More so than other rooms in the house, blinds are essential in the bathroom. Whereas curtains are a viable and aesthetically pleasing option for a lounge or kitchen, the practicality of blinds make them the first choice for most people decorating their bathroom. The reasons for this are innumerable; they’re easy-to-use and they won’t dangle in the bath being just two!

However, the bathroom is a unique environment in the home and that means you need to pick the right blinds to deal with such a situation. Bathrooms are, to put it frankly, wet; showers and hot baths give off steam, whilst wet hands are inevitable meaning that bathroom blinds are particularly susceptible to water damage, whilst the heat of a bathroom can also affect blinds.

When choosing blinds for your bathroom, always remember to consider the environmental factors. Your blinds will be exposed to heat and moisture, meaning that mould and mildew is almost inevitable. There are a couple of ways to combat this. The first is to buy special waterproof blinds. Generally made of PVC, these blinds are resistant to water marks and are incredibly easy to clean. There are more expensive than regular blinds, but should definitely be your first consideration.

If you don’t want to splash out on water resistant blinds, then opt for lighter fabric roller blinds. Heavy fabric should be avoided, as should any particularly elaborate designs; they catch mildew easily which doesn’t look great and doesn’t smell too good either. This damage can often be permanent too. Lighter roller blinds are easier to clean and should do the job nicely, provided you regularly maintain them.

Wooden blinds are always popular, especially with people looking to evoke that rustic feel in their home. The rule of thumb with wooden blinds in the bathroom is quite simple – don’t! Wood and water do not make good bedfellows, and installing wooden blinds into your bathroom is the easiest way to end up with warped blinds! If you want that rustic look in your bathroom, choose wooden look blinds; they will last longer and won’t end up ruined within a month.

It’s tempting to go for blackout blinds for your bathroom, especially as you spend a great deal of time without clothes on and some frosted windows, whilst useful, aren’t as great at maintaining privacy as they should be!

However, blackout blinds do what they say – they black out light. If you want natural light in your bathroom (and most people favour light, airy bathrooms) then avoid these. You can get one-way blinds which mean you can see out but no-one can see in, but in general, a regular blind will work just fine.

As previously alluded to, the best style of blind to go for in a bathroom is a roller blind. They are much less susceptible to water damage and mould than venetian style blinds and vertical blinds, and provided you clean them quite regularly, should last you a while. They also come in a vast array of colours and designs so matching to the overall look of your bathroom is relatively easy.

A lot of choosing blinds, like any aspect of home decoration, is down to personal preferences and design ideas. However, do remember to keep these practical considerations in mind – those gorgeous wooden venetians won’t look so great after six months of solid bathroom use!

Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of Better Blinds, retailers specialising in blinds from brands such as VELUX

Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of http://www.newblinds.co.uk/content/home/ Better Blinds, retailers specialising in blinds from brands such as http://www.newblinds.co.uk/content/velux_blinds/ VELUX

Author Bio: Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of Better Blinds, retailers specialising in blinds from brands such as VELUX

Category: Home Management
Keywords: blinds, bathroom blinds