the rod up high enough that there is a small gap between the floor and the curtain. If the rod can't go any higher, trim the bottom of the plastic curtain with a pair of sharp scissors.

Best TVs right now: The past year's best sets, all in one place.

Smart home compatibility tool: Find out what smart home platforms work with your existing kit and vice versa.