Shower curtain – what to look for when choosing?

The bathroom is undoubtedly one of the most important rooms in the home. It should be comfortable, functional and aesthetically pleasing, which is why a carefully considered arrangement of this space is so important. When fitting out a bathroom, we usually devote a great deal of attention to the basin, bath, tiles or mirrors, but we rarely trouble ourselves with choosing a shower curtain. This element is most often treated as a necessary evil; we head to the shops, pop the first model we see into the trolley and that’s that. It turns out, however, that a well-chosen shower curtain can not only enhance the room’s aesthetic appeal, but also greatly influence the comfort of using it.

Types of shower curtains

Today the market offers a wide selection of shower curtains. They differ primarily in the material they are made from, and each of these, of course, has its pros and cons. So we have:

• PVC curtains – characterised by a smooth surface, which makes them easy to keep clean (a gentle wipe with a detergent is enough; no washing required), they are water-resistant, waterproof and hygienic; mould and bacteria do not develop on them. They are popular due to their low price and the abundance of available patterns and colours, but on the other hand they are easy to damage and tend to cling to the bather’s body,
• textile curtains – most often made of polyester additionally coated with a waterproof layer, they are extremely durable and convenient to use and, unlike their PVC counterparts, do not stick to the body,
• curtains made of polyethylene nonwoven fabric – a higher-end product, made from a combination of foil, fabric and paper; they are lightweight, durable, waterproof and additionally environmentally friendly, as they are made from renewable materials.

How to choose a shower curtain?

The first thing we need to decide when choosing a shower curtain is the material it will be made of. Once that issue is out of the way, the most difficult matter remains, namely selecting the right pattern. The possibilities are endless and it all depends on whether the curtain is to blend harmoniously into the interior, or to serve as the main accent that defines its character. In addition, we should consider whether it is only to protect the bathroom from splashes (in which case we might consider a transparent model), or whether its task is also to safeguard the bather’s privacy (if so, we should choose an opaque version). Finally, once we have chosen the model that is ideal for our bathroom, it is worth paying attention to the quality of workmanship and to whether the curtain has a weight at the bottom (usually in the form of a lead tape), thanks to which it will drape perfectly and will not cling to the body.