I have just bought a new bathtub with a shower head. It took me a good month to decide on what shower enclosure with tub to get so it points to just how irresolute I am. Now I am stuck with another choice: sliding door showers versus curtains. I think both have their advantages and disadvantages but one thing is for sure: a detail change can add a dramatic new look and feel to the bathroom space.

First thing I want to consider are the pros and cons of each. The shower curtain is the more traditional and most affordable option. I could just easily go to the nearest store and pick myself up the shower curtain of my choice in a wide array of colors and styles. They’re versatile because they can be used for privacy when you are taking your shower or you can leave them closed when you have guests over and you don’t want them to see your unsightly tub. The best thing about shower curtains is probably the fact that they are incredibly easy to clean.  You simply have to spray and wipe. Some varieties are even machine-washable.

A big downfall to shower curtains, however, is the fact that it can get pretty messy. If you forget to tuck in the curtain, you will find a puddle on your bathroom floor. Also, shower curtains are more prone to mold and mildew since they can grow and get stuck between the folds and are often overlooked.

Sliding door showers have many pros as well. For one, they are more contemporary than shower curtains are. Typically made out of sturdy class, your sliding door showers would be relatively durable and incredibly functional. Because the doors are made to seal in the water effectively, you wouldn’t have to worry about water getting outside. They are just as easy to clean as shower curtains–if not easier. Fortunately, mold doesn’t build up as quickly on glass surfaces.

Some cons about sliding door showers have to do with their possible malfunctions. Sliding door showers can get into rickety jams where the doors fall off their trackers or hinges. They also aren’t as easy to replace as curtains are. It’s more expensive to find new ones but on the other hand, you would get your money’s worth because it is so sturdy.

All things said–I still have trouble settling on a choice!

To be environmentally conscious without being a hypocrite, you have to apply those conservationist philosophies to all aspects of your life. As a person who cares about the world and wants to make a difference, I live my life the “green” way. That is to say that I commit to building a  thorough ecological awareness as well as leaving a positive impression on the earth.

One realm in my daily routine that I am currently working hard to improve is the bathroom space. The fixture that is the focal point of anyone’s bathroom is their walk in shower enclosure. Because of this, showers should be considered a primary concentration when thinking of improving the environmental conditions.

Firstly, the easiest thing you can do is to avoid wasting a lot of water. In the US, people use an average of almost 2.5 gallons of fresh water for every minute they shower! That’s an obscene amount of water going to waste. This is why you should invest in a low-flow showerhead. These fixtures are incredibly easy to install and they can conserve up to half of the amount of water you’re using.

If you haven’t already, consider getting your showers re-done with more sustainable materials such as recycled glass, ceramic, acrylic or porcelain for the walls. You can even find shower curtains made out of natural and renewable fabric. This will not only encourage renewable resources but also transform your bathroom and update its look.

There are other smaller but still important touches you can take towards greening your glass showers. Buy non-toxic, greener alternatives that don’t adversely affect your health. For example, you may want to look into organic hair care products or soap that are completely safe. When in doubt, use sufficient ventilation so that the toxic substances don’t hurt you or enter the atmosphere. 

When you’re living in compliance of the  green code of ethics, you will find yourself generally happier as well. Who doesn’t feel satisfied that they had some part in saving the world?

It’s hard to buy a completely new shower without feeling guilty about your purchase. No matter how luxurious your sessions are, you will begin to see the water from your showerhead as heavy pennies raining on your head. Recently, I found a way around this. It’s not so much a loophole as it is an undiscovered treasure. Now, instead of going and dismantling your old shower, simply use shower columns to add that instant functionality and beauty.

I have discovered that shower columns are the easiest and most inexpensive way to improve your shower. I was tired of all of my friends bragging about their newer and better jetted showers. Ok, I get it–you can afford to get in your shower and feel like hot jelly for an hour straight. I resented the fact that they had to rub that in my face when they knew I can’t afford to buy a jetted shower.

Soon, I was the one laughing at them because shower columns have all the trappings of a normal jetted shower and does everything theirs does but without the hefty price tag. Shower columns come with a wide variety of functions and features tailor made to suit certain lifestyles. For example, if you want the massage therapy that large scale jetted showers can have, you will be able to find shower columns that have multi-purpose hydrotherapy panels with an overhead shower head meant to simulate rain showers. If you have a lot of things in your shower, you might want shower columns that are geared more towards the cluttered lifestyle. These varieties of columns have useful storage compartments like shelves and fog-free mirrors that are compact and then come out when you need it.

In the end, if you’re like me and you just don’t have enough for a full-scale bathroom remodel, consider getting a shower column for more than half that much.

If you want to use a shower kit to build a brand new shower, you may want to know a couple of things first. Once I decided that I needed a new shower in place of my old one, I purchased a shower kit because I figured that it would be cheaper to do it myself than to have to pay a professional a lot of money to do it for me. Shower kits seem easy enough and they do make things relatively simple but there are some tips you should be aware of beforehand. Based on my experience, here are some pointers:

-Find shower kits that have the most amount of fixtures included in the package: When you have all of the materials that you need to build a good looking shower, it’s always a good thing. It’s always better to have too much than to have too little.

-You will most likely need your own tools:  Sometimes they come with the shower kits but a lot of times, the more heavy duty tools such as a PVC pipe do not come in the boxes. You will need a primer, Philips screwdriver, scissors to cut tubing, silicon caulk and a half inch PVC pipe. Any additional tools will probably be mentioned in the instructions.

-Read the manual carefully: Because I thought that I knew everything and therefore did not need to read the instructions in detail, I ended up improperly caulking the edges. They are professionals for a reason. They know what they’re talking about so if you don’t want to have to re-do your project, it would benefit you to follow their lead.

-Check your plumbing: It may seem like the most obvious thing to consider but you’d be surprised at how many people forget. Make certain that you can run the plumbing where you want your shower to be and that the drain hole matches up properly.

Finally, before you put the finishing touches on your new shower, check that everything works. It would be a shame if you go through all that trouble and find out that your new shower doors doesn’t even open correctly.

In some unique cases, “cheap” is solely associated with an inexpensive price tag. In my case, “cheap” meant poorly constructed parts that will fall apart on you and cause thousands of dollars in damage. For this reason, you should be very wary when you see this word anywhere. Cheap bathroom showers may not necessarily equate bad quality but I have unfortunately experienced that end of the definition. Consider this following story a warning.

I set out to purchase a bathroom shower or shower column that was within a budget that I had set up for myself. As a mother of three children, I have to cut costs where I can. I found some bathroom showers on a seemingly reliable site that was selling them at amazing prices. On the web site, they looked good enough and they certainly weren’t ugly. If there was a “catch” I didn’t see it. I took the cheap prices as an invitation to make a purchase. They promised they would send it within the next two weeks and they would even install it for me.

Within those two weeks, they came and I couldn’t be more excited. Everything was going fine until they accidentally ran into one of my walls and made a dent. They apologized profusely but all the “sorries” in the world weren’t going to fix the big gaping hole. Once they were done installing the bathroom shower and I cleaned up their workmen mess, I took the shower for a spin. The door came apart almost immediately and then shortly afterwards, my shower head was spewing water where it shouldn’t have been. It was a disaster.

In short, no matter how much research you do, if you purchase cheap bathroom showers that seem too good to be true, they probably are.

I don’t know about you but I prefer for my shower stalls to last a good while. I’ve had way too many showers in my lifetime die on me. The shower in my house is used every single day for keeping clean, mindless meditating or just a general desire to stay healthy.  If anything, it’s a vessel that I want to depend on for as long I am living in that home. I need something that won’t require constant maintenance or frequently be in disrepair. Apparently, what I need are fiberglass shower stalls.

I discovered this after I was doing some online research. Reluctantly, after I spent a week trying to revive my old shower stall, I had to resort to finding yet a new one. I wasn’t happy but I figured that if I really invested some time and money to this next purchase then maybe–just maybe–it would be able to last longer than my gimpy goldfish. From the advice of a friend, I went to Unlimited Showers which is an online store that caters to all different kinds of luxury showers. They have varying options in size, style, and price range.

I browsed through their site and found several showers that I may want to try. I then went to my furniture consultant to ask his advice on which one I should purchase. No, I don’t have a real consultant who counsels me on potential purchases and whom I pay on an hourly basis. That made-up title does belong endearingly to my brother who has seen me go through too many poorly constructed acrylic shower stalls. He told me that he would help me on my search.

He said, that in his experience, fiberglass shower stalls are much more reliable than any other styles of showers. Their acrylic surfaces are all gel coated and reinforced with combinations of fiberglass, polyester resin and various fillers. While a lot of manufacturers are able to achieve lower prices by cutting down their production costs resulting in poorer quality, showers from Unlimited Showers promise that they maintain higher standards and use only the best raw materials. This means that by shopping at Unlimited Showers, I won’t just be getting a fiberglass shower with shower doors; I will be getting the very best among fiberglass shower stalls.

I am so proud of my new purchase! It’s a beautiful walk in shower enclosure that I found online. A lot of walk in shower enclosures today are designed with an impeccable attention to detail. They are conscious of more than just the function of a typical shower. These varieties of bathroom fixtures consider the overall bathroom space with it’s look and feel as well.

My walk in shower enclosure is semi-framed. This means that the outer structure and wall don’t go all the way around and appear less like a jail-like encasement and more like a seamless oasis. This style is relatively modern but something that I really enjoy.  When I take my showers, I personally don’t like to feel like I’m standing in a box with a shower head. I prefer to pretend like I’m outside in a tropical island and the warm rain is gently pouring down on me. My specially designed shower makes this possible for me.

Another engineering genius that walk in shower enclosures have is how they’re able to achieve a flawless separation between the bathtub and the shower. The segregation of both of these spaces appeases the consumer demand for a change. They no longer want the typical acrylic bathtub with a shower head above; they want something more contemporary. Especially with the glass type walk in shower enclosures, these showers are incredibly elegant. They can reflect light while still offering you that much-needed privacy that you desire.

Ultimately, the reason I think that walk in shower enclosures are so nifty is the fact that they’re absolutely versatile and hassle-free. I don’t have to spend thousands to maintain or repair it. Come to think of it, I think this purchase may have been the best one I’ve ever made!

I’ve had my fantastic steam shower for  almost five years now. Because I take impeccable care of it, my shower has yet to break or have any unattractive mineral deposits stick to the glass doors. It has served me faithfully and effectively all throughout the many years. It has been there for me during my lowest of lows and highest of highs. I reveal this to my patients all the time. You see, I am a licensed psychiatrist and I deal with people of all walks of life. Most of the folks that usually walk through my office doors deal with varying degrees of anxiety, depression or a general disorientation. My job is to, in essence, “fix” them.

One particular kind of tactic that I have been using as of late is a steam shower therapy. No, I do not watch and take down their bathing habits. Instead of prescribing Zoloft or Prozac which are doled out too indiscriminately, I simply advise a good dose of homeopathic steam from a royal steam shower. I have purchased a steam shower specifically for the bathroom in my office so patients can shower for as long as they want after one of our verbal therapy sessions. If they feel unsure about hygiene, they can buy their own and use it at home.

The point of these therapy sessions is to first find out what is bothering them and then have them de-stress by entering through the misty warmth of a steam shower. When they are sitting down on one of the comfortable shower seats with the hydro-massage jets gently pelting their bodies, they will have the time to really meditate about their lives. At the end, they can then let all of their worries escape through the drain. I’ve been told by many patients that the steam shower therapy has worked amazingly for them. Sometimes, they’ll even come back when they are well just to use the steam shower!

Although showers are typically seen as places that are straight forward and task-oriented, homeowners have demonstrated that the shower is more than just a place to rub-a-dub-dub. It is also a designer’s dream because you don’t have to do much to give it a new look. Besides the function-oriented design makeovers which can involve more technical installations of shower heads and customized jets, the pure surface aesthetic approach focuses on the colors and textures of your bathroom space.

One of the most essential accessories in the bathroom is the shower curtain. In the past, it may have been seen as simply serving the purpose of preventing water from getting all over the floor. As the years have gone by, people began to see that the kind of curtains they chose for their showers had the ability to change how their entire bathroom looked. Depending on the decor of your room, you should probably find curtains that complement, if not match the same style. Especially when you have towels with matching colors, your shower curtain can serve as an elegant drape that opens up to reveal the majesty of your showers.

With the plethora of options available for your shower curtains, you can opt for the traditional single color curtains or you can find novelty curtains that fit your style. For example, if you are decorating a child’s bathroom, it’d be nice if the shower curtains suit their preferences. They can be colorful zoo animals, beach scenes or any other various funky design. If you would like a more sophisticated look, you can find shower curtains that have elegant motifs. Whatever you decide upon, you will see exactly why shower curtains are so instrumental in dressing up your shower kits. It’s like how buying a new pair of shoes can completely change an outfit.

If you own a jetted shower, then you are automically my best friend. Combined with a bitter sense of jealousy and simultaneous great admiration, I will show up at your door insisting that I know you. Don’t be alarmed; I am harmless. As an avid fan of jetted showers but a lesser fan of having a job, I have that unforunate dilemma of coveting without having the warrant to do so.

Many people may call me "homeless", "vagrant", "druggie" or just "scary troll man" but I personally prefer to go by the title "outdoor urban dweller". My rugged invidualist nature makes me very indepedent and in that staunch independence, I have taken it upon myself to visit as many people as I can to politely ask if I can use their premium jetted showers. In my experience, most people have refused. Actually, the 27 out of the 28 people I solicited just screamed and then closed the door on me. They swore I was a grizzly bear who had somehow learned how to walk on two legs and speak semi-coherently. The only one that said a cautious "yes" was a person who didn’t even own a cheap bathroom shower.

Why do I love jetted showers so much? I mean, sure, I may not have a home to even install one of these bad boys but I have managed to draw up a rather elaborate scheme for my future home on a few Big Mac wrappers taped together. It’s my "blueprint", if you will. Anyway, in this detailed plan, the jetted shower is the main attraction. I’ll have all of my other bathroom furniture genuflect under its greatness. Literally, it will be the largest structure in my home–inevitably causing great awe and amazement. People will be forced to go in and see the 6-hydrotherapeutic massage jet shower column, built-in radio, ozone sterilization system and tropical rain showerhead. If you’re good, I will even let you get in and use the shower. You see, as an involuntarily undomiciled guy, I am pro-equal treatment. Mi jetted shower es su jetted shower.