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Which shower curtain and liner material is non toxic?
Have you ever had strong chemical smell coming from your shower curtain? If you have, most likely that shower curtain is made with Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the worst type of plastic and it can cause cancer. I certainly do not want to breathe in toxic fumes coming from a shower curtain everyday and also expose my baby to such toxins. So what are safe alternative materials for a shower curtain and a liner? In this post, we will take a look at how a shower curtain and a liner can be toxic and also what safe alternative materials are available. Of course you can use other options to shower curtains and install shower doors instead (navigate here for references), but that’s another story.
How A Shower Curtain And A Liner Can Be Toxic
Many shower curtain is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material. PVC is the world’s third-most widely used synthetic plastic. However, PVC is a very toxic, dangerous material. It not only contains toxic chemicals but also emits VOCs (volatile organic compounds). One of the deadly chemicals used to make PVC is the petroleum-derived chemical called vinyl chloride. According to the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen. (Vinyl Chloride) Vinyl chloride can get into our body via inhalation and is readily absorbed from lungs. Due to its toxicity, vinyl chloride has many negative health effects such as central nerve system damage, dizziness, visual disturbances, coma, death, vomiting, diarrhea, birth defects, drowsiness, liver damage, brain and lung tumors. (Medical Management Guidelines for Vinyl Chloride)
Plasticizer called phthalate is also used when making PVC. Plasticizer makes rigid plastic softer and more flexible. However, phthalate is also a very toxic chemical. It can damage the liver, kidneys and lungs. It can also cause severe health problems such as asthma, diabetes, obesity, neurodevelopment issues, behaviour issues, breast cancer, altered reproductive development and male fertility issues. PVC emits phthalate into the air and we breathe in that toxic fumes everyday.
PVC not only releases toxins from vinyl chloride and phthalate but also it contains lead, cadmium, dioxins, ethylene dichloride and organotins which are all dangerous chemicals. Dioxins for example, are formed due to presence of chlorine in PVC. According to World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer and the US Department of Health and Human Services’ National Toxicology Program, Dioxin is a known human carcinogen. It is the most potent carcinogen known to science. It not only can cause cancer, but also can damage immune system, interfere with hormones, cause reproductive and developmental problems. (Dioxins and their effects on human health) I am not going to go over all of the bad chemicals PVC contains here. As you can already see with some of the deadly chemicals it contains, it is the worst type of material for a product. (Phthalates are everywhere, and the health risks are worrying. How bad are they really?)
PVC Alternative – Non Toxic Shower Curtain
Hemp – Non Toxic Shower Curtain
Hemp is one of the best non toxic shower curtain options available. Hemp shower curtain doesn’t need a vinyl liner and it is the only fabric shower curtain that does not require it. When a shower curtain is made from hemp canvas, the fabric is tightly woven so water will not leak through. Hemp shower curtain can be used alone or also used as a liner. Hemp is also naturally resistant to bacteria and fungi. It absorbs water to some degree but dries very quickly. Hemp shower curtain is also strong and heavy. It is free of plastic, toxins, chemicals outgassing and also biodegradable when disposed. It is also machine washable. However, it is a lot more expensive than synthetic fabric or plastic shower curtains.
Cotton – Non Toxic Shower Curtain
Cotton is another great option for avoiding plastics. Cotton duck is a tightly woven cotton fabric and it is durable and heavy. Although tightly woven duck canvas will help water not leak through, cotton fabric in general will absorb water to some degree and dry slower than hemp. Cotton also can develop mold and mildew. Therefore, it will be a good idea to use a shower curtain liner inside. Cotton is machine washable and biodegradable when disposed.
Linen – Non Toxic Shower Curtain
Linen is another natural material similar to hemp or cotton that is biodegradable. However, linen will also absorb water to some degree. Both cotton and linen will develop mold and mildew easier whereas hemp is naturally mold and mildew resistant. Therefore, you will need a shower curtain liner if you choose linen as your shower curtain material. However, hemp, cotton or linen are all natural materials so they will not outgas toxic chemicals like PVC.
Shower Curtain Liner
You can use materials listed below as a shower curtain or a shower curtain liner. The materials listed below are synthetic materials. Because they are man made, they are water-resistant and do not develop mildew or mold.
Nylon
Nylon absorbs water but it dries quickly. It is machine washable and more durable than polyester. However, if you compare with polyester, nylon absorbs more water so it takes longer time to dry.
Polyester
Polyester is more water resistant than nylon. It absorbs less water than nylon so it dries quicker between showers. Therefore, polyester is better as a water resistant liner. It is machine washable.
PEVA
PEVA (polyethylene vinyl acetate) is a chlorine-free vinyl. It has been used as a green alternative to pvc since it doesn’t have chlorine. However, it still uses petrochemicals and has volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Therefore, some people believe PEVA is not a good alternative to PVC. Still it is less harmful than PVC, totally water-proof and very affordable. (When Vinyl is not PVC) (Volatile Organic Compounds of Polyethylene Vinyl Acetate Plastic Are Toxic To Living Organisms.)
Final Thoughts
PVC is known as a toxic material which can cause a cancer. Therefore, it should be avoided and other non toxic shower curtain materials should be considered. Natural materials are the most non toxic option for a shower curtain. Natural materials include cotton, linen and hemp (also organic cotton, linen, and hemp). Cotton and linen still require a shower curtain liner to prevent mold or water going through a shower curtain. Hemp, on the other hand, is the only natural material that does not need a shower curtain liner.
For a waterproof shower curtain liner, nylon, polyester and PEVA material can be used. These materials can be used as a shower curtain or also as a shower curtain liner. PEVA is the most waterproof, however, it is not the safest material. It is safer than PVC but still can be harmful. If you want to avoid PEVA, polyester will be the best choice for a liner. Polyester is more water resistant than nylon so it dries quicker when it’s wet.
Which material do you like the best? I hope this shower curtain guide has been helpful for you in selecting the right shower curtain for your home!
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Thank you! 😀
If I use the hemp shower curtain as a liner, can I use it inside of the tub like I would a regular plastic liner? I already have a cotton shower curtain but I want to replace my liner with an eco-friendly option, not with a synthetic option like nylon.
Hi Michelle,
Hemp shower curtain can be used alone or also used as a liner. It dries very quickly and it is also naturally resistant to bacteria and fungi. Hope this helps! 🙂
I truly appreciate your helpful article on the shower curtains. Question for another potential article (or maybe you already have one)… if PVC is so toxic, why is it being used for water supply pipes (yikes!)? I believe originally it was supposed to replace metal due to rusting?), but now which is worse, rust in old pipes or PVC pipes? Seems like both are scary options! Now it makes me think twice about trying to purify my tap water to drink and whether my efforts may be ineffective? (I changed to using the “Zero water” filter product). Is trying to filter my tap water any better or worse than what is offered in bottled water, especially considering they package bottled water in plastic? What are your thoughts? Thank you!
Hi Sunny,
I don’t know why the water pipes are made of toxic material PVC but then so many products are made of PVC including even baby products. I would avoid PVC material whenever possible. Filtering water is good since recent study shows that bottled water is known to leach plastic particles. After all, bottled water is packaged in plastic and it won’t do well especially if they were left out in the sun or stored in warm temperature for a while. You can read my post about bottled water here.
Safe Bottled Water Guide – How Bottled Water Can Be Toxic
Safe Bottled Water Guide – Which Bottled Water Brands Are Safe?
Environmental Working Group (EWG) recommends to use copper or polypropylene pipes which are safer options instead of PVC. Apparently, PVC pipes use glues which can also be toxic whereas polypropylene pipes do not use glues, therefore, there are fewer toxic solvents used in installing them. Hope this helps! 🙂
Thanks for this insightful article! I’m trying to find a non-toxic shower curtain but something not as pricey as the organic options (under $15 would be great). I was interested in the nylon and polyester options because they seem less toxic than even the PEVA. However, everything I look at that’s nylon or polyester including the links you have for them say either “coated with” or “waterproof/water repellent.” This would mean they’re coated with or treated with some kind of chemical to make them waterproof/water repellent, right? Waterproofing chemicals are pretty toxic… Any ideas?
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for your comment. Actually, the products I included do not say they are coated with waterproof/water repellent. Polyester or Nylon are water repellent fabric. One of the nylon product says Waterproof/Water Repellent Nylon. I have inquired to the company if any waterproof treatment is done to a fabric. I will get back to you when I hear from them!
Hi Jennifer, I was told that Home Bargains Nylon shower curtain liner which says waterproof/water repellent is not treated with waterproof chemicals. Nylon is not 100% waterproof so this shower curtain must be water repellent. I hope this helps!
Can you recommend a nylon liner? I’m having a hard time finding one.
Hi Rhonda,
Here is one I found.
Home Bargains Nylon shower curtain liner
Hope this helps!
Thank you for the very information blog. My son has to bring a non-flammable shower curtain to college and it needs a tag that indicates that is it is either fire-resistant or fire-retardant. Are any of these materials fire-resistant or retardant?
Hi Diane,
I don’t know if these shower curtains have a tag indicating they are fire-resistant. However, polyester and nylon fabrics are considered fire resistant fabrics since they require much higher temperatures to be ignited than natural fabrics. I have inquired these companies if they have a tag saying the curtain is fire resistant. I will get back to you.
Thank you, Isabelle … I’m so glad that there are people like you out there who are making an effort to educate others about the horrific dangers of vinyl outgassing. (And by the way, the pic of you & your daughter is absolutely adorable :))
Thank you! 🙂
I am genuinely grateful to the holder of this site who has shared this great piece of writing at at this time.|
Thank you!
I needed to thank you for this good read!! I definitely enjoyed every little bit of it. I’ve got you book-marked to look at new stuff you post…|
Thank you.
Thanks for sharing this kind of information with us.
Thank you!
Greetings! Very useful advice within this article! It is the little changes that will make the most significant changes. Thanks for sharing!|
Thank you!
Your post was especially helpful, clearly written and thorough. Thank you so much for your time and efforts to compile this good report. I now know what kind of shower curtain liner I need to buy. Who would think it could become this complicated?!
With appreciation,
Janet
Hi Janet,
I am glad to hear that my post was helpful. Thank you! 🙂
Hi… thank you for this blog on this interesting topic.
I have an outdoor shower, in a high-rainfall area. Basically, the walls grow mushrooms around here (Pacific Northwest) in the wintertime. I got an all-cotton shower curtain which looked great for a few months– then winter came. It has big blotches of black mold all over it now. I tried spot-spraying bleach on them and laundering, but it didn’t get them out, and of course, there are more all the time.
Decided I’ve got to go to something that i can wipe down, say weekly, and remove mold from. I am all about unconventional materials, and wondered if there’s some kind of old-fashioned oil-cloth (fabric coated in wax)… some kind of tablecloth material maybe… that would work. The point of having the curtain at all is for privacy and some wind breaking. Def. not even trying to keep it dry!
I like your recommendations of polyester and nylon… they’re not the worst kind of toxic, off-gassing plastic. But aren’t they still made of petroleum?
Do you know what the pre-petroleum-era sorts of smooth, wipeable, fabrics was? Surely they had them. Old-fashioned raincoats, boots, etc. And in what form would i find them today?
Thank you!
Hi Laura,
I am not sure what type of material people used for raincoats or boots (maybe natural rubber?) in the pre-petroleum-era.
However, for a shower curtain and a shower curtain liner, many people try to find materials that are either water-resistant or water-proof and my research led me to the materials I listed in my post. If you would like to use a natural material without a shower curtain liner, hemp may be the best option as it is naturally resistant to bacteria and fungi and it absorbs water to some degree but dries quickly. Hope this helps!