Every owner strives to create beauty and comfort in his apartment. And this applies even to such secluded corners as a toilet and a bathroom. However, beauty is not a guarantee of success. Practicality plays a big role in the interior. It is especially important to feel comfortable in the bathroom while taking a shower, and in this case, nothing less than a fabric shower curtain will help.
Shower curtain - necessity or beauty
In the bathroom, the curtain performs several important functions:
- The most basic of these is to protect the floor and cabinets from water.
- Decorative role. Curtains have a variety of patterns, so they easily fit into the interior.
- They can hide uneven surfaces and corners.
- If the bath and toilet are located together, the curtain will serve as a kind of partition.
- Some models can even be used as blinds on the terrace.
Advantages and disadvantages of textile products
Using fabric curtains for the bathroom has both positive and negative sides. The main advantages of the products include:
- Variety of color and texture forms. Today there are many curtains with different patterns that will suit any interior and satisfy even the most sophisticated taste.
- Low cost. Glass or plastic curtains will be much more expensive than fabric ones and not every family can afford them.
- Antiseptic property. The material contains cotton and polyester, which provide a pleasant tactile sensation and prevent sticking to the body.
- Hydrophobic properties, thanks to which fabric curtains do not get wet through and dry quickly.
- Easy to care for. They wash well and dry quickly.
Fabric shower curtains are almost ideal, but they still have a small drawback. If the tap water is of poor quality, with an admixture of rust, then the textile product will need periodic soaking and bleaching. Also, in conditions of high humidity, mold can form on the curtains. This is especially true for embossed products. Fabric shower curtains with a smooth surface reduce the risk of mold.
The right choice is the key to comfort
Incorrectly selected fabric shower curtains can easily disrupt the harmony in the room. To prevent this from happening, when buying a product, you need to pay attention to the following indicators:
- Material quality. It is definitely not worth saving on health, so you should examine the product carefully. If it has a strong smell, then it is better to avoid such a curtain. If any doubts arise, you should ask the seller for a certificate for the product, which will help to ensure its proper quality and maintain health.
- The right size. A narrow or short curtain will not be able to properly perform its main function - protecting the floor and cabinets from water. To avoid trouble before buying, you need to take precise measurements of the room using a tape measure.
- Mounting type. Before buying, you need to take measurements and decide on the mounting type. Much depends on the correctly selected rod, its size and shape. Straight and angular rods are mainly in demand, the length of which is easily adjusted.
- Density of the material. If there is not enough light in the bathroom, or it is poorly located, then it is reasonable to buy a light, slightly transparent curtain that will let the light through.
Types of textile curtains
In addition to the fact that all textile curtains differ in patterns, they also differ in composition and structure:
- With the addition of linen and cotton. They make the products look like natural fabrics. Such curtains are much more pleasant to the touch.
- Silk illusion. The product is given a shine. This effect can be achieved by densely interweaving thin and smooth threads.
- Vinyl is a waterproof fabric for bathroom curtains. It prevents the formation of bacteria and fungus.
- Jacquard. This is a weaving method that allows you to create a relief pattern. In terms of thickness, such products are much thicker than ordinary ones.
- Organza insert. In addition to being an excellent design solution, the insert increases the illumination of the shower area.
- Embossing. It has an aesthetic purpose. After all, with the help of a cliche, three-dimensional beautiful drawings are applied that do not disappear even after washing.
- Printing a drawing. This is the most common way to apply an image. Thanks to this method, the drawing will remain bright and attractive for a long time.
Choosing the perfect size
To avoid making a mistake with the size of the curtain, you need to correctly measure the width from wall to wall and the height from the curtain rod to the bathtub or shower tray.
The curtain should completely cover the shower area. Ideally, you should choose a product that is 20 cm longer and wider.
Additional information! There are 3 standard sizes for bathroom curtains: 180×180 cm; 180×200; 200×200. In addition, there are also non-standard product parameters: 200×220 cm and 200×240 cm. Such larger models are used in cases where the bathtub is not located near the wall.
Rules for the care of fabric curtains
To keep your bathroom curtain looking good, you need to take the most basic preventive measures. The main ones include: airing the room, installing a good ventilation system, and wiping the curtain with a dry, clean cloth. But even such measures cannot completely eliminate the need for washing.
Yellowing, mold, limescale and fungus may still appear on the curtain. To remove them, both hand and machine washing with non-aggressive detergents are suitable.
When using machine washing, you must follow these rules:
- Maintain a temperature regime of no more than 300 °C.
- The spin function must be turned off, otherwise the product may be damaged, or it will become very wrinkled and will not straighten out easily.
- Ironing curtains is strictly prohibited.
When hand washing, you can use soap solutions, powders and bleaches without chlorine. The water should also not be more than 300 °C.
The product is soaked for 30 minutes, after which it is spread out in the bathroom and wiped well with a sponge on both sides. The curtain is rinsed in warm water and is not wrung out. The washed curtain is hung over the bathtub to drain the water, then it can be dried in the fresh air.
Successful examples of design
A fabric shower curtain can solve any problem and make your dream come true:
- If there are small children in the house, you can hang a curtain with a childish drawing. Choose a product with an image of dolls, cars or animals. When the children grow up, the curtain can be removed and thus easily get rid of the childish design.
- A young girl's bathroom should be decorated with a curtain with lush frills.
- It is easy to find a suitable romantic design for newlyweds, which will turn the bathroom into a real paradise.
Manufacturers and reviews
Domestic manufacturers produce good models of fabric curtains for the bathroom, but the most famous products are those produced in Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
In addition to practical and simple models, Swiss manufacturers have invented curtains for the bathroom that absorb sunlight, and when it gets dark, they radiate it back. However, such a curtain is not suitable for every room, since the bathroom must have a window through which the sun's rays can penetrate.
Reviews from customers
Maria, 40 years old: “I am a designer by profession and I love to use all sorts of unusual things in the interior and constantly change something in my apartment. Recently I came across a unique premium item - a curtain for the bathroom from the famous Swiss designer F. Kreutli. The curtain’s special feature is its surface, which is covered with magnets. Thanks to them, you can easily change the shape of the product, even every day. This crinkle looks very original, and, of course, the room is protected from moisture.”
Alla, 34: “I was recently lucky enough to find a regular vinyl shower curtain with mathematical formulas on it. I decided to give my son a surprise. He hardly ever leaves his computer, and the bathroom is the only place where he is not. And imagine – it worked. My lazy boy finally learned them. I was very pleased, because the floor in the room is dry, and the formulas are remembered.”
Andrey, 28: “I bought the simplest shower curtain at the market, which had beautiful starfish on it. Since my room is very humid, despite the impregnation, the curtain became moldy in the spring. I had nothing to lose, so I diluted some regular bleach in water. A real miracle happened. The picture remained just as bright, and there was not even a trace of mold left. It’s a pity that I didn’t save the label, but I think it said it was a vinyl curtain.”
Fabric curtains for the bathroom can solve more than one problem. They will not only protect furniture and the floor from moisture, but will also help to implement any design idea. A curtain for the bathroom is a guarantee of comfort and beauty.
