Cough gasp wheeze

August 31, 2011 12:00 PM

Suggestions for a translucent/transparent shower curtain that is not vinyl?

... or otherwise toxic. Probably has to be a curtain; or at least not a traditional enclosure.

posted by coffeefilter to Home & Garden (9 answers total)

So are you saying that you have an allergy to certain plastics? Because vinyl shower curtains are not particularly toxic, unless you're actually smoking them.

A lot of the fabric ones (nylon?) are slightly translucent - certainly enough to allow light through.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 12:08 PM on August 31, 2011

Here are some made from PEVA (a polyethylene).
posted by exogenous at 12:08 PM on August 31, 2011

curtain or liner? If curtain, I'm sure there are lots of lace and gauze varieties.
posted by desjardins at 12:14 PM on August 31, 2011

Another option is to wash the (vinyl, etc.) curtain before you hang it. Run it as a full load - cold water with laundry detergent. Don't put it in the dryer, hang it on your shower curtain bar to drip dry. The smell should be gone, if not, wash it again.
posted by deborah at 1:20 PM on August 31, 2011

I ordered this one (but you have to like ruffles). It's pretty translucent.
posted by hellochula at 3:13 PM on August 31, 2011

I got a polyester fabric shower curtain at Ikea. Lasts a lot longer than vinyl, transmits some light, but not genuinely translucent. East to wash, though.
posted by theora55 at 4:44 PM on August 31, 2011

The Vermont Country Store sells both cotton duck and nylon shower curtains; I have the nylon one.
posted by brujita at 8:56 PM on August 31, 2011

I'm confused...always heard vinyl was really toxic...is that all hype?
posted by agregoli at 1:26 PM on September 1, 2011

Vinyl is super toxic to produce, agregoli. That's what most people are talking about when they refer to vinyl being so bad for the environment.
posted by ocherdraco at 10:34 AM on January 8, 2012