The SpongeBob curtains in this shop fall into two families: seven window curtain sizes, from 100 × 140 cm to 280 × 250 cm, and nine shower curtain sizes, from 90 × 180 cm to 240 × 180 cm. The right size is worked out from the rod width multiplied by 1.5 to 2, never from the width of the window alone.
This article is not about mood or colour palettes. It is about centimetres, hooks, light and washing. The goal: the curtain you order arrives in the right size and goes up first time.
Window curtain or shower curtain: how do you tell them apart?
The collection mixes two products that have nothing in common. Of the 22 references, 12 are currently on sale: 7 window curtains and 5 shower curtains. Both hang from a rod, but everything else differs.
How do you spot the difference in the collection?
The product name settles it. A title starting with "Rideau de Douche Bob l'Éponge" is a bathroom curtain, in waterproof material, made for a shower rail. A title starting simply with "Rideau Bob l'Éponge" is a fabric window curtain.
The second clue is the size grid: 7 sizes for windows, 9 for showers, all built around 180 cm. A 90 × 180 cm option in the drop-down menu means you are looking at a shower curtain.
Why one does not replace the other
A shower curtain is waterproof, with no lining and no heading tape: hung at a window, it drapes badly. A fabric curtain placed in a shower stays damp and grows mould. Each product is therefore covered separately below.
Which SpongeBob curtain sizes are actually sold?
Sizes are given as width × height, in centimetres. That is the dimension of the panel itself, not of the window it dresses.
The seven window curtain sizes
Every window curtain in the collection shares the same grid: 100 × 140, 150 × 166, 183 × 160, 183 × 214, 220 × 215, 280 × 180 and 280 × 250 cm. The price does not change with size: a 100 × 140 cm panel costs the same as a 280 × 250 cm one.
The nine shower curtain sizes
Shower curtains follow a different grid: 90 × 180, 120 × 180, 150 × 180, 180 × 180, 180 × 200, 180 × 210, 180 × 240, 210 × 180 and 240 × 180 cm. Watch the order of the figures: 180 × 240 cm and 240 × 180 cm are very different products, one tall and narrow, the other wide and short.
| Panel dimensions | Window type | Matching ceiling height | Panels advised | Observed price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 × 140 cm | Small kitchen or bathroom window, up to 60 cm wide | Short curtain, independent of the ceiling | 2 panels | €42.90 to €52.90 |
| 150 × 166 cm | Single-sash window, curtain stopping below the sill | 2.20 to 2.50 m | 1 to 2 panels | €42.90 to €52.90 |
| 183 × 160 cm | Wide window, short curtain below the sill | 2.20 to 2.50 m | 1 to 2 panels | €42.90 to €52.90 |
| 183 × 214 cm | Standard bedroom window, full-length curtain | 2.30 to 2.50 m | 2 panels | €42.90 to €52.90 |
| 220 × 215 cm | Single-leaf French door, full-length curtain | 2.30 to 2.50 m | 2 panels | €42.90 to €52.90 |
| 280 × 180 cm | Picture window, curtain stopping below the sill | 2.00 to 2.20 m | 1 to 2 panels | €42.90 to €52.90 |
| 280 × 250 cm | Picture window or double French door, full-length curtain | 2.60 to 2.70 m | 1 to 2 panels | €42.90 to €52.90 |
An honest note on this grid, which reflects continental European ready-made sizes rather than any universal standard. It does not include 140 × 240 cm or 140 × 260 cm, the two best sellers in France, and it does not match UK ready-made drops such as 137 cm, 183 cm or 229 cm exactly either. No panel goes above 250 cm in height, so period rooms with 2.80 m or 3 m ceilings are out of scope. On the other hand the range goes unusually low, down to 140 and 160 cm, which is handy for a kitchen window. Always measure your own opening rather than trusting a national size chart.
Our pick of SpongeBob curtains
Three window curtains and one shower curtain, all in stock 🌊
How do you measure a window before ordering?
Three measurements are enough: the rod width, the height from the rod, and the distance to the floor. Take them with a rigid tape measure, not a dressmaker's tape that stretches.
What curtain width gives a good drape?
The rule is the fullness ratio. Measure the rod from finial to finial, then multiply by 1.5 for a light drape, by 2 for a full one. A curtain exactly as wide as the rod hangs flat like a tablecloth.
A worked example: a 180 cm rod needs 270 cm of fabric at a ratio of 1.5, and 360 cm at a ratio of 2. Two 183 cm panels give 366 cm combined, a ratio of 2 on that rod. A single 280 cm panel gives a ratio of 1.55.
The rod should extend 15 to 20 cm beyond the frame on each side. With the curtains open, the fabric then stacks on the wall instead of eating into the glass and the daylight.
Where does the height start?
Height is measured from the rod, not from the top of the window. That is the most common mistake, and it costs 15 cm on average. Fit the rod 10 to 15 cm above the frame, then measure from the ring or the eyelet.
With eyelets, add 3 to 4 cm: the fabric rises above the eyelet and that band does not count in the visible drop.
Where should the bottom of the curtain stop?
For a full-length curtain, aim for 1 to 2 cm above the floor. The curtain does not sweep up dust and does not catch under a furniture leg. For a short curtain, stop 15 to 20 cm below the sill: the fabric covers the wall without floating in mid-air.
If a radiator sits under the window, the short curtain is the sensible choice: a full-length curtain covering it sends the heat against the glass instead of into the room.
Which heading suits which rod?
The heading decides which rod to buy, and it cannot be changed afterwards without sewing.
Eyelets, heading tape, rod pocket: the differences
Eyelets are metal rings punched through the top of the panel. They slide straight onto a round rod of 20 to 28 mm diameter and form regular folds. It is the fastest heading to hang, and the only one you can take down in thirty seconds for washing.
Heading tape is a corded fabric band sewn along the top. Hooks clip into it and go into the rings of a rod or the gliders of a track. Pulling the cords lets you adjust the fullness.
A rod pocket is a hollow hem the rod passes through: discreet and cheap, but it slides badly. Tab tops are sewn loops tied over the rod, with a more relaxed look and a less fluid opening.
What does the product page say?
In this collection the listings mention easy fitting on a standard rod, and some mention eyelets. The detail varies from one model to the next: check it before buying the rod, not after.
Is a SpongeBob curtain blackout?
No, and it needs saying plainly. No active product page in this collection claims full blackout performance or a blackout rating.
What the listings actually claim
The descriptions talk about filtering light and preserving privacy. That is the vocabulary of a light-filtering curtain: the room dims, your silhouette disappears from outside, but daylight still comes through.
Why a printed curtain is never fully blackout
A photographic print needs a fine cloth, otherwise the colours come out dull. That fineness rules out blackout, which requires a dense weave or a coating. A true blackout curtain is plain, or lined.
The fix: a white blackout lining, sold separately, clips onto the same hooks behind the printed panel. It brings the darkness and shields the print from direct sun, which fades cyans within a season.
Thermal and acoustic insulation: what can you really expect?
A single-layer fabric curtain creates a pocket of air between the glass and the room. The effect on how cold the room feels in winter is real, especially with single glazing, but it stays modest and is nothing like a thermal curtain backed with fleece.
On noise the effect is even more limited: the curtain absorbs some reverberation without stopping the sound of a busy street. Sound comes in through the glazing and the roller-shutter box, not through the fabric.
No active product page in the collection claims measured thermal or acoustic insulation. If those two are your main criteria, a printed curtain is not the right product, whatever the design.
How do you measure and fit a shower curtain?
A shower curtain is measured differently. The width should exceed the rail by 15 to 20 cm in total so the fabric forms folds and holds the water back. For a standard 170 cm bathtub, a 180 cm panel works.
Height is measured from the rail to the floor, minus 5 to 10 cm: the bottom must stay clear of the floor, or fall inside the tub. A curtain trailing on the floor grows mould along the hem within weeks.
The nine sizes cover most cases: 90 × 180 cm for a narrow cubicle, 180 × 180 cm for a standard bath, 240 × 180 cm for a corner shower. Check how many hooks the model needs on its product page.
How do you wash and iron a SpongeBob curtain?
Care determines how long the print lasts far more than the quality of the fabric does.
At what temperature should you wash?
Wash at 30 °C, delicate cycle, spin reduced to 600 rpm. Above 40 °C the colours migrate and SpongeBob's yellow goes dull. No bleach. Wash the curtain on its own for the first two cycles, never with white laundry.
How do you iron without damaging the print?
Iron on low heat, on the reverse, with no steam directly on the print. An iron that is too hot pressed on the printed side melts the ink and leaves a permanent shine. If the fabric is heavily creased, a pressing cloth between iron and curtain solves it.
Should you allow for shrinkage?
Yes. A printed polyester typically loses 1 to 2 % in the first wash, a cotton blend slightly more. On a 214 cm panel that is 2 to 4 cm. So allow 2 to 3 cm of margin when buying, and run the first wash before deciding on a final hem.
The shower curtain gets different treatment: wipe it with a sponge and a mild product, spread it out fully after use, and let it dry in a ventilated room. Mould comes from the closed damp fold, not from the water.
Safety: curtain cords in a child's bedroom
The cords, chains and loops of curtain and blind systems are a strangulation risk for young children. The danger applies above all to under-4s.
Three precautions: never put a bed, playpen or climbable furniture within reach of a cord; secure cords high up with a cord winder or tension cleat; prefer cordless systems in a child's bedroom. An eyelet curtain, opened by hand, removes the question.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What curtain size should I choose?
Measure the rod, not the window, and multiply by 1.5 to 2. For a 180 cm rod, two 183 cm panels give a good drape. For height, measure from the rod: 183 × 214 cm suits a standard bedroom, 280 × 250 cm a picture window under a 2.60 m ceiling.
Is it blackout?
No. No active product page in the collection claims full blackout performance. These curtains filter light and preserve privacy. For complete darkness, add a white blackout lining on the same hooks, behind the printed panel.
Is it machine washable?
Fabric window curtains wash at 30 °C on a delicate cycle, no bleach, and iron on low heat on the reverse. Shower curtains are wiped with a sponge and dried spread out. Always check the care label on the model you receive.
Does the curtain shrink in the wash?
A little, mainly in the first wash: allow 1 to 2 % on a printed polyester, so 2 to 4 cm on a 214 cm panel. Allow 2 to 3 cm of margin when buying and wash once before hemming.
One panel or two per window?
Two panels as soon as the rod is longer than 160 cm, or when the window opens from both sides. One is enough on a small window. The calculation is on the combined width: 1.5 to 2 times the rod.
How long does delivery take?
Allow 7 to 14 working days. Delivery costs €5.90 to France and the European Union, and is free from €60 of order value. Outside the European Union it is €7.
