Shower Curtains Q and A – How Do I Pick The Right Shower Curtains?
Once you have made the decision to buy shower curtains, it can be really hard to pick the right ones. The selection is gigantic, and if you do not have any experience with shower curtains yet, you might not even know which criteria you should apply. I will answer the most common questions and hope to make the decision easier for you.
Which Design Should I Choose?
There is a great quantity of different designs available. In fact, there are so many designs and colors that it can be hard to pick the one that is best for your bathroom. Generally speaking, you should make your bathroom as cozy and as bright as you can. However, choosing white is not always the best option to achieve that. It can make your bathroom look sterile and therefore uncomfortable. But you do not have to stick to a monochrome shower curtain at all. Even regular building supplies stores sell a wide variation of designs. I have seen checkered patterns, flower patterns, photos and even art. If you choose to order a shower curtain from the internet, the selection is literally endless. You can even customize them!
Which Kind Of Material Is Best?
This is where opinions differ strongly. Some consider vinyl the only proper material for shower curtains. It does not get soaked with water. It is also cheap and light. This results in an easy installation. Vinyl shower curtains are also very easy to clean. Just wipe them! Others prefer various kinds of fabric, and most of them are fine. Just make sure that the fabric you choose does not get soaked with water easily. If it is not possible to wipe it, then try to take one that can be put in the washing machine. Many different designs are available for either one!
Are Vinyl Shower Curtains Really Poisonous?
Most likely you have already heard that plastic, PVC or vinyl can be carcinogenic and that is true, to some degree. It is safe to say that plastic products which are produced in first world countries are safe to use and do not cause cancer, not even if they have to meet the high demands of a shower curtain. However, cheap imported plastic products often contain carcinogenic substances. Luckily it is fairly easy to tell the two from each other. Cheap, carcinogenic plastic products have a strong and very aggressive smell. Avoid those, and even if it might seem weird, smell the product before you buy it, if you can.
Should I Make My Shower Curtains Myself?
Making them by yourself is a fairly easy task. Pick a curtain design you like and choose a material that suits the necessary criteria. Get some safety pins and a few hooks (I wrote about the procedure on my website). Attach them to the curtain rod and you are done. It is as easy as it sounds and it does not cost a lot. It also provides you with the advantage of having an even bigger selection of different designs and can reduce the price even further. You really do not need to be a handyman.
How Do You Want To Attach Them To The bar?
There are various options for this. Some shower curtains slide directly on the curtain rod and some are connected via hooks. The ones that are connected via hooks are usually the more hygienic and more durable option. They might cost a tad more though.