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BANG FOR THE BITE
Greener shower curtains make for an all-around cleaner bathing experience... and a beautiful one to boot.
COCKTAIL FACT
After watching the shower scene in which her character was killed in Psycho, Janet Leigh only took showers when she had to, locking all doors and windows beforehand.
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home › tip library › Shower Curtains
The mildew on your vinyl shower curtain making you psycho?
The Bite
Get a hemp or organic cotton one with a nylon liner (since nylon's healthier for your bod than standard PVC). They'll last forever and can be tossed in the washer for clean up so easy, it's scary.The Benefits
- Free of synthetic materials. Plastic curtains are often made from difficult-to-recycle PVC (aka vinyl).
- Healthier. Conventional PVC-coated curtains offgas plasticizers (potential hormone disruptors), so stay safer with nylon liners inside natural curtains.
- Beauty in the bathroom. Natural materials always trump plastic curtains in the looks department.
- Easy to clean. Just throw both curtain and nylon liner in the washer every few months to avoid mold.
Personally Speaking
Jen's hemp curtain (going on month 14) is totally mold-free and has even withstood kitten-climbing without snagging.Wanna Try?
Remember to spread the liner out after showering so it'll dry more quickly. In humid climates, use an eco-sealant to avoid mildew.- Method Daily Shower Spray - spray on your liner (and tiles) to kill mildew ($4).
- Rawganique Shower Curtain - 7 colors, made using biodegradable dyes ($69-$89).
- Gaiam organic cotton Fluerette and Leaf Print curtains - pretty patterns ($68-$75).
- Lifekind Organic Cotton Shower Curtain - comes with brass or chrome grommets ($69).
- Simple Memory Art - non-PVC vinyl shower curtains with way-cute prints ($32).
- AFM Safecoat X-158 Defensive Sealer - apply to liners beforehand, and mildew won't be a problem for more than 100 days ($12).
Apr 05,2007
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Plastic Addiction
I kind of dig the smell of brand new plastic shower curtains. It ranks up there with the smell of new dolls and gasoline and the ink in new books. Now, clearly, my semi-addictive attitude when smelling these things most likely stems from the fact that they are making me a little high and killing the brain cells that should be telling me to stop. Still, pleasepleaseplease let me sniff your toxic curtain. Please?
Because I don't have one. Like a very good green girl, I have a nylon liner and eco-curtain so I can wash everything up and never worry about mold or PVC offgassing. (Besides, the plastic ones are generally just plain ugly). Not yet quite perfect - nylon is better than PVC, but still not totally sustainable - but getting there...
Still, if you have one of those natty plastic ones with bright fish all over them, will you let me come over and sniff it sometime?
-Heather... off to shower after some killer yoga...
Because I don't have one. Like a very good green girl, I have a nylon liner and eco-curtain so I can wash everything up and never worry about mold or PVC offgassing. (Besides, the plastic ones are generally just plain ugly). Not yet quite perfect - nylon is better than PVC, but still not totally sustainable - but getting there...
Still, if you have one of those natty plastic ones with bright fish all over them, will you let me come over and sniff it sometime?
-Heather... off to shower after some killer yoga...
Biter Comments...
I have been trying to get rid of my vinyl shower curtain liner for some time now.I recently learned about nylon liners which you mention in your daily tip. My problem is that I don't know where to get a nylon liner. You mention several sources for organic cotton shower curtains(which I have already found), but alas no mention of where to purchase a more eco friendly liner. Can you help me locate where to buy a safer than vinyl liner. I would really appreciate it.
Mention of "kitten-climbing" in this morning's bite made me laugh out loud!!!!! Thank you, Ideal Bite, for being informative AND entertaining!
J.C Penney has a nylon liner on sale for $11.99 (regular price 19.99). I just ordered one for myself. I just figured out that the unpleasant smell in my main bath is the vinyl liner in my shower! I don't see mold or mildew on it, but something is going on with it. It certainly doesn't have that nice "new doll" smell anymore! Great tip! Thanks!
I just bought an organic cotton shower curtain on janices.com and based on a little research was going to use it without a liner. From what I've read, you can use the cotton curtain in the shower as a "wick" to draw water into the tub, then let dry outside of the tub. You're supposed to then wash the curtain once a month or so using some borax to kill/prevent mildew. Anyone else tried doing it this way?
I, too, would like to know where to purchase a nylon liner. Please help! Thanks!
I have an "EXCELL home fashions" 100% nylon shower curtain liner which i got at Bed bath for around 20 bucks.(you can find it cheaper i'm sure) It is sparkling white and very nice and even has fancy suction cups. and i have a lovely organic cotton curtain over it. the key is to keep the nylon IN the outer curtain OUT. and always stretch it out after a shower so that water doesn't stay in the bunches.
I have had it for three years, and it works great. it says not to use detergent, but i use Seventh Gen and some hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar and it cleans up real good.
I think our clear nylon liner came from Lowes.
Ugh, I detest both the smell and the texture of plastic shower curtains. When I got my appartment I bought this lovely and simple white hotel shower curtain from Restoration Hardware (20-35$?), my mother had used it in her house and it proved quite nice. I thought it was polyester, but when I looked at it it said 100% linen! It works pretty darn well, though it does mildew if you don't spread it out to dry. I would highly recommend it.
Let me clarify my above comment; it mildews a tiny bit after about three months in a humid climate and badly ventilated bathroom if you don't spread it out to dry. Wouldn't want to say bad things about my nice shower curtain...
We have a nylon curtain and it has mildewed or it has mildew stains. Does anyone have a good method to remove the mildew (stains) once is is there? I have tried washing it several times but it doesn't seem to go ways.
Thanks in advance for your help.
I had the same problem because i let it go way too long without a wash, but i have a little washing machine at home (totally illegal), and what i did was this: i put it in very Hot Water, (sorry the cold just won't work for this), 7th gen liquid (or whatever you use), a good cup of hydrogen peroxide, and about a cup of baking soda (i get really huge amounts in bulk instead of little boxes), the whole arsenal, (borax would be a good bet too but i have never experimented with it) i let it run for a few minutes and then turned it off and let it soak for a few hours, and it worked great. if you don't have a machine at home, soak it overnight in a bucket and swish it around it a bit and then take it to the laundromat. i got some seriously gnarly mildew out of it this way which i though was hopeless. but i had to do a lighter second wash and then a cold rinse. i keep a spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide and water in the shower now and just give it a spray every now and then to maintain.
happy mildew removing!
I just use a polyester shower curtin, no plastic liner and allow it to dry pulled open after each use and periodically wash it in the washing machine.
We have lots of iron in our water so our shower curtian always turns yellow. I have started using eco friendly products that also have a germicide that is the alternative to bleach. So as there are great alternatives to the plastic shower curtain-go one step further and buy concetrated products and reduce landfill waste. Check us out at www.shaklee.net/anita_otterness
Great tip, Heather! I am guilty of having the toxic PVC shower curtain, but would like to switch to a more eco-friendly curtain. Does anyone know what to do with the PVC one? It is in perfect shape (it is in the guest bath, and as we have no overnight guests generally, has never been used) and I just hate to throw it away. Can it be recycled, and Where?
i bought a shower curtain at target and while i don't think it is vinyl, i don't know what it is. the plastic was EVA? does anyone know what that is? (i am now suspecting that the "V" might be vinyl - yuck!). seriously, there were a lot of shower curtain liners there and they were made of plastics that i'd never heard of. can you create a primer?
on the note of natural curtains without a liner...i bought a thick cotton one from real goods / gaiam a few years ago. unfortunately, it is very wet where we live (portland, or) so this ended up not being a good solution - it had yucky red mold almost continuously and wouldn't dry out. i would be willing to try it again with a liner though...
cheers!
TJ MAX AND MARSHALLS....cotton liners for $7 to 9.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would love to have an "organic" one, but $70.00 for a liner is quite expensive for me. $7 to $9 is PERFECT!
Regarding Erin's EVA vinyl liner, don't feel guilty. EVA vinyl is an environmentally safer vinyl. From what I understand, made without the use of chlorine or phthalates. Check out this link
http://archive.greenpeace.org/comms/97/pvctoys/documents/background.html
Vinyl showercurtains can bring you too orgasm unlike cotton don't throw them away bring them into the bedroom.
If you absolutely have to use a vinyl shower curtain or liner, here's a way to avoid mildew. As soon as you buy it, cut the bottom "hem" off of it. This way the water drains right off and doesn't collect in the gully causing mildew to grow. Of course, this doesn't really help with the vapors that vinyl releases into your breathing space. Best just to avoid it totally if you can.
Are you people for real?Can you say china,india you can be green too the gills it won't mean shit.I hope but i see,dream on.
William, Please, don't look at the site if your not about it. Don't waste your time or our time! It's always better to see the good we can do rather than dwell on the things we can't.
seriously. man kill the negative attitude. people are making changes big and small that help the world daily. we're not morons here-- we know the grave ills of the world, but apathetic attitudes like yours do nothing to help. This is not the place to try to discourage people-it just won't work.
I had a hemp shower curtain. What a joke, it was so full of mildew it was ridiculous. They are NOT "mildew resistant", nor are they "quick drying". I washed it twice every two weeks with soap and bleach in the washing machine, and it kept getting more and more mildewed. I eventually threw it out.
What a waste of money.
-Roger
Thanks for the tip, it's just in time as I need a new shower curtain.
I went on amazon just to look.. now I'm getting a Nice fabric curtain for around $9. (shipping is free as I'm getting some other things like an ice tray)
Good, i am not the only one... when i was younger i used to collect kelly dolls (the little sister of barbie) and i liked opening the package and smelling the new dolls. And there are these pens that i really like the smell of, they remind me of one summer...
This is a great place to test out new ideas. In fact, I could get some real nuggets here that I'm going to use right away!
For More Info:http://www.stop-addictions-secrets.com
You can buy an EVA vinyl liner at Target for just $9.99. I'd love organic, but it's too pricey for me!
Plastic addiction is very dangerous. It spoils our world and air. Many people addict this because it is a fashion. But it is dangerous. In this topic says about briefly. Thankx for your message.
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Suffering from an addiction. This website has a lot of great resources and treatment centers.
http://www.treatmentcenters.org
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Kris | April 05, 2007 at 06:08 AM