What is a Hookless Shower Curtain?

Until recently all shower curtains used a traditional hook system but today consumers are offered a new option when shopping for shower curtains. And although you can still find a very nice selection of creatively designed shower hooks in terms of color and design, they are still shower hooks and a difficult to deal with; especially when you have to take you curtain down to clean it.

You might have actually noticed your first hookless shower curtain in a hotel room when you were on the road traveling.  Hotel owners take advantage of the fact that hookless shower curtains are much easier to take down and put up again, especially when you have to do this frequently for cleaning.

A hookless shower curtain is pretty much exactly what the name says it is – a shower curtain designed to be hung on the shower rod without having to use hooks. Hookless curtains work great and can help to give your bathroom a more contemporary look.  There are several styles of hookless curtains available that you might want to consider when you begin shopping:

Flexible split-ring system – this is a great design because you can usually fit the shower curtain over your shower bar without having to remove the bar whether you are installing the curtain for the first time or just taking it down to clean. This system is designed to allow you to fold the curtain over the shower rod and snap it in place.      

Ties – Another option is a hookless shower curtain that is hung with ties at the top. I think don’t think these are as convenient to use as some of the other devices but if you are going for a specific theme such as country or Victorian for example, they can be the perfect solution. Of course, you have to tie them in place each time you want to hang the curtain. 

Buttons – one of my personal favorites. Using buttons requires you to add slits to the curtain at the top of the curtain and then sew the buttons to the top of the material, so that’s a hassle. But the reason that I like buttons is because they provide you with almost unlimited flexibility in terms of colors and designs. There are thousands of very cool button options available online from polka dots to ladybugs.

Velcro – how did we ever live without it? From tennis shoes, to jackets and now shower curtain rings. It’s pretty easy to make this yourself. They are easy to use but it’s more difficult to find a wide variety of colors and designs.

 Built in rings – and finally, if you’re feeling nostalgic - some “hookless” shower curtains aren’t hookless at all. They utilize plastic rings that are built into the shower curtain with the advantage that you don’t have to take the shower curtain rod down to remove the curtain

No matter which look you decide on, if you are shopping for a new shower curtain you should keep in mind a few features that are available today:

Water repellant- Not only as the name implies does the material help keep your floor dry, but it also is more resistant to mold and mildew.

Hem-less design- The first place usually first notice a problem with mildew is on the hem so this is a nice option to consider as well.

Washable – and finally – you might want to check and make sure that the material is easy to care for and maintain.