One of the most challenging decisions you will make when it comes to designing or redesigning your bathroom is whether to install bathroom curtains or a glass door for your bathtub. And while there are many opinions concerning which to choose, everybody knows that shower curtains are simply the best! Let's take a look at a few reasons why.
Shower Curtain vs Glass Door
While a glass door can be used to create a sleek, modern look for your bathroom, nothing quite beats the softness and allure of bathroom curtains. In fact, a shower curtain offers many benefits over more expensive glass doors including:
They are Cheaper and Easier to Install
Having a glass door installed in your bathroom may look impressive to onlookers; however, they come with their share of costs, including material costs, installation costs, and labor costs, which can make them an expensive choice. Not to mention, the installation process itself can cause your bathroom to be out of commission for hours, which can totally disrupt the flow of your home and cause stress to your entire family.
However, shower curtains are available at different costs to suit just about any budget, and they can be installed in just a matter of minutes, including the shower rod as well as the shower hooks, if needed, for a more budget-friendly, stress-free upgrade.
They Allow for Greater Personalization
Since both shower curtains as well as the shower liner are available in various prints, colors, and textures it enables you to let your free flag flow when it comes to designing your bathroom. And while this may be a bit frightening to the other members of your family, we understand that it suits you just fine. Besides, what do they know about real style anyway?
On the other hand, when you opt for a glass door, you are pretty much stuck with the much argued on design you were forced to compromise on, until one day something suddenly goes wrong with the glass door and you are forced to return to a traditional shower curtain. How fortunate for you!
They are Easier to Clean
When it comes to a shower curtain vs glass door, a glass door offers the beauty of sparkling glass; however, as anybody with glass features knows all too well, it takes a lot to maintain it. For instance, the door has to be thoroughly cleaned on both the inside as well as the outside and good luck pulling it off without annoying streaks and smears.
Furthermore, if your glass door is the sliding door type, then it features a metal track that can harbor gunk and mildew, no matter how much you clean it, which is enough to keep the most clean freak person tossing and turning at night.
On the other hand, humble bathroom curtains and shower liner can be simply thrown in the washer anytime you want to revitalize its look and feel. If you'd like, you can even opt for cheap vinyl curtains from a bargain store. This way, instead of going through the hassle of cleaning the curtain whenever it gets dirty, you can simply throw it away and purchase a new one.
They are Easier to Swap Out
Sometimes, as the crazy mastermind you are, you just walk into your bathroom one day and decide you want a change. A new shower curtain provides the quickest and most effective way to change the mood of your lavatory and without expensive costs.
However, if your bathtub contains an opulent glass door, you're pretty much stuck with the same once must-have design for years to come. Or, you can choose to swap it out, but be prepared for extensive work and high labor costs.
They are Versatile
If you have a rare sized bathroom or a bathroom that contains unique features, such as a roll top tub, a free standing tub, or the much-loved claw foot tub, then a shower curtain may be your only option.
Shower curtains come in different sizes, as well as different rod options, so they are just perfect for unusual situations as opposed to glass doors, which are a bit more difficult to customize. They can even be resized to fit your bathroom features, provided you have the right tools and equipment to adjust them.
They Provide More Privacy
Most shower curtains are opaque, which means you can hang out and enjoy your showering
experience behind them without the threat of your oh, too honest kids, or somebody else who is not your significant other, walking in and reacting to your flaws.
However, a glass door, which let's face it is really for those who workout several hours a day and remain strict to their Keto Diet or who are just lucky to be born with great genes, contains a clear glass for all to see, so good luck hiding your modesty in the event someone accidentally walks in.
They Can be Used to Help Make Your Bathroom Look Neater
There is nothing like unexpected guests to remind you why shower curtains, in your mind anyway, were invented in the first place. Having a shower curtain quickly enables you to conceal whatever mess your bathtub might be hiding, which helps create a neater appearance.
Or, if you have been the quintessential child whose childhood allowances actually paid off, then you can simply leave the shower curtain open to proudly reveal the sickening tidiness and sparkling shower tiles you spent all weekend cleaning. Some shower curtains also come with tie backs that can be used to provide a classic look that makes your tub look like a window.
On the other hand, if you have a glass door, it may not be your best friend when it comes to hiding your secrets as its translucent structure openly reveals any untidiness in and around your tub, which can make your bathroom look cluttered and dirty. Therefore, you will need to spend time keeping your bathtub clean and your toiletries tidy in order to keep your bathroom looking spectacular.
They Make the Bathtub Easier to Clean
Bathtubs that have a glass door contain hard metal rails, which means you will have to lean over them to clean the tub, which can be piercing and uncomfortable. And though this provides your kids with the perfect excuse for not sufficiently cleaning the tub, it doesn't work so well for adults. Therefore, you will need to throw out all you knew about cleaning the bathtub, which let's face it, took you all this time to finally master, and come up with a new method for cleaning the tub in light of the metal track. It may even involve you actually getting inside the tub to clean it, which the jury is still out on.
Or, you can simply opt for a traditional shower curtain, which doesn't require a metal track, and can easily be moved to the side for complete access to the bathtub and shower area.
They Make it Easier to Bathe Your Loved Ones
Whether you have small children, pets, or elderly parents, having a glass door can make it difficult to bathe them due to the obstruction of the glass door as well as the uncomfortable metal tracks, which can cause you to put off bathing them as you should. While this is certainly good news for your pets, it may not fare so well with your parental instincts.
However, a shower curtain and the shower liner with their flexible curtain fabric enables you to easily move them out of the way, which helps make bath time easier. And since shower curtains don't require a metal track to operate them, it means you can also sit on the edge of the tub when bathing your loved ones for added comfort.
They are More Comfortable
Taking a bath or shower inside a glass door can make you feel confined similar to a goldfish in a fishbowl. However, shower curtains with their flowy, soft curtain fabric allow you to feel more carefree and free for a more comfortable shower or bath.
They Come in Mold and Mildew Resistant Materials
Mold and mildew are the major threats to any bathtub enclosure, whether it is a shower curtain or a glass door if it is not kept properly cleaned.
For a glass door, as stated earlier, this means thoroughly cleaning the door on a regular basis both inside and out. Also, because glass doors operate via a metal track, the track can also become filled with excess moisture, water, and gunk, which can lead to mold and mildew growth. This means it too must be cleaned on a regular basis in order to avoid mold and mildew growth.
However, shower curtains are available in a variety of materials for you to choose from, from plastic curtains to vinyl curtains to fabric curtains, which are a lot easier to keep clean, and they don't utilize a metal track. They are also available in mold and mildew resistant materials, which means they are naturally resistant to mildew and mold.
They Help Soften Cold, Harsh Bathrooms
The bathroom contains many hard, cold surfaces, such as the porcelain, the mirror, and the floor, that can make it feel too strict or sterile, which can make it uncomfortable to relax in. Therefore, adding a hard glass door to this already cold environment will only further promote its harshness. However, incorporating a shower curtain with its soft curtain fabric can help soften the bathroom for a more inviting space.
They can be Used to Make Smaller Bathrooms Appear Bigger
Most of us dream of having a big, beautiful bathroom, but, let's face it, it's just not feasible for some of us. However, adding a shower curtain to your bathtub not only helps frame it, which helps create an intriguing focal point for a more luxurious feel, but since the bathtub is a large part of the bathroom, it also helps tie the tub area in with the other features of the bathroom, which helps make your bathroom appear bigger.
Conclusion
So, when it comes to a shower curtain vs glass door for your bathtub, the truth is, while they both provide an attractive addition to your bath space, and they are both also efficient at keeping water and moisture from getting onto the floor, a shower curtain provides many more benefits than its glass competitor.
To begin, shower curtains are much cheaper, which is just perfect for the bathroom enthusiast on a budget, and they also come in more styles, colors, and textures to perfectly match your unique personality as opposed to glass doors. They are also great for a variety of circumstances, such as irregular spaces, rare bathroom features, or if you share a bathroom with others and require more privacy.
A shower curtain also enables you to change the look of your bathroom at will, whereas a glass door is a more permanent solution, which is best left to those with more stable decorating styles due to its high cost.
You should also keep in mind the amount of chore work associated with each when choosing a shower curtain vs glass door. For instance, though a shower curtain can be your best friend when it comes to cleaning it because all you have to do it throw it in the washer to help keep mold and mildew at bay, a glass door can quickly become your worse nightmare if you do not like cleaning glass.
In the end, the choice between shower curtain vs glass door for you will ultimately depend on these various factors, so be sure to keep them in mind when shopping for the perfect style for your bathroom. Oh yea, shower curtains and shower glass doors also actually provide a function, so you should probably keep this in mind, as well.
