What is the Shower Curtain Effect?

After you turn on your shower, this phenomenon occurs. The shower curtain will drift toward you as you stand there, sometimes sticking to your face.

You'll love trivia and the fact that the shower curtain effect can also go by the name Bernoulli's Principle. Swiss mathematician Daniel Bernoulli, who wrote Hydrodynamica in 1738, stated that pressure decreases as airflow increases. The spray from the shower increases airflow, which reduces pressure in the showering area. This causes the curtain to blow in.

What causes the shower curtain effect?

Three explanations can be given for the shower curtain effect. They all depend on the air pressure difference between the showering and non-showering areas.

Air density differences

Warm water from the showerhead creates warm air. This air rises to the top and splashes onto the shower curtain rod. This causes a decrease in the air pressure within the lower showering area. The curtain is pushed by the outside air at a lower pressure. This is a good idea for warm water, but it also happens with cold water.

Bernoulli's Principle

The showerhead spray pushes water across the curtain's interior to increase velocity and decrease pressure. This increases the curtain's air velocity and decreases its pressure. The curtain moves inward due to the pressure difference between the outside and inside.

Bernoulli's Principle is also a key to explaining why lift can be achieved. The wings curve so that air flows faster above the aircraft, which lowers air pressure. Air flows slower below, which raises it!

Horizontal vortex

Shower spray creates a horizontal vortex, which is a mass or fluid that revolves around an axis line. A vortex is an example. Low-pressure regions are what make a vortex's eye visible. This is why people and objects can be sucked into it.

The vortex is created by spraying water and runs parallel to the curtain in the shower. Shower curtains are drawn in by the vortex eye's low pressure.

Ways to Get Rid of the Shower Curtain Effect

Showering is not a good idea.

To relax and unwind, take a relaxing bath. No shower = no shower curtain effect.

Change to a heavier curtain

Heavy curtains are often difficult to move due to the weak suction force of the shower vortex. Instead of closing the curtain completely, you can leave a small gap on one side.

Use magnets or suction cups to make a curtain

Shower curtains can have suction cups at the bottom that you can push into the sides of your shower. Some curtains have magnets at their bottoms, but these are not suitable for acrylic or fiberglass tubs.

Change the showerhead

A showerhead that doesn't atomize as much water is a better choice. A gentler spray of water will reduce the speed of the shower.

Install a shower enclosure

If the shower curtain effect is really bothersome, consider installing a glass shower door. You can also create a bathroom in the wet with no doors or shower curtains.

Install a low curtain rod

To prevent the curtain from suckling inside, use a telescopic curtain rod.

Use a string and a weight

Attach a weight to a string and tie it to your curtain rod at the center and the inside. Keep the weight at the bottom of the curtain, just above the rim or the tub's rim, so that the weight doesn't billow.