However unpleasant the task of cleaning the bathtub or shower stall be, we can’t help avoiding it for long and it needs to be done for maintaining basic hygiene. The limited size of the stalls further imposes restrictions on the movements of the cleaner who often gets bruises and cuts in the process. Despite frequent cleaning and wiping, the grout, glass, plastic, and metal-parts of the stall would still develop spots or get soiled or corroded.

It’s quite an expensive proposition to replace these stalls. You can prevent all that by following these tips.

They always say ‘prevention is better than cure’ and that holds true here too. You can help the situation by installing a portable wrap-around plastic-curtain liner within the stall that saves the walls and accessories from getting spoiled and they retain their shine for long with very nominal cleaning efforts on the part of the users. You’ll be glad to get rid of grimy, gritty, scummy, moldy stall, and forever.

In principle it involves assembly and installation of a rectangular plastic frame within the stall at the height of the showerhead. This is followed by hanging curtains from the frame all around the interior of the stall. The frame is held in place by the pressure put forth by the flexible crutch tips used for making it. This is just the way an adjustable bathtub curtain rod is kept in place by tension. In effect it means you have created another stall of plastic frame within the existing stall. With its installation, all the wear and tear and spoiling actions are born by the washable curtain-liner. So, you door, walls and the faucets remain clean.

How to make the curtain-liner frame.
The list of required parts and the directions for making the frame are given below. It should be installed just below the showerhead and just behind the top frame of the stall’s entry curtain or door, if there is one. Such a positioning puts the frame about one inch from the wall and 73-inches above the floor of the stall.

At this juncture, hang 2-3 overlapping shower curtains from plastic hooks of the frame, but away from the showerhead. Keep a part of the curtain-liner behind the entrance for sliding open or closing to facilitate entry and exit. If there is no door, set the sliding portion to the point of common entrance.

The total cost of making this labor saving device wouldn’t go beyond $40. Yet, there is always scope for lowering it down by making use of left over parts of some other similar project and by being a smart buyer.

You’ll need the following for a 29×48″ stall.

* Two 10-foot rods of ¾-inch white PVC plastic pipe; $2.50 each
* Four ¾-inch white plastic-pipe T’s; $0.50 each
* Four ¾-inch light-colored rubber crutch tips; $0.50 each
* 36 shower-curtain hooks (plastic); $4 box/dozen
* Three 72-inch tall household shower curtains; $5-10 each

Note: For big rectangular stalls you may use two real twist-adjustable bathtub curtain rods without their plastic caps instead of two long precut plastic pipe rods. It saves the bother of precise measurement and cutting of the rods. Under such circumstances you may need four one-inch washers to hold the bare ends of the rods in place into the T’s.

You may further shorten the whole procedure by having a bathtub curtain rod on both the longer sides of the stall, and then running a nylon cord or aluminum wire across the two far ends of the two rods to have a complete frame. For this quick measure, you need not make any precise measurements.

A standard-sized shower stall may be a 29-inches square or 48×30-inches rectangular or bigger, whereas the size of a bathtub-shower combinations may vary from 60×29-inches or larger. Therefore, before you cut the two end-rods of the frame for the narrow sides of the stall with a fine-cut saw, measure each distance separately, keeping space for the transversely attached T’s on both the ends of both the rods. Follow the directions here.

1. For stalls with standard widths, cut two plastic-pipe end-rods of 25±1/4-inches in length, each as measured. Chafe the rough ends smooth.

2. Put in the ends of these two rods into the side ports of the four plastic T’s (no cement needed).

3. Include a crutch tip into one end of each T on each rod, allowing the tips to be in the same direction. The two end-rods with the T-assemblies attached are now complete for the stall.

4. Carefully measure the estimated length of each of the two longer pipe rods separately for each side of the stall, keeping margin for the combined length of the T’s and crutch tips. The stalls may not be perfectly vertical or squares. That’s why these rods should be cut a little longer than the calculated measurement by roughly 1/4-inch each. Then, following hit and trial attempts, slowly cut these two rods to their exact lengths enabling the frame to hang by itself under the right amount of tension on each side.

5. Fix curtain hooks on all the four walls of the rod frame.

6. Hang the curtains by overlapping them. Keep them away from the shower spray or any likely splattering. Overlap them by 10 to 16-inches, depending on the dimension of the stall and the width of the curtains. Keep an overlap of about ten inches on the sliding portion at the entrance in closed position.

Now, the liner is wrapped around all the inner perimeter of the stall, right from floor to the top of the curtains. The lower end of the curtains may barely embrace the floor. Else, you may slightly raise or lower the frame to take a new position in the corners, without fearing to scratch the walls as crutch tips are already there.

While bathing or showering, use a part of the curtain itself as a sort of hand glove for adjusting the flow of water thru faucets or other controls. This helps to keep the accessories clean and saves you the bother of making holes in the curtains.

The walls of the stall or other accessories behind the curtains are not harmed by steam or mist as they get evaporated in due course of time, as from the mirrors. To continue to have neat curtain liner, use mild soaps and operate the spray at low pressure to avoid splashes over them. Moreover, the floor of the stall is almost self-cleaned by the swashing of bather’s feet.

Going over the main advantages of the frame and curtain-liner:

The walls of the stall and other accessories remain clean and gleaming all the time
You don’t really need a squeegee or wipe-down rag at the end of your bath.
The perimeter-shaped stall liner offers sufficient room to bathe or shower comfortably
It’s easy to maintain the liner curtains, being machine washable, or can easily be replaced whenever needed.
Colorful or designer curtains can be used, if desired
You may hang a shower rack from the showerhead pipe to hold soaps, shampoos, brushes etc
The liner frame is detachable, as it’s not attached to the walls by screws or glue.
The frame and liner give a neat and practical look.