I’m a huge fan of cloth shower curtains. The cotton canvas and hemp linen curtains I use do a great job at stopping water from spraying outside the shower. They work like a wick, channeling water downwards through the cloth into the tub. And, the best part: no chemical off-gassing.
Replacing a vinyl shower curtain with a natural fiber alternative is one of many simple steps you can take towards improving your home’s indoor air quality. Why? A shower curtain made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) off-gasses toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The vinyl material contains the chemical additive DEHP, a phthalate that is a suspected carcinogen. Yuck, who needs that!
There are plenty of fabric shower curtain options like GreenHome’s Organic Cotton Shower Curtain or GreenFeet’s Natural Cotton Shower Curtain. Both are made in the USA and priced under $50.
And for you DIY’ers, look for a 7 to 10 oz. natural or organic cotton canvas, either un-dyed or bleached white using hydrogen peroxide, at your local fabric retailer or online at Fabric.com. A semi-bleached Hemp Summercloth also makes an excellent shower curtain, which can be found at Hemp Traders.
Do you use a cloth shower curtain? What’s your favorite: cotton or hemp?
