Tested: How to Get Tar Out of Shower Curtain (2026)

Immediate Action (first 5 minutes)

You just walked into the bathroom after fixing your mountain bike's drivetrain in the garage. Your grease-covered jacket brushed against the tub enclosure. Now there is a thick, black streak of petroleum-based tar right across your white shower curtain. Don't panic. Wiping it is the absolute worst thing you can do right now.

Tar is a hydrocarbon. It melts and binds to polymers when exposed to friction or heat. If you grab a paper towel and start rubbing, you will permanently embed that black stain into the microscopic pores of your vinyl liner or the tight weave of your polyester fabric. I've ruined three cheap vinyl liners testing this exact mistake early in my cleaning career. Stop touching it.

Your first move is to harden the stain. Grab an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas from your freezer. Hold it directly against the tar spot for exactly 3 to 5 minutes. I keep a dedicated "cleaning ice pack" wrapped in a thin towel just for these moments. The cold drops the temperature of the tar below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, making it brittle. Once it hardens, take a plastic scraper and gently flake off the top layer. I prefer the Husky 1.5-inch plastic putty knife because it has just enough flex to lift the tar without gouging a $15 Hookless fabric curtain or a thin PEVA plastic liner. Get as much off as you can before moving to liquid solvents.

What You'll Need (tools/products)

Gathering the right supplies saves you from making a bigger mess. Tar requires lipophilic solvents, meaning it dissolves in oils and specific petroleum distillates. However, the very chemicals that melt tar will also melt or cloud certain types of shower curtains. You must identify your curtain material before picking your weapon. In my experience cleaning tile and bathrooms for over a decade, I've categorized the safest products based on whether you own a vinyl/plastic liner or a fabric/polyester curtain.

Product	Best For	Price Range	My Verdict
Dawn Platinum Powerwash	Vinyl & Fabric	$5 - $8	Essential for emulsifying oil-tar mixtures without damaging plastic.
Goo Gone Original	Fabric Only	$6 - $10	Great on polyester, but can permanently cloud cheap PEVA vinyl.
WD-40 Specialist Degreaser	Heavy Fabric	$8 - $12	Nuclear option for thick roofing tar on heavy canvas curtains.
3M Scotch-Brite (Blue)	All Types	$3 - $5	Non-scratch. Never use the green ones, they will scratch vinyl.

This isn't the cheapest shopping list, but buying the right $8 bottle of Dawn Platinum Powerwash saves you from replacing a $40 decorative fabric curtain. Avoid generic dish soaps. They lack the heavy-duty surfactants needed to emulsify the oil-tar mixture. Also, throw away any green 3M Scotch-Brite scouring pads you have under the sink. You need the blue non-scratch versions. The green ones contain aluminum oxide abrasives that will leave permanent dull scratch marks all over your vinyl.

Step-by-Step Removal

This is the safest, most effective method I use for both fabric and vinyl curtains. It relies on breaking down the tar with oil, then lifting the oil with a heavy-duty degreaser. I'll be honest, this takes a bit of elbow grease and about 25 minutes of your time. But it works.

Step 1: The Oil Breakdown

Tar is lipophilic. It dissolves in oil. Apply a few drops of mineral oil, baby oil, or even cheap vegetable oil directly onto the remaining tar stain. Don't use olive oil. The heavy pigments in olive oil can leave their own yellowish stain on white vinyl. Let the oil sit on the spot for exactly 14 minutes. You'll see the edges of the tar start to bleed and soften as the lipids break the hydrocarbon bonds.

Step 2: The Emulsification

Spray Dawn Platinum Powerwash directly over the oily tar spot. Saturate it completely. The surfactants in the Dawn grab onto the oil molecules, which are currently holding the tar particles in suspension. Let the soap sit for 3 minutes. Do not scrub yet. Give the chemical reaction time to do the heavy lifting for you.

Step 3: The Directional Wipe

Take a damp blue 3M Scotch-Brite pad or a Polyfiber microfiber cloth. Wipe the stain firmly in one single direction. If you scrub in circles, you just push the dissolved tar back into the clean pores of the curtain. Wipe from the outside edge of the stain toward the center. Rinse your cloth in hot water after every single pass.

Step 4: The Vinegar Rinse

Once the black stain is gone, you'll be left with a greasy, soapy residue. This residue will attract dirt and mildew if left alone. Mix equal parts white vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle. Mist the entire cleaned area. The acidity of the vinegar cuts through the leftover Dawn soap and strips the oily film. Wipe it dry with a clean towel.

Step 5: The Machine Wash (Fabric Only)

If you have a polyester or canvas curtain, throw it in the washing machine. Use the delicate cycle with cold water. Add your normal detergent plus 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the drum. The extra rinse cycle is mandatory here. It ensures no tar particles or heavy oils redeposit onto the fabric during the spin cycle. Hang it to dry. Never put a waterproof shower curtain in the dryer.

Alternative Methods

Sometimes the oil-and-dish-soap method doesn't cut it. Maybe the tar has been baking on the curtain for three weeks because you didn't notice it until your landlord scheduled an inspection. Here are three backup methods I keep in my arsenal.

The WD-40 Trick (Fabric Only)

I've used WD-40 Multi-Use on polyester curtains with zero issues. It destroys the tar in 60 seconds flat. Spray it on, wait one minute, and wipe it away with a paper towel. But I'll be honest, it will permanently cloud a clear PEVA vinyl liner. The petroleum distillates in WD-40 literally melt the top layer of cheap plastic. Only use this on heavy-duty fabric curtains like the AmazerBath 230GSM model. The smell lingers, which is annoying, so run your bathroom exhaust fan for at least an hour.

91% Isopropyl Alcohol

This is perfect for tiny, pinpoint specks of tar. Pour a little 91% rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball. Press it against the tar speck for 30 seconds. The alcohol acts as a mild solvent that dries incredibly fast. It won't melt plastic or leave an oily residue behind. It's my go-to when my teenager tracks in tiny flecks of driveway sealant from his muddy cleats.

The Peanut Butter Method

Sounds crazy. The natural oils in creamy peanut butter work exactly like mineral oil. I used this when I ran out of Goo Gone during a bathroom remodel last year. Smear a thick layer of Jif or Skippy over the tar. Let it sit for 20 minutes to penetrate the stain. Scrape it off with your plastic putty knife, then wash the area with Dawn dish soap. It takes longer, and your bathroom will smell like a sandwich shop, but it saves the plastic.

Prevention Tips

Stopping tar before it hits the curtain is always easier than scrubbing it off later. If you have kids who track mud everywhere, or if you work on cars in the garage, you need a bathroom workflow.

• Keep a "dirty work" towel: Hang a dark-colored, dedicated microfiber towel on the bathroom door. Use it to wipe down your hands, boots, or tools before you even step near the tub.
• Upgrade your curtain: Thin vinyl liners are basically tar magnets. Upgrade to a heavy-duty canvas or weighted polyester curtain. The tighter weave of a 230GSM fabric resists staining and is much easier to throw in the washing machine.
• Wash monthly: Tar sticks to soap scum. If your curtain is already coated in a layer of hard water and body oils, new tar stains will bond instantly. Wash your curtain on the first Sunday of every month to keep the surface slick and resistant.

FAQ

Will Goo Gone ruin my plastic shower curtain?

Goo Gone Original is generally safe for most plastics, but it can cloud cheap PEVA vinyl liners if left on too long. I always recommend testing a single drop on the bottom hem and waiting 10 minutes to check for discoloration. If the plastic turns white or cloudy, switch to the Dawn and oil method immediately.

Can I just throw a tar-stained curtain in the washing machine?

Throwing a curtain with active tar stains into the washing machine will melt the tar and spread it across the entire fabric. The heat from the water and the friction from the agitator will permanently set the stain into the fibers. You must freeze and scrape the bulk of the tar off, and treat the spot with a solvent, before it ever touches your washing machine.

Why did the tar stain turn yellow after cleaning?

A yellow halo usually means you successfully removed the black tar, but left behind the oily residue from your solvent or mineral oil. This oily film oxidizes when exposed to air and bathroom humidity, turning yellow over a few days. Spray the area with white vinegar and scrub it with a blue non-scratch pad to strip the leftover oil.

How do I get the smell of WD-40 out of the bathroom?

WD-40 leaves a heavy petroleum odor that clings to bathroom grout and caulk. Open a window, turn on the exhaust fan, and spray the shower walls with a mixture of warm water and two tablespoons of baking soda. The baking soda neutralizes the airborne odor molecules while the ventilation pulls the fumes out of the room.