Shower Smarts
- Costa Calida Chronicle
- Jan 16
- 2 min read
If you’ve made a New Year promise to spend less time scrubbing limescale and more time actually enjoying your bathroom, 2026 is your moment. Modern shower designs are cleaner, safer, and far easier to maintain than ever — and choosing the right one can save you hours every month.
Frameless vs Framed Screens: The Clear Winner
If cleaning is your priority, go frameless. Traditional framed screens have seals and metal edges where grime settles like it’s on holiday. Frameless glass, on the other hand, is smooth, sleek and wipes down in seconds.
Top tip: Choose glass with an anti-limescale or nano coating. Water runs off instead of sticking, meaning far fewer cloudy marks.
Walk-In Showers vs Wet Rooms
Walk-ins are the sweet spot for most homes — minimal joints, simple screens and easy access. Wet rooms look luxurious but require extremely precise installation, and the fully open layout means more floor to clean.
If you want the look of a wet room without the maintenance, choose a walk-in with a low-profile stone-resin tray.
Safety tip: Pick a tray with a good anti-slip rating to stay steady underfoot, especially when the water’s running.
Microcement vs Tiles: The Low-Maintenance Showdown
Tiles are beautiful, but grout lines are not. Even the best grout needs regular scrubbing, and mould always seems to find a home there.
Microcement, however, is as close to “wipe and go” as it gets. It’s seamless, waterproof and gives a modern, spa-like look with zero grout lines.
Cleaning tip: Use mild cleaners (nothing too harsh or abrasive) to keep microcement looking new and smooth.
Extra Features That Make Life Easier
Wall panels instead of tiles — totally grout-free and ideal for busy families.
Concealed shower valves — fewer nooks for soap residue.
Handheld showerheads — perfect for rinsing down screens and trays after use.
Warm LED lighting — far more forgiving on visible water marks than bright white bulbs.
The Bottom Line
The easiest shower to clean in 2026?
A frameless walk-in with anti-limescale glass, a stone-resin anti-slip tray, and either microcement or wall panels on the walls.
Start the new year with less scrubbing — and more living.
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