I like the look of the longer shower curtain, but I usually keep mine about 1-inch off the bathroom floor. If it were just me, it would probably be fine to have a longer curtain, but I live with a man who likes to seal off the bathroom and steam himself for an hour, so mold and general ickyness is an issue in our bathroom.

Personally, I like shower curtains to hang about 2 inches up from the floor. That way, hairs don't get trapped under it, the bathmat will fit under & it won't get soaking wet from the puddles that always form (from my kids showers, I swear, not mine!)

If you have a curtain that hangs lower, it will just need washing more often.

I agree, 1-2 inches off the floor is good.

My shower curtain hangs to about the middle of my tub base. I did this partially for the cleanliness reasons listed above but also because placing the rod higher really raised the ceiling an elongated the space in my not-so-big bathroom. Also, the simple but interesting vine pattern on my chosen curtain serves the same purpose as an accent wall if, like me, you are renting and not allowed to paint :)

Mine are 1-2 inches off the ground and they are staying there. However, Martha Stewart recommends the shorter length. Just saying...

I don't think Emily Post has a chapter on curtain length for showers, windows, or theaters. I prefer the curtain to be long enough that it doesn't easily pull inside the tub wiht the liner when drawing it closed. On the other hand, I don't like it to be so long that it collects dust.

Arguably, a more important and "brutally honest" issue is whether the curtain stays open or closed apres shower. In our two guest baths, the toilet and tub are next to each other. I prefer to keep the curtain "open" and at the end opposite of the toilet so that the curtain doesn't catch "rim splash" from male users.

On the other hand, some people feel that keeping the curtain "closed" helps prevent liner mildew. Suppose it all depends on whether eau d'urine or black mold is more bothersome to you.

In a claw foot tub, a floor-skimming curtain is really impractical.

Since the inside "floor" of the tub is 2 or 3 inches higher than the bathroom floor, a curtain that skims the floor of the room makes for a liner that overlaps the tub floor. This makes your standing space in the tub smaller, and it's easy to slip on the liner as you get into the shower.

we recently moved into an old brownstone in Jersey City with the original clawfoot tub. we LOVE the look of it, but are having a hard time figuring out a practical way to hang a shower curtain. we have the D shaped rod going all the way around with 3 liners to encompass the entire tub. we haven't put up a fancy outer curtain because we're not quite sure how to do it... any tips?

I have hideous yellow and green tubs so mine are as close to the floor as possible! I do make sure the floor is wiped clean and dry daily ; ) If I had a claw foot, I would definitely opt for the shorter curtain.

Re: Akay -- You could always hang a shorter liner inside the tub than the curtain outside of the tub. Also, if it's primarily used for bathing rather than showering, you don't really need to bother with the liner.

Inches off the floor is one issue; top height is another. We recently gutted an old bathroom that has high ceilings. I'm tall and wanted a high shower head. Putting the tub surround's slate all the way to the bottom of the showerhead meant we'd have to drill through the slate to install a shower curtain rod at standard height, so we attached a curved rod just above the shower head's height.

A standard extra-long fabric liner fit perfectly, but I couldn't find an extra-long shower curtain that I liked anywhere (simple, heavy textured white cotton with a spa feel). I ended up buying a twin cotton coverlet and making an extra-long shower curtain(84" long) that ends 3.5" above the slate floor. And I have to stay that the shower experience from the inside is the most luxurious I've had in any tub/shower I've used. Love it so much we'll repeat those dimensions in our bathrooms, if we have the ceiling height. So think about the top as well as the bottom of your shower curtain, and perhaps give those curved rods a try.

I hang my curtain shorter because of the Shower Curtain Effect -- when the curtain blows inward while the water is running.

When I moved in, the rods for my claw footer were mounted lowish, and the curtains pretty much engulfed me when the shower ran. I moved the whole thing about a foot higher on the wall to see if it would help, and now only the very bottom of the curtain billows inward.

Does anyone know where to purchase the shower curtain featured in the first picture? It's just what I've been looking for! Thanks

I agree on top height. It can't be so short that the water spills over the top for taller people and guests, but it can't be so high that no light gets inside the shower.

For the bottom height, I prefer 1" all around: window curtains, shower curtains, etc. It's enough that problems are hidden and moisture doesn't adversely affect it in a clean bathroom. 2" I also think is acceptable, but that's my upper limit.

My shower is on the long side and hangs a fraction of an inch above the floor but my white tub is pretty plain. Maybe if I had a fancy more expensive one I'd opt for the shorter version. I've never had an issue with mold because I also use a shower liner. As soon as mold develops on that liner I simply go to BBB and get a new one. Problem solved.

I like longer shower curtains. I feel like it hides the tub, and if your tub isn't the most amazing you can hide it with a gorgeous curtain.

Too short looks skimpy or cheap. It's like a dress - it shouldn't puddle on the floor, but it shouldn't awkwardly show your ankles either.

@paticleman - you can easily clean the shower curtain liner rather than buying a new one all the time. You can soak it in a hot tub for 30 minutes with some bleach, and agitate it a couple of times and things come right off without any elbow grease. You can also wash it in your washing maching with a towel or two, and again, everything comes clean without any elbow grease. Just kinda hate the thought of good plastic going in the landfill before it's time...

I have a cleaning lady, and when the agency came for the initial house inspection they asked me to use the longest curtain available, as it is most efficient in preventing water from dripping out and staining the floor tiles (we have hard water that stains white).

Due to the layout of my bathroom, a long curtain is impossible. My vanity cabinet is tight to the side of my tub so there was no way to fully close a long curtain. I ended up hemming my fabric shower curtain to just skim the top of the tub and I have a clear liner that runs long inside of the tub. This allows the curtain to close all of the way without water escaping and I find that I really like the look. It's very tailored and clean lookin - plus no dust bunnies or hair sticking to the bottom of the curtain!

*looking

I don't use a liner. The curtain is fabric, but it's not like water goes through it. It just gets wet. It's a deeper color so it doesn't show stains. When I feel like it, I just put it directly in the wash. I'm not sure how long it is... probably midway through the base of the tub.

@Gilliane, Restoration Hardware has extra-long shower curtains in nice linens and waffle weave. I just was hunting today for this! We are just now redoing our bathroom, and are having a shower curtain track put on the ceiling. We need an "L" shape, and i am sick of the pole in the middle of our regular rod (to hold it up at the bend) stopping the curtain. There's a light in the shower ceiling and a curtain at the far "open" end, so light is not an issue. I think it will be great to have that clean look of no rod, and hope to leave the curtain open most of the time, tho i completely get the mildew worry - at least in winter, it's not a problem with our dry New England houses.

Does anyone have any caveats they can share about my ceiling mount track idea? I haven't seen it around really, it's just a notion I had and found a supplier online. Is there anything i should be aware of before we take the plunge??

A shower curtain can be closed until it drys, avoiding mildew and then opened to get it away from the toilet.

I have a shower curtain that is much higher than normal, because I put the shower head at 84", and it come to a few inches from the floor. I hadn't put the rod in through the tiles - but I have extra tile, should I need to change something.

I prefer the look of a longer curtain, about 1 inch from the floor.
The exception would be for a really gorgeous bathtub, like a claw-foot or amazing minimal bath or something.

MelanieQ, a fellow New England says "thanks" for the rec on Restoration Hardware. I'll remember that for the next house (hoping to sell and move in 2012). Re: ceiling mounted curtains, I've seen articles in assorted shelter magazines about running ceiling mounted hospital-style curtain tracks for showers and tubs. See if you can find reviews; I vaguely recall that one brand got raves (maybe from an actual hospital supply place?) and others, not so much. Good luck. I think the clean lines of ceiling tracks can look good and function well.

Make that "fellow New Englander." :)

It must be an American thing to have a fabric shower curtain and a liner... in Europe (as far as I know) people just have one shower curtain, used inside the tub/shower while showering and hanging outside when not

My bathroom requires an extra-long shower curtain. I have a basic white with a slight waffling look and sheen. It's good for the clean spa look I like. But I would love to find more variety in modern extra-long curtains. I got mine from Amazon, and have seen a few at Bed Bath & Beyond and a couple other sites, but I would love any tips on where to find more. I know that I could have one custom made, but those are around $200 and for me the idea is being able to switch up when the fancy strikes me. Thanks!

I think the appropriate shower curtain length has a lot to do with the height of your ceiling and also the height of your bathtub. I have a loft with 14' ceilings, a very deep soaking tub, and tile bath surround that goes about 7.5 or so feet up the wall. Because my shower curtain rod is near the top of the tile surround, I have to have an 84" shower curtain. Otherwise, the curtain would only come down a few inches past the top of my tub. I know that's a confusing description, so I apologize.

But I have seen many people with similar configurations as mine who have short shower curtains and it's a horrible look! I think people don't realize that they have to go the extra step to get extra-long shower curtains. It's a must.

Longer curtains look best! But I dont think it should touch the floor either.

I think that the outer shower curtain should be 2 to 3 inches from the floor.

In response to other posts about the shower curtain liner, you can always hem it to fit. I bought a fabric liner from Bed, Bath and Beyond, then I hemmed it and re-installed the weighted bottom so that it was the right length and so my curtain could hang lower.

I think that shower curtains are of mid height so that they can't touch the bathroom floor. By this shower room is covered fully & curtain didn't get wet from the bottom.