The Shower Curtain Debate

on July 27, 2011
in All Posts, Oh, Controversy!

Breakfast was pretty simple – a bowl of cereal:

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So let me tell you a funny story.  And then, we’ll have a great debate!

 

This weekend, we moved our friend Isaac into Nicole’s apartment – AKA his wife’s (legally but not spiritually) place.  It was pretty cute to be there for such a momentous event.  Two people, melding furniture and sheets into one household.  Very romantic.

 

After the move, everyone came back to our house and we ordered pizza.  We started to chat about cohabitating, and the Husband and I began to reminisce about when we first moved into together.  We opted out of the traditional route and moved in when we were just dating, at 22. 

 

“What pet peeves do you guys have about living together?” asked Isaac.

 

“Hmm,” the Husband pondered.  He then listed a few peeves that I already knew about, like leaving the toothpaste in the shower and not locking the top and bottom of the front door.  “You turn, Caitlin.”

 

“I really can’t think of any pet peeves!” I protested.  Everyone urged me on.  “Okay, okay… I can think of one, but it’s kind of stupid.”  And then I explained:

 

It irritates the crap out of me when the Husband leaves the shower curtain open.

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The proper thing to do is to close the shower curtain after showering.

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I passionately debated my case:

 

  • The shower curtain and the entire bathroom looks prettier when the curtain is closed.
  • Everyone who comes into the bathroom can tell if the shower is dirty if the curtain is open.
  • If the curtain is closed, bacteria and mold will grow in the folds because it can’t air out.

 

“Wait, wait!” said the Husband.  “For the past five years, I’ve intentionally left the curtain open because I thought you preferred it that way – so the shower can dry out.”  Seriously.  SERIOUSLY!

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And this, my friends is why you should discuss your pet peeves with your spouse.  Now all the curtains in my house are closed.  After five years, it feels so good.

 

And actually, in regards to the mold issue, WikiHow takes a moderate approach to the “Open or Closed” debate:

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So – now it’s your turn to weigh in.  

 

Shower curtains – open or closed?  Do you find yourself snapping the curtain into position after your partner or roomie gets out of the shower?  Or could you really not care?

 

Other great debates (some serious, some not-so-serious):

 

{ 224 comments }

 

  • Jazz July 27, 2011, 9:06 am

    Oh, closed for sure! not even a debate! My pet peeve is my hubby leaves his socks EVERYWHERE!

    • Kristie July 27, 2011, 10:54 am

      Mine too. One time it got so bad that I collected all 12 pairs from the floor and put them on his pillow in the bedroom. Ineffective, unfortunately.

      • Yolie @ Practising Wellness July 27, 2011, 11:22 am

        lol! nice effort, though 😉 xyx

      • Jazz July 27, 2011, 12:21 pm

        I’ve totally done that too!! under the pillow for an unpleasant surprise…. then they ended up on the floor in the bedroom… closer to the laundry basket though!

    • Amber K July 27, 2011, 12:38 pm

      OMG, what is it with men and socks? I find them everywhere… lol

      • Marissa C July 27, 2011, 1:59 pm

        Multiple dirty pairs under the couch…he’s “saving them for later”

    • Katie July 27, 2011, 2:53 pm

      Oh my boyfriend does that too! Plus he leaves them all scrunched up so I have to un-scrunch them when I go to do the laundry.

      Also he leaves half-drank glasses of orange juice, milk, soda, whatever all over the house.

      • Meagan July 27, 2011, 3:31 pm

        My husband also leaves half-full glasses on his nightstand, the kitchen counters, and end tables in the living room. Last week, I noticed I didn’t have any clean glasses in the cabinet (three were in the sink being washed), lo and behold – there were seven glasses in the bedroom. So irritating!

        • Katie July 27, 2011, 5:43 pm

          haha I know! That orange juice is expensive!

  • Stephie July 27, 2011, 9:07 am

    omg shower curtain closed 100%!!! I have the same exact issue with my fiance, except I have told him and he still leaves it open!

  • Corie July 27, 2011, 9:08 am

    My husband always leaves the shower curtain open but I prefer it closed. It’s one of the things that I realize he’ll always do – along with leaving his work clothes/shoes in the living room so they’re “ready” for the next day – lol!

  • Dawn July 27, 2011, 9:09 am

    Closed! Closed! Closed! My husband leaves it open as well and it drives me INSANE!

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat July 27, 2011, 9:10 am

    Hahhaa I love these debates (I think the sleeping nekkid one was my fave!) I totally understand why you prefer the curtain to be shut, and I think I prefer it that way too. However, I’ve got 2 roomies and we all have little pet peeves, so I sort of pick my battles based on the ones that annoy me the most – the shower curtain isn’t that much of a stressor. 🙂

  • Chelsea July 27, 2011, 9:10 am

    Closed! And my fiance leaves it open because he hangs his towel over the shower curtain rod to dry, and doesn’t want it drying on the shower curtain for reasons unbeknownst to sane people.

  • Dori July 27, 2011, 9:11 am

    That is too funny that the Husband only left it open because he thought that’s what you wanted. I always close mine. But then again, my shower is always gross because I don’t have a window in my bathroom and it gets mildewy about two days after scrubbing.

  • Paige July 27, 2011, 9:12 am

    TEAM CLOSED CURTAIN. My live-in boyf does the same thing. Hello, I don’t need everyone who uses the bathroom (um…no one since we just moved somewhere where we don’t know anyone – REGARDLESS)to see my shower products or just how long it’s been since I scrubbed the bathtub.

  • Brittany (A Healthy Slice of Life) July 27, 2011, 9:12 am

    Closed!! For the same reason you stated. I always picture mold growing in the folds and it grosses me out!

    How funny, I thought I was the only one who felt so strongly about this- haha

    • Baking N Books July 27, 2011, 10:02 am

      Ditto – BIG TIME! Must be CLOSED. I’m a clean-germ-a-phobe freak when it comes to *bathroom* stuff…I do not want strangers going in and seeing a mess in the shower – eewwwww – I hate it when I see it in others bathrooms…

      I mean I KNOW that hair and stuff is normal…but still I have to rinse out my own tub after use just to get rid of any strands falling cause I get quesy…;)

  • Ali July 27, 2011, 9:13 am

    Closed. My parents raised me to close the shower curtain or “it’ll grow mold.” Always closed. Drives me crazy when people leave it open.

  • Megan @ sweet on July 27, 2011, 9:15 am

    Haha! Super funny! I agree with you that it’s better closed, but always have a feeling not enough air can circulate. So, I crack the bathroom window after a shower and leave the curtain half open, and then next time I go in the room I close it all the way. (I had a roommate in college who was super-obsessed with this issues and used to leave post-its for us when we didn’t close the curtain all the way).

    However, I am single so I can do what I want! I shall bookmark this for my future debate with the husband I haven’t met yet 😉

  • Jaime July 27, 2011, 9:15 am

    I can’t really answer because all our showers have glass doors – no curtains – but I am with the Huz on this one. I would definitely leave the curtains open so the shower could dry out. Sorry Caitlin!

  • Sara July 27, 2011, 9:15 am

    Shower curtain closed!!! It makes the bathroom look so much nicer (I didn’t agonize over which curtain to buy for nothing) and hides the fact that you haven’t cleaned the tub in a week. If the liner gets mildewy, you can throw it in the washing machine and it comes out looking brand new. I wash the liner and my bath mat every three weeks or so — just make sure to wash them in COLD water.

  • Britney July 27, 2011, 9:15 am

    Closed! The Roommate’s ex-boyfriend used to leave it open and it drove me nuts.

  • Stephanie @cookinfanatic July 27, 2011, 9:16 am

    Hahaha this is awesome. I actually like to leave the shower curtain open for a while after I shower, while I’m getting ready and what not. This way the shower can dry out a bit. Then I like to close it once I’m all finished up – I hate when the curtain is left open – what’s the point of it then lol!

  • Lindsay July 27, 2011, 9:17 am

    Closed. I am with you!

  • Alexis July 27, 2011, 9:17 am

    Closed for sure! To keep mildew at bay, but also because it looks so much prettier that way. 🙂

  • Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga July 27, 2011, 9:17 am

    Closed. It looks better, the water can drain off, it hides the inside of the shower and all the shampoo bottles in there 🙂

    I love your shower curtain print!!

  • Caroline Leigh July 27, 2011, 9:17 am

    i, too, hate it when the shower curtain is left open by my roommates for the exact same reasons!
    but now i just moved to atlanta and live by myself, so that curtain will stay closed!

  • allison @ thesundayflog July 27, 2011, 9:19 am

    my sister and i live together and we both insist that the bathmat gets hung over the side of the tub and the shower curtain gets closed (although i crack one side a bit to let the shower dry). my biggest pet peeve with my boyfriend is that he brushes his teeth in the shower with his VERY EXPENSIVE electric toothbrush, and then leaves the toothpaste in there. ugh gross! he also never hangs his towels up to dry after his shower and im left with a wet spot on the bed and a stinky towel. i swear i make him wash his towels every other day. gagggg

  • Sara July 27, 2011, 9:19 am

    This is so funny! We have the same issue around here, but my husband ALWAYS leaves it open and throws his towel over it. Drives me crazy!

  • Jamie July 27, 2011, 9:21 am

    Hmmm I always left ours open because we have an old house and there is a BIG window in the shower that let’s in a ton of natural light, but reading the info about the mold I think I will be switching it to closed from now on. The hubby opens the curtain enough to get out of the shower (about half way) and just leaves it there, I’m just happy if his work clothes make it into the hamper!

  • Cassie @ Back to Her Roots July 27, 2011, 9:21 am

    I used to leave it open, mostly out of laziness, but then we got one of those automatic shower cleaners, and unless you want to get sprayed with the cleaner while standing on the bath mat, you close the curtain!

    Laziness solved.

  • Jennifer July 27, 2011, 9:22 am

    Definitely the shower curtain must be closed! I don’t want my shower contents exposed. However, what threw me for a loop in this post is the tootpaste in the shower. I’ve heard of someone brushing their teeth in the shower, and for someone reason that freaks me out LOL.

    • Caitlin July 27, 2011, 9:29 am

      OMG you must try it. It is so much easier to brush your teeth in the shower because the foam can go everything and it doesnt matter. Also, I’ve found that I brush for longer in the shower than standing over the sink.

      • Mel July 27, 2011, 9:38 am

        I used to do that, but my friend told me her dentist said the water in the shower is worse for your teeth than sink water, because you probably only run the shower once or twice a day whereas you run the sink several times a day so the water doesn’t sit in the pipes as long.

        That kind of sounds like BS, but I still don’t brush in the shower because of it.

      • Laura July 27, 2011, 11:42 am

        So Caitlin, do you shower twice a day so you can brush your teeth, or do you brush once in the shower and once over the sink and just move your toothbrush and toothpaste back and forth?

        • CaitlinHTP July 27, 2011, 11:43 am

          I just move it back and forth 🙂 Doesn’t bother me!

      • JenATX March 6, 2012, 10:38 pm

        i brush mine in the shower too and my bf said it was gross! he couldnt believe i would keep my tooth brush in the same place I wash my body :-/ thank god there are others out there like me!!

  • Katie July 27, 2011, 9:22 am

    Hahaha, that’s so cute that he’s being intentionally leaving it open for so long. I never really thought about it, but I just checked the bathroom and I left the curtain open. Pretty sure my roommate does the same, but I’ll start paying attention. I’d feel bad if I’m accidentally bugging her!

  • Leslie July 27, 2011, 9:22 am

    I prefer it closed, and my boyfriend (who I live with because we are rebels like that) usually closes it too. We don’t have much ventilation in our bathroom and our landlord told us to keep it open with the fan on after showers to help dry it out. Since I don’t like it open, I clean the liner when it gets gross. I just drop in in a tub full of hot water and vinegar for a while and it’s done. Or you can spray it down at the end of your shower with some sort of cleaner…but I never remember.

  • Tami July 27, 2011, 9:23 am

    closed, no question.

  • colleen July 27, 2011, 9:23 am

    Definitely closed! The hubby always leaves it open and it drives me nuts. I agree it looks nicer, drys out quicker/better, and it hides our shower items.

  • Lesley Lifting Life July 27, 2011, 9:23 am

    Haha, that’s pretty funny!! Our shower right now doesn’t require a curtain, but from previous showers, I’m pretty sure my husband left it open.

  • Kath July 27, 2011, 9:23 am

    I’m 100% on your side Caitlin and have a hard time getting Matt to open it back up too!! My reasoning is also because of mildew prevention!

  • Charise July 27, 2011, 9:24 am

    Definitely closed. My husband leaves it open sometimes, too, and it drives me crazy!I think it looks better to see the pretty curtain than the pile of bottles and probably-not-cleaned tub, plus the whole mildew issue.

  • Danielle July 27, 2011, 9:25 am

    This is so funny because I have been having this discussion with my fiance for the past week (we live together)! I ALWAYS close the shower curtain but he never does and I get so frustrated! My mom always taught me that closed is better for bacteria reasons but I just prefer the way it looks.

  • Kelly July 27, 2011, 9:25 am

    Closed, Closed, Closed!!!!! My kids know to close the curtain after their shower, but my step-kids who stay every other weekend, don’t close the curtain….drives me CRAZY!!!!! But of course, I never say anything…for fear of sounding like the wicked step-mother 😉

  • Faith @ lovelyascharged July 27, 2011, 9:26 am

    I always leave it open – even sometimes when I shower! I have no rational idea why, but I always have a hard time remembering to close it!

  • Ashley O. @ The Vegetable Life July 27, 2011, 9:27 am

    Oh I definetly agree with you the shower curtain needs to be closed!!!!!!! My hubby is soooo bad at this! My biggest pet peeve, however, has to be the traditional “he leaves the toilet seat up” debate…. geesh it is just sooo gross!!!!

  • Gina @ Running to the Kitchen July 27, 2011, 9:28 am

    That’s hysterical! We have the same debate in our house, I like the curtain closed, the husband constantly keeps it open. Not because he thinks I like it that way or to “Dry out the shower” but, because he’s scared of who could be hiding behind a closed curtain. Seriously. He’s 31 and scared of someone hiding in our bathroom. It’s almost too funny to get mad at him for.

    • Caitlin July 27, 2011, 9:30 am

      BAWHAHAHHAHAHHAHA

    • Mel July 27, 2011, 9:42 am

      Awww. It’s kind of funny, but kind of legit! I grew up in a shower-curtain-open house because a member of my family had PTSD and did worry about someone being behind the curtain, or behind any corner. (We also had to leave doors all the way open, never partially open for the same reason.)

      But now that I’m a grown up I relish being able to close my shower curtain, leave doors part way open, and not have to fold the towels in thirds. (That last one didn’t have to do with fear or safety. My mom was just a stickler for thirds. But halves are so much easier!)

      • Kelly July 27, 2011, 9:53 am

        Oh, no! You can’t fold towels in half. Thirds are so easy and they look so much better. I love pulling out a towel that’s been folded in thirds so much better than one that’s been halfed. Hahaha. It’s funny how we all have our preferences. My mom folds towels really “loose” and this drives me nuts. I am not even that anal and when I fold towels, they just go “tight”…no loose bits hanging out and everything mostly lined up. Not my Mom. She just always manages a loose towel fold.

        • Mel July 27, 2011, 9:58 am

          But…the towels live in a closed cabinet. So it’s okay if they don’t look pretty. And thirds you have to eyeball. Halves you just put the corners together and you’re set!

          The towels that can be seen are on a tall, narrow stand and they are *rolled.* Fold in half longways and then roll. It’s kind of silly how much I love my rolled towels.

        • Jennie July 27, 2011, 2:35 pm

          I love the towel folding debate! Once, my husband just threw the towels from the dryer into the linen closet! Not folded at all! Just shoved onto shelves! Gross! When my jaw hit the floor upon seeing this, he asked, “what?” all innocently. Um, WHAT? I flipped. His defense…”towels don’t get worn outside for people to see, so it’s ok if they get wrinkly!” QUITE THE FLIMSY DEFENSE! Don’t you think??

          He was immediately banned from the chore of putting away laundry. And it seems too obvious…I think I was set up! He wanted out of that one so he snuck his way out by irritating me! They are not as dumb as we think they are! 😉

          I <3 towels folded in thirds!

    • Lara July 27, 2011, 11:21 am

      I’m 27 and I do the same thing as your husband. Actually, the first thing I do when I go into a bathroom (especially if I’m alone at night) is open the shower curtain to check to make sure no one’s in there…okay, now I’m really embarrassed!

      • Kat July 27, 2011, 12:12 pm

        I do this too, Laura!

        • Kat July 27, 2011, 12:13 pm

          *Lara sorry!

      • Jamie July 27, 2011, 3:07 pm

        And what will you do if someone’s in there? Not only will you scream and run away, but you’ll still have to pee! I’d rather pee first then check… LOL. I run faster on an empty bladder 😉

  • Theodora July 27, 2011, 9:29 am

    Shower. Curtain. Closed. It just looks better. We buy pretty shower curtains for a reason, and that’s not to be all bunched up on the side of the shower! I live alone, but if someone’s visiting and leaves the curtain open, I close it the second I’m back in the bathroom.

  • Clare @ Fitting It All In July 27, 2011, 9:29 am

    I JUST learned about the mold thing and now I always close my shower curtain!

  • Hillary July 27, 2011, 9:30 am

    CLOSED. My boyfriend always leaves it open, and I’m always closing it after him. Oy.

  • Ally July 27, 2011, 9:32 am

    Closed. Without a doubt. Not only to dry it out but after seeing that about the mold, DEFINITELY. Plus, if you’ve got a pretty curtain (which you totally do!) it’s just nicer!) 🙂

  • Laine July 27, 2011, 9:34 am

    Shower curtain closed. And I have 2 toothbrushes and 2 tubes of toothpaste – one set lives on the counter and one set lives in the shower. Then I can brush my teeth in the shower or out, without having to hunt down my utensils.

  • Heather July 27, 2011, 9:34 am

    Shower curtain – closed. At all times. Makes the bathroom look so much cleaner!

  • Leigh July 27, 2011, 9:35 am

    Open, if I go in to a bathroom with one closed I have to open it, there could be someone hiding behind it!

  • Dani July 27, 2011, 9:35 am

    I have the same pet peeve about my boyfriend! He always leaves it open, displaying our 14 half empty bottles of shampoo/conditioner/bodywash/shaving cream/hair mask/exfolating scrub etc etc etc to everyone! And the fact that no one has cleaned the shower… I’ve never mentioned but tonight is the night!

    Next maybe I can get him to put his dirty socks IN the hamper… or dishes IN the dishwasher….trash IN the trashcan- anything IN where it belongs, essentially!

  • Danielle July 27, 2011, 9:35 am

    This is SO funny to me. I could not relate more to a blog post. During our first year of marriage this was a daily, let me repeat, daily conversation. It didn’t become apparent to me that it was so important (to me) to close the shower curtain until I started living with someone who would leave it open. He never understood why I had to have it closed, but he would close it anyway. Mold and bacteria will totally grow in the fold if it’s open!! Great debate!!

  • Amy @ SGTC July 27, 2011, 9:35 am

    Perhaps the most important:

    The shower curtain and the entire bathroom looks prettier when the curtain is closed.

    I however, have ugly shower doors–never pretty. I am currently using the pretty shower curtain as an actual window curtain. 🙂

  • Lizz (leadingthegoodlife) July 27, 2011, 9:37 am

    I’m a closer living with an opener. 🙂

  • Holly July 27, 2011, 9:37 am

    Opened or closed, I LOVE your shower curtain!!!

  • Holly @ The Runny Egg July 27, 2011, 9:37 am

    Thankfully we have a shower door and not a curtain, but I would agree with you: I’d want it closed!

  • Anne Marie July 27, 2011, 9:39 am

    We bypass this whole issue since ours is a glass door 🙂 But I’m with you!!

    • Jen @ Light Enough to Travel July 27, 2011, 5:05 pm

      Same here with the glass door, but we have hard water so we have to squeegee the door all the time so it doesn’t get hard water spots. Husband is more vigilant about this than me, but I try to remember. The one downside to the glass door is that shower products are always exposed. Fortunately, we have found a 2-in-1, bar soap, and shaving cream (one of the non-foaming ones) that we both agree on, so at least we have a super-tidy shower, even when it isn’t spotlessly clean.

  • Johanna July 27, 2011, 9:40 am

    Always closed! My husband mentioned the same reasoning but I just don’t think my bathroom can look clean when it’s left open.

  • Sara July 27, 2011, 9:41 am

    Closed! I don’t need everyone seeing my not-so-clean shower and everything in it.

  • Juani July 27, 2011, 9:42 am

    Most definitely CLOSED!It irritates me to no end when anyone leaves the curtain open.My boyfriend is usually good with closing it after he’s done,but he is very ‘forgetful’ when it comes to things like that (ie.things he doesn’t deem very important).

  • DadHTP July 27, 2011, 9:44 am

    oh god, why am I thinking of Ann Landers and the correct way to hang TP?

  • Khushboo July 27, 2011, 9:45 am

    “Wait, wait!” said the Husband. “For the past five years, I’ve intentionally left the curtain open because I thought you preferred it that way – so the shower can dry out.” Seriously. SERIOUSLY!”—-> haha this really made me smile

    We have a shower slidey door and I always leave it open- whoops!

  • Nikki T July 27, 2011, 9:45 am

    Totally agree on shower curtain closed! Definately way prettier looking and the mold thing is a good reason too!
    My peeve was the toilet seat…put the damn thing down when you’re done!! Luckily, my Husband learned this very quickly 🙂 Plus, now we have a dog that will most definately drink from the toilet if it is left open.

  • Alison July 27, 2011, 9:46 am

    Closed for sure. My husband tends to leave it open. So does my daughter.

  • alli July 27, 2011, 9:46 am

    ….wait….you leave the toothpaste in the shower? meaning you brush your teeth in there?!

    i agree with your curtain mold theory, in fact i remember my 7th grade science teacher telling us that when she once talked about her hubbys dirty college dorm, with moldy curtains. i used to prefer closed but we have such pretty showers that i like them open. we have clear curtains but they have hard water spots so they dont look good closed :/ time for new ones i guess!

    • Erin July 27, 2011, 10:25 am

      I was wondering about the toothpaste too! I feel like brushing your teeth in the shower would be another great debate. That would have to be one of my pet peeves!

  • Angie July 27, 2011, 9:47 am

    I would have totally gone for leaving it open until I read about the mould!
    Thanks for the tip!

  • Ali @ Around the VeggieTable July 27, 2011, 9:47 am

    OMG You LITERALLY just described my biggest (only) pet peeve about my fiance!! He never closes it and it’s gross!! Plus I have to say that I have asked him a thousand times to close it and he still forgets. So every time he takes a shower I go into the bathroom as soon as he walks out and shut it myself. And I make a big huffy puffy noise when I do it so that he knows I’m annoyed lol.

  • Jackie July 27, 2011, 9:47 am

    Closed! We have had this exact same argument! But now he will leave it closed.

  • Mary July 27, 2011, 9:49 am

    My dad feels so strongly about the leaving the shower curtain open to negate mold growth that he used one of those super strong plastic twist ties to secure it closed PERMANENTLY. We have to hold it out of the way and jump in!

    In his defense, we’re pretty forgetful and would leave it open even after multiple requests to close it…

  • Kelly July 27, 2011, 9:50 am

    Definitely closed for no other reason than the mold/smell factor. Although, I have taken to buying washable shower curtains (at Bed, Bath and Beyond). They can still mold if you’re not careful. It’s just a no-brainer to pull it closed. But, bless K’s heart for doing it because he thought you liked it that way. That’s love.

  • erin July 27, 2011, 9:51 am

    closed! and toilet lid must be closed too! it’s designed that way and looks way way way better. and he always leaves his clothes on the chair in the room, never puts them away! omg really, it’s dirty, put it in the hamper. ugh. always. I basically give up on that, and he does laundry.

    • Jen @ Light Enough to Travel July 27, 2011, 5:09 pm

      What I don’t get is when people take pictures of their bathroom (like, to rent the apartment or sell the house) they take the picture with the toilet seat up. How is that attractive?

      • erin July 28, 2011, 8:42 am

        never even occurred to me!!!! i mean don’t people who design toilets try to make it as aesthetically pleasing with the lid down!

  • Katie July 27, 2011, 9:55 am

    I am definitely on the shower curtain closed band wagon. I do like to keep it open slightly for air circulation. But once I get home from work, I make sure it is closed all the way. I think you are completely right about making the bathroom look put together more.

    My husband and I try to make sure we speak our pet peeves to each other. I think it helps to make us both more relaxed because we don’t have all these little things bugging us around the house. I have the shower curtain thing and an obsession with dust bunnies (if I see one, I have to sweep it up immediately). My husband insists that I keep all my magazines organized and the refrigerator clean.

  • Mellissa July 27, 2011, 9:56 am

    Closed. I don’t have a curtain but a door on my shower right now and I have to clean that door a few times a week so it doesn’t look all full of soap scum. Drives me nuts!

  • Sara July 27, 2011, 9:57 am

    We have glass doors on our shower so it doesn’t bother me either way! Haha!

    When we did have a curtain however, I always had to keep it open because I was scared someone was hiding in there to jump out and kill me while I was brushing my teeth or washing my hands! But, if people were coming over, it was always closed very quickly!

  • Maryea @ Happy Healthy Mama July 27, 2011, 9:58 am

    CLOSED.

  • Kristy@RunTheLongRoad July 27, 2011, 10:00 am

    CLOSED! I can’t stand when my husband leaves it open – for the exact same reasons you described above. Glad this irks someone else as well!

  • Laurel (Runaway Laurel) July 27, 2011, 10:01 am

    I am totally with you- closed! Less likely to have mold and it definitely does make it prettier. I do pull it away from both ends just a little so I don’t create a curtain/wall seal and create another mold problem. So glad you got your pet peeve out in the open!

  • Trista July 27, 2011, 10:01 am

    Open, just because I’m paranoid about people hiding in there! I know it’s ridiculous, but I can’t help it!

  • Amanda July 27, 2011, 10:05 am

    Close it! My Fiance and I have debated this before. It’s right up there with the toilet paper debate. The flap should come over the top of the roll, not under it 🙂

  • amanda July 27, 2011, 10:07 am

    Ohmigosh CLOSED! That’s one of my biggest pet peeves too. I’m glad I’m not the only one!

  • Marci July 27, 2011, 10:07 am

    We have a glass door and keep that closed. But I used to have a curtain and it was always open for fear of what lurks behind it! I lived alone, was scared of the shower!

  • Charlie July 27, 2011, 10:09 am

    I leave it open because I think it looks better. But my extra-small bathroom might be to blame… I think I’d be in the curtain when I’m washing my hands :P.
    Never thought about the mold, though.

  • Lindsey July 27, 2011, 10:10 am

    Too funny! My hubby leaves it open too and I am constantly closing it for the same reason as you. But its a every good point on the mold!

  • Dana July 27, 2011, 10:11 am

    Definitely closed… I completely agree with all of your reasons. It makes the bathroom looks so much nicer and put together. My boyfriend always leaves it open and it drives me crazy!!! After reading this I guess it would be best if I confronted him about it haha. Thanks for posting this Im glad im not alone haha

  • Nicole July 27, 2011, 10:12 am

    I leave the curtain slightly open because I read about the mold issue. However, I prefer it closed. I probably close the curtion when I’m finished getting ready or the next time I’m in the bathroom.

  • Melissa July 27, 2011, 10:13 am

    aahhh!! I JUST moved in with my boyfriend at the start of July and that was the first major pet peeve I found – he wouldn’t close the shower curtain!! He looked at like I had 9 heads when I told him it bothered me. He still forgets to close it on some days, but then apologizes when he hears me close it. He’ll get there one of these days… 🙂

  • Sara @ OurDogBuffy July 27, 2011, 10:14 am

    I leave the shower curtain open–not sure why. When I lived with my parents we always closed it. We have sliding doors in our main shower and my husband always leaves them open and often leaves the bath mat on the floor too. It drives me nuts!

  • Ash @ Good Taste Healthy Me July 27, 2011, 10:21 am

    I am 100% on the shower curtain closed train. It looks sooo much better closed!

  • Sarah @ The Strength of Faith July 27, 2011, 10:24 am

    Open all the way! Although my husband never leaves it open!

    Where did you get your shower curtain? It’s pretty!

  • Leigh July 27, 2011, 10:26 am

    We don’t have any shower curtains in our new house, but the first place we lived together, my now husband never shut the curtain and it drove me absolutely bonkers! That and leaving the cupboard or closet door open after he went in there to get something. I still bug him about that one 🙂

  • Michelle@Crazy*Running*Legs July 27, 2011, 10:30 am

    OK that’s FUNNY! Men and women are just SO different 🙂

    When we had a shower curtain (we now have a glass shower that’s a bitch to clean) I would keep it closed. It DOES annoy me when my hubby leaves the glass door open!

  • kelly July 27, 2011, 10:35 am

    hahaha, my girlfriends and I had this discussion about our husbands before.. they ALL leave the shower curtain open! I hate it! I want to see my pretty curtain that I bought (that looks a lot like yours actually 🙂 ), not the dingy needs-to-be-cleaned shower behind it! 🙂

  • Samantha July 27, 2011, 10:36 am

    That is SUCH a pet peeve of mine!!! I HATE it when people leave the shower curtain closed, and if a shower has sliding doors, it still bothers me if people leave it open. I just think it looks better when it’s closed, and I had the same thoughts about the mildew of a curtain. Always let it air out!!

    Glad I’m not the only one with this pet peeve 🙂 It also really bothers me when boys leave the toilet seat up. But I think I got that pet peeve from my mom. ha

  • Natasha July 27, 2011, 10:38 am

    I like it closed and I’m always closing it after my husband. My mom argues with me that it’s supposed to be left open as well.Closed, closed, closed!! I do it for the same reasons you do 🙂

  • Kelley @ Just Call Me Jack July 27, 2011, 10:38 am

    Shower curtain closed. No issues with the roommate on this one because she’s my sister and we both grew up living in a house where the shower curtains were always closed…

  • Kathryn July 27, 2011, 10:44 am

    Closed!!! Mildew and mold is not fun.
    Funny you mention the toothpaste in the shower pet peeve…my BF does the same thing and I just started brushing my teeth in the shower. Problem solved!

  • Lee July 27, 2011, 10:44 am

    My shower has a door so it’s sort of a moot point. I have an issue leaving things open (cabinets, jars of peanut butter) which drives my husband nuts.

  • Annika July 27, 2011, 10:45 am

    Definitely closed! One of the few things my hubby and I agree on!

  • SarahC July 27, 2011, 10:47 am

    ohmygosh closed! My boyfriend always leaves it open, too, but I don’t think it’s for any particular reason other than “what, I stepped out of the shower and so the curtain is open.” I guess I can’t complain too much. He has never been one to leave the toilet seat up. I can deal with closing the curtain myself, but not with falling into the toilet!

    There was one funny habit of his I had to put a stop to when we moved in together. Like most guys, he is incapable of wearing pants in the house. So, he had a habit of walking in the door, dropping his pants, and stepping out of them. And then just … walking away. We had a permanent pile of pants crumpled by the door with little leg holes exposed like the person wearing them just vanished. After much pleading, he graduated to folding them over the arm of the couch, and now he puts them on top of the dresser. I estimate another year before he starts actually putting them in the closet! 🙂

  • Joyce @ Jranola Joyce July 27, 2011, 10:48 am

    Closed shower curtain!
    For all the reasons you listed!
    That is so funny about your husband haha 🙂

  • Carrie July 27, 2011, 10:51 am

    We both leave it open. If I go into a bathroom with it closed, I look behind it to make sure no one is hiding there. No really, I do.

    My annoyance with him in regards to the shower is that when he is done with the shower, he turns the faucet off, but doesn’t push down the knob thing that gets the shower going. So when I go to start my shower, if I don’t pay attention, I end up getting hit in the face with water.

  • Kristie July 27, 2011, 10:52 am

    Definitely a closed shower curtain! My hubby didn’t used to do this but he’s pretty good at it now. There is a trifecta of things he will mess up in the bathroom occasionally that I can’t stand: open shower curtain, open toilet seat, and shower lever still up (which means when I turn the water on for a shower it comes out the shower head instead of the faucet and I realllllly don’t like that!). Only happens once a month or so though so I forgive him ;).

  • Chelsea July 27, 2011, 10:54 am

    Ha my boy-friend likes them closed and I always accidentally leave them open. It doesn’t really matter either way to me though 🙂

  • Taylor @ Crumbs Don't Count July 27, 2011, 10:57 am

    I live with my boyfriend, and he says I say “pet peeve” so much that it must be my favorite word. Some of mine:

    1. Laundry all overthe living room

    2. Taking out a million disposable razors in the shower/on the sink

    3. Leaving lights/fans on…especially when you leave the house.

  • Callie July 27, 2011, 10:59 am

    So funny how your husband wanted to “dry out the shower”… haha.
    I agree with your reasoning and leave it closed.

  • Nic Dempsey July 27, 2011, 10:59 am

    Glass door so I don’t think about it. I think I was an open although reading through this, I can’t think why as closed makes more sense. Thing that really gets me, though, is the inability of people to wipe the water off the shower glass. I live in a hard water area and it’s a complete nightmare to clean if the water has dried on. Why do they think that window cleaner thingie lives in the shower? That and leaving the toilet seat up!!

  • michelle July 27, 2011, 11:01 am

    closed please!!!!

    last year a new roommate kept leaving it open and i actually asked her to close it after a shower to let it dry and because mold was starting to grow. so she would open it, but put it on the OTHER SIDE of the tub, the outside! so all the water was dripping down onto the floor not in the tub. sometimes i wonder about the common sense of people. so now, she leaves it closed, and i open it every morning. except she now showers 3x a day.

    • KatieTX July 27, 2011, 1:44 pm

      I think we have identical roommates…she was a major cause of stress in my life because of her continuous lack of common sense

  • Heather July 27, 2011, 11:02 am

    we always keep it pulled close for the same reasons. moldy shower curtains are yuck! plus my curtain is pretty and I want people to see it!

  • Erin @ Naturally Addicted July 27, 2011, 11:04 am

    I love this post! I definitely agree that closed is the best…open just look so untidy!

  • Jamie July 27, 2011, 11:04 am

    I tink I’d say Open…. But I really don’t care. Ours have glass doors. I usually leave one open after I get out but whenever I clean the bathroom I usually shut it. Nobody else uses this bathroom anyway.

  • David July 27, 2011, 11:05 am

    Mold grows best in dark, humid environments, so closing the shower curtain immediately encourages it to grow. Whether that’s more important to you than the aesthetics of your bathroom is really up to the individual.

    You can cut this down by using an after bath spray (with something that’s specifically designed to kill mold) and by running a shower fan during and after the shower, but we typically leave the shower open while we’re getting ready in the morning (and take both the liner and the curtain out of the shower, to reduce the number of hidden places where water can hide) and then close it right before we leave.

  • Melissa @ TryingToHeal July 27, 2011, 11:09 am

    Always open to let the curtain dry out and not grow mold! i’m still trying to get whit to remember that! he always leaves it open, arg!

  • Nicole July 27, 2011, 11:12 am

    It doesnt bother me either way, unless we have people over, then it has to be closed. My husband and I use different showers, and I am pretty sure I leave mine open and he usually closes his. Whenever I am home alone I check behind the curtain as I have this weird phobia of someone hiding behind there.

  • Eva July 27, 2011, 11:13 am

    Open for sure! How the hell else do you know if there’s a killer behind it?!?! Rookie error.

    • megan July 27, 2011, 11:22 am

      LOL! i think that might be part of my motivation too!

  • Alison (Fueling for Fitness) July 27, 2011, 11:13 am

    Oh my gosh, CLOSED ALL THE WAY! For all the reasons you listed. 🙂

  • Kari @ human, MD July 27, 2011, 11:14 am

    Closed, definitely. But I have a system. When I get out of the shower, I leave it open (and leave the fan on in the bathroom. Then I go do my whole getting ready thing, leaving the fan on and curtain open. When I go back in the bathroom, I spray the shower and curtain down with Tilex, close the curtain, and turn the fan off. The end. Seems to work well.

  • Beth July 27, 2011, 11:18 am

    Toothpaste in the shower??!!

  • megan July 27, 2011, 11:21 am

    I’m pretty sure I always leave the shower curtain open and now I feel terrible about it and hope it wasn’t an unspoken pet peeve of any of my former (or current!) roomies!!

  • Courtney July 27, 2011, 11:23 am

    I don’t care whether it’s open or closed, but my husband always opens it to the wrong side of the shower, and that irks me to no end. He pulls it open to the right side, where the knobs and faucet are, and everyone knows you are supposed to open the shower curtain away from the knobs and faucet. Sheesh!

    • CaitlinHTP July 27, 2011, 11:26 am

      Hate that. I agree.

      • Camilla July 27, 2011, 2:08 pm

        OMG. That drives me crazy too!!

  • chelsey @ clean eating chelsey July 27, 2011, 11:27 am

    CLOSED!! I hate seeing the shower when I walk into my bathroom. And although I have very loudly told the Husband exactly what my pet peeves are, it doesn’t help my case… ever. 🙂

  • Cindy July 27, 2011, 11:29 am

    I’d rather it be kept closed, but in Scotland it is frequently so damp we keep it open to let the shower dry and reduce mildew. We also wash the curtain in mega-hot water frequently.

  • Jasmine @ Eat Move Write July 27, 2011, 11:30 am

    Closed. I went to Indiana (visiting my fam) for a month in June and left my husband here. While I was there, he left the shower curtain open every day. When I came back, there was mold all over the inner liner (in the bunched up folds). It’s not healthy to bunch up the shower curtain every day! 🙂

  • AndreaClaire July 27, 2011, 11:32 am

    Definitely closed because I have a cute curtain with adorable rubber duckies all over it and who’s going to see it if I leave it open? (I also have a floating rubber ducky sink plug for my bath. Apparently I revert to a five year old when picking my bathroom decorations.)

    Also, I have a friend who also brushes his teeth in the shower but I just can’t get over the idea of using hot water to brush my teeth. It has to be cold.

  • Lauren July 27, 2011, 11:33 am

    That’s such a cute story of your husband! When I was living with 7 other girls in college I was the only one to leave the curtain closed, apparently, because I heard one of my other roommates loudly complaining to the others one day, “Who is it that keeps leaving the freaking shower curtain closed?! I can never tell if someone is in there when it’s closed!” Needless to say, I was embarrassed and stopped, (these girls weren’t the type you’d want to be friends with) but the logic that the only reason you couldn’t tell if someone was in the shower was if the curtain was closed never really made sense to me . . . haha.

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) July 27, 2011, 11:34 am

    What a funny story!! I prefer it closed as well.

  • Sarah for Real July 27, 2011, 11:40 am

    We use a fabric shower curtain liner instead of plastic (healthier for you, your budget and the environment!) so open or closed, I still feel like it dries just fine.

    If there are guests, we close it for sure. Other than that, we open or close based on if the window in there is open.

    Oh, and my husband and I have our own toothpaste for the exact reason you mentioned. Mine is Tom’s of Maine, kept in the medicine cabinet. His is Crest, kept in the shower. Problem solved!

  • chloe @ 321delish July 27, 2011, 11:40 am

    every time I see those sesame covered cashews I WANT THEM! they look so delicious!

  • Anna Crouch July 27, 2011, 11:44 am

    HAHAHA when my husband and I got married, someone gave us this exact advice. They told us the story of their first 3 years of marriage….everytime the wife went grocery shopping, she always bought pepsi, even though she much prefered coke, because her husband liked pepsi better and they could only afford one case of soda per grocery trip. In reality, the husband hated pepsi and much prefered coke, but when he went grocery shopping, he always bought pepsi because he thought that was what his wife prefered and he wanted her to have the soda she liked, because they could only afford one.3 years later they went to a friend’s BBQ and after filling up their plates, the hostess asked if they would like some soda. The wife said “Sure, I’ll take a coke and Dan will have a Pepsi.” He quickly responded with “Eww, no, I won’t a coke!” Then they proceeded to discover that neither of them actually liked Pepsi, but had been buying it all these years, because they assumed the other prefered it. lol

    I also keep my shower curtain closed. I didn’t really have a preference before my husband and I got married. But one of his pet peeves is leaving the shower curtain open (he also swears that it keeps bacteria in and causes molding), so now it’s a habit to keep it closed.

    • CaitlinHTP July 27, 2011, 11:55 am

      That is the cutest story!

  • Melissa July 27, 2011, 11:45 am

    Definitely closed, I never tell my bf because things like that don’t phase him. To me its like making the bed, it changes the whole appearance of the room!

  • Emily @ Comfortable Home Life July 27, 2011, 11:55 am

    ALWAYS closed, for all the reasons you listed! Not even a debate. I love your shower curtain though, where did you get it?

    • Emily @ Comfortable Home Life July 27, 2011, 11:56 am

      I just scrolled up and read you got it at Target. Target is such a money pit! I may have to make a trip after work today..

  • Julie (A Case of the Runs) July 27, 2011, 12:01 pm

    My opinion is OPEN… for the same reason as the snippet above… it could get moldy!

  • Cristina July 27, 2011, 12:01 pm

    Closed! Even if your shower is pretty clean, a few strands of hair can make it seem dirty.

    We have shower doors in our current apartment, which we leave open (since they’re clear anyway). We squeegie the doors and walls after the showering to prevent water spots and mildew.

  • Rika July 27, 2011, 12:02 pm

    Theoretically, I know it should be closed because I saw what happened to the curtain after a year of it being closed after someone showered.. but I forget after I shower!

  • hippierunner July 27, 2011, 12:33 pm

    My shower has a glass door not curtain so I don’t know what I’d do. But I can’t believe you guys never once mentioned it to each other! Speak up lol.

  • laura July 27, 2011, 12:36 pm

    Shower curtainbneeds to stay closed! I’d rather walk into a bathroom seeing a pretty curtain over a shower anyday.

  • Amber K July 27, 2011, 12:37 pm

    Definitely closed and both my husband and I prefer it that way. Although one of his relatives told us something once and I definitely agree.

    “A happy marriage means separate bathrooms.”

    I don’t necessarily care how many rooms the houses we’re looking at have, but they HAVE to have at least 1.5-2 bathrooms. We’ve done the sharing a bathroom thing. NOT HAPPENING AGAIN!

  • Mariel July 27, 2011, 12:43 pm

    Hahaha! I just came home to find that my boyfriend left the shower curtain open again too! Too funny!

  • Aja July 27, 2011, 12:44 pm

    We have a stupid shower door instead of a curtain. When I was on vacation and the shower there had a curtain I left it open because I thought that was what you do. But I like closing it a lot better. Mold is gross and it looks better closed. That’s probably why they sell ones with patterns on them.

  • Katie @ Legally Fit July 27, 2011, 12:44 pm

    For me, the shower curtain has to be closed. I’m also a weirdo and insist that my husband enter on the side farthest from the shower head and exit from the side closest to it- it’s the proper way to get into and out of the shower!

  • Taylor July 27, 2011, 12:45 pm

    HAHA this post made me so happy! My boyfriend and I live together and he does the exact same thing! haha he’ll shower and leave it open, and I go in a couple minutes after he leaves to close it! It looks so much better! pretty bathroom btw!

  • Jen July 27, 2011, 12:45 pm

    I totally think it should “closed”- I hate the mildew build up plus the tub is not always clean! My husband on the other hand just doesn’t care. I’ve mentioned my preference, and he does try to remember but honestly I usely find myself pulling it closed after he’s done…

  • Kate (What Kate is Cooking) July 27, 2011, 12:47 pm

    Haha, my mom always told me that mold would grow if I left it open! I always close it, but I thought she was just being fussy 🙂

  • Sonia (the Mexigarian) July 27, 2011, 12:51 pm

    Oh sweet goddess that is one of my biggest pet peeves with my husband! No matter what I do, he leaves the shower curtain closed! Irritates me to no end. I have tried explaining it to him that the reason we’re buying a new inner liner every 6 months is because of the damn mold on the curtain from being scrunched up. He doesn’t like leaving it open because our cat Chloe thinks the curtain is a toy and loves to climb it when its open. She plays in it whether its open or closed so his point is moot.

    Then again, I drive him more nuts than he does me, with my little quirks. lol.

  • megan July 27, 2011, 12:52 pm

    I like it open, so I can be sure that there aren’t any serial killers or zombies hiding in it. Seriously.

    • Sonia (the Mexigarian) July 27, 2011, 12:55 pm

      hahaha. I used to be that way about my closets. that and the china doll story scared the crap out of me.

  • Sonia (the Mexigarian) July 27, 2011, 12:53 pm

    whoops, i switched up my open and closed thing. I like the curtain covering the shower sooo, shower closed? and he likes it scrunched up so, shower open? ^_^

  • Hilliary @ Happily Ever Healthy July 27, 2011, 12:55 pm

    I love the shower curtain debate! I love the way the bathroom looks when the shower curtain is opened! It just looks nicer! I also think if you are going to spend the money on a nice decorative shower curtain that it should stay open as much as possible!

  • Lyndsey July 27, 2011, 1:02 pm

    I like it open. I am a scaredy cat. If it’s closed, I wouldn’t see the rapist/robber hiding inside!! Ridiculous, but truely how I feel. I think it’s similar to sleeping on the side of the bed that is furthest from the door..so the boyf can endure scary strangers first hahaha

  • ashley @ cooking for john July 27, 2011, 1:10 pm

    hahaha, i am the exact same way! the first thing i do when i enter the bathroom is “snap the curtain shut” if he has left it open. it just looks better!

  • Steph @ Running in the Kitchen July 27, 2011, 1:14 pm

    Closed for sure! I didn’t spend $$$ at esty on a handmade shower curtain for nothing!!!!

  • Jackie @ That Deep Breath July 27, 2011, 1:17 pm

    I have doors on my shower, but if I had a curtain I would probably leave it open because I would always think someone was hiding behind it if it was closed…I’m weird like that!

  • Tricia July 27, 2011, 1:17 pm

    Closed! And my husband used to do the same thing. Now we have a door that closes though – yay.

  • Paige @ Running Around Normal July 27, 2011, 1:19 pm

    shower curtain=closed
    And THEN – shower cleaning spray needs to be spritzed on the curtain!

  • Katie @ peacebeme July 27, 2011, 1:21 pm

    Honestly never even thought about this before!

  • Erin @ Big Girl Feats July 27, 2011, 1:23 pm

    I leave after my boyfriend does for work so I get the liberty of having the house however I want it. I agree on the closed curtain – mainly because a) it’s a pretty pattern that I want to see and b) our cat was born outside a coal power plant (my Dude rescued her when she was teeny) so she’s slightly special needs, and will sit in the bathtub licking the faucet head. It’s hilarious but gross and slightly sad for her. So I keep it shut. She and Maggie could be friends 😉

  • Flo July 27, 2011, 1:35 pm

    I don’t have a shower curtain, but if I did I would most certainly leave it open for fear of finding some crazy ass hiding behind it!!!!!!!

  • Jess July 27, 2011, 1:40 pm

    Curtain closed-always. Luckily my live-in sweetie and I agree on this 🙂

  • Lauren Zietsman July 27, 2011, 1:47 pm

    Oh my gosh…CLOSED! This is one of my big pet peeves, and I’m a little crazy because I like how it looks open better, but for at least two hours after a shower it needs to be closed so mildew doesn’t grow (especially since we have a cloth liner!). But then I tie it back with a ribbon. Yeah, I’m weird, but our bathroom is too small to have it closed all the time.

  • Abby @ Abz 'n' Oats July 27, 2011, 1:51 pm

    Shower curtain closed all the way! The manfriend and I used to go rounds about this! lol. I have snapped it shut far too many times!

  • Wendy July 27, 2011, 1:53 pm

    I shower at night, open the curtain and leave it open so the shower can dry, and hang my towel over the rod to dry. Then, in the morning, I hang my dry towel on the towel rod and close the curtain so the curtain can dry (and for the other reasons you mention :)). My husband lives 2.5 hours away and is only here once a month or so to mess up my system, so I just try to deal with it. And my kids are still short to close the curtain. 🙂

  • Katherine July 27, 2011, 1:54 pm

    Closed! It bothers me when its opened! I still prefer glass doors though.

  • Paula @ Eat: Watch: Run July 27, 2011, 1:59 pm

    Closed! My husband does not agree and that is why we have seperate bathrooms.

  • Rachel July 27, 2011, 2:01 pm

    I’ve actually been wondering what to do to prevent mold on shower curtains! I grew up with a shower door and no curtains, so this is a recent problem for me.

    I have to say, though, that you should ALWAYS lock your top locks. One time I got locked out of my house and I was able to pick the bottom lock of my house door with only a bobby pin. I think I was 13 when I did that. Don’t think you are exempt from burglars if you live in a nice place either. My sister lives in a nice, safe and wealthy neighborhood and has been held up at gunpoint and had her garage broken into and her car trashed! Meanwhile, I’ve lived in some sketchy neighborhoods, but have had no problems. Just goes to show you can’t rely on living in a safe area.

  • Marissa C July 27, 2011, 2:03 pm

    I don’t care…as long as he doesn’t pull another Psycho on me! He stuck his face in the shower while I was rinsing out my hair with my eyes closed and I FREAKED when I opened my eyes and almost hurt myself slipping. He’s promised never to do it again, but now I cant bring myself to take a shower while he’s not home, because I’m afraid he will come home, I wont hear him, and he’ll REALLY freak me out again.

  • Britt July 27, 2011, 2:07 pm

    I have a shower door. I have to have it closed when I’m done. It’s all part of my after shower clean up. It feels so much better to have my towels hung up, all water wiped clean, sink tidied up and SHOWER DOOR CLOSED 🙂

    I live with my dog…my only pet peeve is he leaves his doggy bones everywhere and I trip over them 🙂 Gotta love him!

  • Camilla July 27, 2011, 2:11 pm

    Always closed! And, then you HAVE to hang up the bath mat, clean up all the hair and make sure the floor is clean w/o any water on it. Oh gosh, I am so freaking annoying. 🙂

  • Sam @ Mom At The Barre July 27, 2011, 2:17 pm

    Shower curtain needs to be closed.

    However a bigger pet peeve of mine is when my husband places his dirty dishes on top of the dishwasher. Um, hello? With just the tiniest bit more effort you could put them INSIDE the dishwasher? Apparently not. The rational is that he may want a second helping and does not want to dirty another plate. :/

  • Rachel July 27, 2011, 2:22 pm

    I’m with you on leaving it closed. I have the same reasons as you–that I think it looks nicer and I figured it would help it dry. I’m not sure if it’s a pet peeve of mine, though. I loved the people’s responses where they worried about someone hiding in their closed shower! When I was younger, my friend was terrified of the same thing, so I use to hide in the shower and jump out at her (maybe that’s where she developed the fear!).

  • Melissa @ Be Not Simply Good July 27, 2011, 2:22 pm

    I close the shower curtain for all the reasons you stated. Good thing you two talked about it. 🙂

    A friend of mine actually takes a clothespin and secures it in a circle, wet side out, to let it dry.

  • Amanda July 27, 2011, 2:40 pm

    Oh the shower curtain is always closed! My sister and I are insane about it at our parents house if they are having a party. My mom leaves all sorts of stuff around the bathroom so we just stash them in the tub and pull the curtain! At my house its closed all the time. I even have a window on the other side, but I don’t care, it should be closed, or at least 1/2 closed. I have a neat clawfoot tub which is sometimes nice to see.

    My pet peeve about my BF is he’ll leave his coffee mugs all over with about 2-3 more sips in them, one time we were leaving and I had on brand new boots and knocked it all over me! I was livid and never let him live it down. Every time I see one of his mugs either in the bathroom (weird I know) or around the house I say “there you go again leaving coffee for me to spill!”

  • Allie July 27, 2011, 3:05 pm

    You and I would get along great! I agree with you 100% on this one, just like the rewearing exercise clothes debate. Shower curtain must always stay closed, it drives me nuts when people don’t get that!

  • Britt July 27, 2011, 3:47 pm

    Ok first of all that shower curtain is GORG, and you must tell me where it came from!

    I’m team closed curtain, all the way. Although I will say, I occasionally check for hidden creepers when I am home alone.

    Another thing that drives me nuts, my boyfriend hangs his towels on the doors and over the shower rod. WE HAVE SHOWER HOOKS FOR A REASON.

  • Allison @ Happy Tales July 27, 2011, 3:49 pm

    bahhhahaha i love the comments on this post!!!! Shower curtain closed is a MUST for me!

  • Stephanie C July 27, 2011, 4:12 pm

    Luckily, we don’t have a shower curtain! However, sometimes I’ll ask my husband to leave the shower door OPEN.. because it airs out the shower stall. I was told the opposite though.. that leaving it open is better for the shower area as a whole because it won’t grow mold?
    Looking back on my teenage years, I think I always left the curtain open after showering .. and then my mom would close it without even saying anything 😉

  • Maria@La_Piattini July 27, 2011, 5:11 pm

    I’m on your side girl! I hate when my fiance leaves it open- it just looks so much prettier when it’s closed!

  • Sarah July 27, 2011, 5:19 pm

    We have a shower room, so there’s a door and it doesn’t get shut after showers so that the room dries out. I think I’d prefer a shower curtain open though because I’m always afraid they’re will be loads of creepy crawlies behind it. Or in case some psycho’s gotten in there. Ridiculous, I know. 😀

    Honestly, the thing that kinda shocked me most about this post is the fact that you wash your teeth in the shower?! Ewww! I’m sorry, but … eww! LOL.

  • Molly July 27, 2011, 5:37 pm

    It’s hilarious that the mold in the shower curtain bothers you but you rewear workout clothes- mold galore! haha.

  • Ashleigh July 27, 2011, 6:21 pm

    I know it’s probably stupid but I always leave my curtain open because I have an irrational fear that if I go in there and the curtain isn’t open, there will be a killer hiding behind the curtain.

  • Angela July 27, 2011, 6:29 pm

    Ha! So glad other people worry about monsters and serial killers in the shower as well. I used to check every single time when we had a curtain when I was little. Thankfully I now have glass doors!

  • Ali July 27, 2011, 7:18 pm

    OPEN!!! Ever since I watched the movie The Shining..the part where there’s a dead woman in the tub, I have to leave it open. You never know what could be hiding behind it!

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin July 27, 2011, 8:22 pm

    I’ve always left it open to let the shower air out. I’m living with a new roommate starting in September though so I’ll have to ask her what she thinks so that I don’t tick her off haha. 😛

  • Kristen @ The Concrete Runner July 27, 2011, 8:36 pm

    Hahaha! I was just thinking about how I HATE when my husband does that! Our shower in the master bath has a glass door (no tub), so that’s not really an issue. But our guest bathroom has a beautiful shower curtain that I love! It wouldn’t even be an issue but my husband takes baths and soaks his feet in the tub, leaving the shower curtain WIDE OPEN when he’s done. I mean, he’s not even showering, so it’s not like the curtain is going to get moldy, but it’s just so much prettier closed!

  • Brittnie July 27, 2011, 10:00 pm

    CLOSED for sure!!! Funny b/c this is a big pet peeve of mine also 🙂 Why would you want your guests coming over to see a dirty shower???

  • Amy @ Amy Starts To Run July 27, 2011, 11:31 pm

    This post is HYSTERICAL. So much so that I read it to my husband when he came home.

    I definitely prefer the curtain to be closed, but I didn’t grow up that way. In my family, we had one full bath for 5 people to get ready in and closing the shower curtain wasn’t high on the list. Mold did grow, and it was gross! We also never had a decorative cloth front curtain, which I strangely envied at other people’s houses.

    Now that I’m a bone fide adult, I have the decorative shower curtain, which always stays closed!

  • Sam July 28, 2011, 8:37 am

    Haha! My boyfriend is ALL about closing the shower curtain. I never understood why it made him so ticked off because I had no idea WHY he always said that! Then he told me about the bacteria and I was like “oooh”. I never thought of that! Durr.
    I am only 20 and yeah we’ve lived together for one & a half years. I don’t know all of these things! I’m definitely much better at it now so we have a closed shower curtain policy. I think the method you posted is probably the best one though.

  • Sarah July 28, 2011, 10:42 am

    We’re a closed curtain house, for sure!! The biggest debate we’ve had over the 5 years we’ve lived together is which way the toilet paper should face!! My husband likes the TP to come over the top of the roll, and I think it makes more sense coming off the bottom. It’s gotten to the point that I just refuse to put the roll on the holder! 😉

  • Julie S. July 28, 2011, 3:23 pm

    Oh, I couldn’t agree w/ you more on the shower curtain! I would have listed the exact same reasons for my preference. And yes, I have to go in behind the boyfriend & close it EVERY time, & yes, it annoys the crap outta me. 🙂 But no, I’ve never said anything (but maybe I should!)… ‘cuz it’s not a big deal to close it. I pick my battles… 🙂

  • Shayla @ The Good Life July 28, 2011, 8:21 pm

    Haha love this! Definitely agree with you, curtain closed for sure!
    And my pet peeve is my hubby leaving dishes in the sink when the dishwasher is right there?! And leaving boxers and socks all over the bedroom…I think men have aversions to putting socks/boxers in the hamper and dishes in the dishwasher! 😉

  • Lacey @ Lake Life July 29, 2011, 6:47 pm

    I have a specific set of steps: 1: Spray shower walls and curtain with Method After-Shower spray 2: Make sure the bathroom fan is still on 3: Leave the shower curtain open while getting ready for the day 4: Close the shower curtain, turn off the fan and leave the bathroom door open before leaving the house.

    • Rachel Humphrey December 18, 2013, 12:53 pm

      this would work great for me, If I didn’t live in a house full of people who can’t do anything for themselves. I would end up having to go in after each one of them every day and open and close the shower curtains. I would spend all day in there…lol

  • Krista July 31, 2011, 10:24 am

    I’ve always closed the shower curtain….for all the same reasons you listed!

  • Naomi August 1, 2011, 6:22 pm

    Closed, but I use my own shower, but I know my husband also learned to close his afterwards. I also noticed that you have a plastic liner! What is up with that?! I find that hard to believe because I was reading, “green your period!” I like the washable shower curtains much better! I highly recommend!

  • Katelyn October 27, 2013, 8:59 am

    All these spoiled DH’s make me laugh! Mine found out the hard way, early on in our marriage, that what is left on the floor is swept into the dustbin. Period. Socks, t-shirts, Jeans…did NOT matter to me, lol.
    He got mad. He got over it. He bought new stuff. He kept it off the floor.
    One day while in a mad dash to get ready for work, he came to me and said (in a very mean voice) “I can’t find any clean socks to wear! Why didn’t you do the laundry? What’s the matter with you?”
    I raised my brows, but not my voice (as he had) and said “I did not marry you to become your maid nor your laundress. I am not your mother. I did your laundry as a kindness to you, but you are unkind to me about it. I will not do your laundry again.” And I haven’t.
    He got mad. He let his laundry basket overflow. What fell on the floor went into the dustbin.
    He got the idea. He got over it. We never spoke of it again. He does his own laundry before it
    overflows.
    Now we are moving soon to a house that has SHOWER DOORS! DH likes shower doors. I don’t like shower doors. If we keep the shower doors, guess who will clean them? If he does not clean them, guess who will remove them?

  • Rachel Humphrey December 18, 2013, 12:50 pm

    We leave it closed but I regret it every day. I have never had a problem with mold but we have ever since we’ve been together. I think this question depends on where you live and how humid it is. When we live in NY, it wasn’t very humid. Especially winter when it’s dryer naturally. But here in Va. it’s humid more often than not. Not like Fl. My husband won the debate early on and we close it because he says it drys the shower curtain out and prevents mold but in my opinion it molds the shower it’s self by trapping in the wet. Like I said mold has never been a problem for me until we debated it…lol So it leads me to believe at least here in Va. closing the shower curtain causes mold on the shower walls.

  • Colleen February 28, 2014, 11:25 am

    CLOSED! I actually found this site when I googled “how to close a shower curtain”. I have decided that I no longer have a choice but to put up detailed instructions on how to do this. Yes it has come to this. I was hoping that I was not the only one with this problem and that I could find ready made instructions..haha. I seriously do not ask for much, but THIS is ONE thing that drives me bonkers EVERY single day there is someone in my house of 4 (NOT ME) that has a shower and leaves it open. WHY????????

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