Comments on: Seen any pretty shower curtains?

Question: Seen any pretty shower curtains?

lester the unlikely — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:50:49 -0800

Seen any pretty shower curtains? Bonus points for colorful, abstract designs. (Also, are there any tricks to keep mildew from savaging the part that drags against the tub?)

By: pokeedog

pokeedog — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:16:00 -0800

I can't answer the pretty shower curtain part, but the trick to keep mildew off is to wash the shower curtain in your washing machine on HOT with no soap. I've had a shower curtain for 5 years with this technique. The soap scum and mold goes and the shower curtain is still 100% good to look at and functional.

By: Deathalicious

Deathalicious — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:18:55 -0800

As far as pretty designs, I've always liked fish on my curtains, but that's hardly abstract. I'm pretty sure most shower curtains are printed these days and so you really can find ones with everything and anything on them.

For the mildew: I don't know any tricks; in my experience you just have to wash it with soap every so often. I've never tried pokeedog's method and I'm intrigued and wonder how HOT water wouldn't damage the plastic of the curtain...

By: logic vs love

logic vs love — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:20:36 -0800

I feel like half my answers here link to designsponge, but they have a pretty great shower curtain roundup.

By: als129

als129 — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:20:45 -0800

Wrapables has a few interesting ones.

By: phunniemee

phunniemee — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:21:39 -0800

Here are some. And here are some more.

By: kimdog

kimdog — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:27:41 -0800

I just bought one of these in green. I'm really loving it.

By: phunniemee

phunniemee — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:27:52 -0800

Oh, and I've heard from multiple sources that a preemptive coating of that Tilex mildew spray on the curtain will slow its curdling time. Or, if you do what pokeedog suggested above, extend the amount of time between washings.

By: frobozz

frobozz — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:36:58 -0800

Most home stores have dozens of shower curtains to choose from, but to keep my shower clean I use a cloth curtain with a cheap, clear plastic lining and change the lining when it starts getting hard to clean off.

By: tachikaze

tachikaze — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:37:11 -0800

What I've done is just move the bar up as much as possible so that there's less danger area to begin with.

By: orange swan

orange swan — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:43:49 -0800

I found I had to make a shower curtain last year because I couldn't find anything I liked. It's pretty easy — just hem on three sides and put in some grommets or tabs along the top - and your fabric store will be sure to have something you love. I do what frobozz does — the cloth curtain stays on the outside of the tub, and a $1 liner goes on the inside.

By: Oriole Adams

Oriole Adams — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:46:54 -0800

Here's one I like.

By: Solon and Thanks

Solon and Thanks — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:46:24 -0800

I really like the selection Urban Outfitters offers.

By: Fuzzy Skinner

Fuzzy Skinner — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:03:16 -0800

I have this. The colors are a bit brighter in real life. (I also have 4 fabric storage cubes in complementary colors on shelves, so it repeats the colored square look.)

By: the littlest brussels sprout

the littlest brussels sprout — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:17:26 -0800

Seconding Wrapables' selection.
Yo-yo by Garnet Hill.
Anthropologie has ruffly and leafy things.
Catherine David.
Bowl and Board.
Textile Arts.

By: Optimus Chyme

Optimus Chyme — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:05:34 -0800

I don't know about fancy decorative curtains, but there are two ways to clean a clear vinyl shower curtain such that it is beautiful and perfect again: pokeedog's method works great, but if you are an apartment dweller and don't want to drag your filthy shower curtain into the laundry room, you can soak it in the tub in three inches of hot water and a few scoops of Oxiclean Outdoor. As a bonus, it will also whiten your filthy, filthy tub.

By: TedW

TedW — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 05:33:27 -0800

Additional advice on washing a shower curtain: hot water is important because it softens the plastic and keeps it from cracking as it gets agitated in the washing machine. I use chlorine bleach and a little detergent in my recipe.

By: desuetude

desuetude — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:25:50 -0800

I've found some nice shower curtains at Target.

To get the mildew off of the shower curtain, wash it in hot with a little bleach. (Just hot water didn't work for mine, and I would worry that using strong tub & tile cleaners would eventually weaken the fabric.)

By: Metroid Baby

Metroid Baby — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 07:50:30 -0800

Don't know if this is your aesthetic, but I just buy the $2.50 clear vinyl shower curtains/liners from the drugstore and draw on them with Sharpies. (Dimensional fabric paint works too.) It takes a bit of time, but then I have a custom shower curtain with bathing robots or Piranha Plants or whatever I want.

I usually just throw them out when they get too gross or when I'm bored with them, because I am wasteful.

By: PossumCupCake

PossumCupCake — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:44:13 -0800

I usually spray the bottom with clorox cleanup spray occasionally and just rinse it off. It keeps the mildew away, but is probably breaking down the plastic-y stuff in my curtains. I've never really noticed, as I get bored and chunk them out once a year or so anyway. As far as designs go...EVERYONE needs a meat shower curtain.

By: radioamy

radioamy — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:05:20 -0800

I buy cloth shower curtains and mildew-resistant liners. About once a year I change out the liner. Just be careful when you're cleaning with bleach products that you don't get any on the cloth curtain.

By: Cobalt

Cobalt — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:00:32 -0800

You need to head over to Marimekko, the Finnish design firm. They have fantastic designs for all sorts of things, including shower curtains, towels, clothes and anything textile.

We were given a set of shower curtain and towels as a gift and I was surprised at how well the curtain stood up to mildew in our extremely humid and mildewey bathroom. Highly recommended.

By: hybridvigor

hybridvigor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:13:25 -0800

If you choose to wash with bleach and a detergent, make sure the detergent is ammonia free, otherwise you could release a bunch of chlorine gas and mess yourself up pretty good.