Bath And Shower Curtains
A shower curtain is one of those little thought of necessities of life. I was spending a nice getaway weekend with my husband. A couple we are friendly with offered to swap apartments with us, and we thought the idea sounded cute. So we agreed to the switch. After a quick inspection of the apartment, we saw that all was good except there was no shower curtain on their shower. Though we thought it a little strange, we said nothing, but made each mental notes to be careful to only direct the showerhead into the bathtub. Long story short, instead of a peaceful weekend, my husband and I spent many hours blow drying a very wet bathroom and accessories in hopes that our friends wouldn't notice the flood that had occurred in their absence. As the saying goes, 'you don't know what you've got till you lose it'. We learned a valuable lesson (don't swap apartments without prior examination!) and also gained new appreciation for our shower curtain!
Bath and shower curtains can be funny or classy or standard depending on the motif of your bathroom and your personality. Some people prefer to color coordinate their shower curtains. Some will go so far as to buy a pattern or design with matching bath rug, towels and accessories. In my parents' house, the ceiling trimmings even sported an identical design. If your bathroom floor is tiled, you can simply pick a color from the tiles and go with the uncomplicated elegance of solid color matching.
Picture themes are a popular choice for shower curtains. Animal prints, cars, or classic musical personalities such as Elvis or The Beatles are very common (though why anyone would want John Lenin hanging out every time they went to the bathroom, I don't know!) Don't worry if themes aren't your thing. There are plenty of folks who will stick with whatever shower curtains are sold in the local store. Fish and underwater motif can be fun, and plain old geometric shapes work too.
Here's a tip that most people don't think of. Make sure your curtain comes with shower rings to hang it up, AND that you know how to use these rings. Some shower curtains come with simple rings that loop easily into pre-made holes in the curtain. Others, however, have far more intricate clips that, unless you see how it's done once, can be quite tricky. These curtains never end up getting hung up, and just sit in the closet collecting dust. As silly as it sounds, make sure you have rings and you know how to use them!
The material of the curtain is much more important than the pattern. Make sure you purchase the most water-resistant curtain you can find. Many shabby-chic designs are made on semi-porous material. These curtains take much longer to dry, don't hold in the water as well (leaving your floor and belongings vulnerable to water damage), and tend to hold a musty smell after a short while. Buy a plastic or vinyl material curtain for best results. For the extremely stylish designer who is cringing at the thought of a "gaudy" plastic curtain hanging in their well-laid out bathroom, there is another solution. You can purchase a protective clear plastic liner to go on the inside of the shower, and leave your decorative fabric curtain on display without fear of water spoilage. Yes, you can have your cake, and eat it too! All plastic bath and shower curtains should be cleaned periodically with whatever spray you use to clean your shower and tub. This will prevent mildew from forming on the curtain, and will increase the lifespan of the product.
You can really appreciate the little things in life even when taking a bath. And shower curtains should definitely be on that list!