Never Use Vinyl Shower Curtains

Alternative Shower Curtains

Vinyl shower curtains are cheap, can be found almost anywhere, and some are mildew-resistant. Although vinyl shower curtains are convenient and inexpensive to buy they are also toxic. You probably should never use vinyl shower curtains in your home. There are alternative shower curtains that are much safer than vinyl shower curtains.

Vinyl shower curtains are actually PVC or polyvinyl chloride. They have been proven to release dioxin which is a known carcinogen. Further, they are not eco-friendly as they are slow to decompose in landfills. If they are burned they release toxic chemicals into the environment.

The World Health Organization describes dioxins as an environmental pollutant which also has the distinction of belonging to the “dirty dozen” group of dangerous chemicals known as organic pollutants. Dioxins are of great concern because of their highly toxic potential. They have been shown in experiments to affect a number of our body organs in an unhealthy way. The half life cycle of dioxins in the human body is estimated to be between seven to eleven years.

When a vinyl shower curtain is unpackaged there is a strong odor emitted from the container. That is the odor of the toxic PVC chemical. If you already have vinyl shower curtains hanging in your bathroom and still detect the smell you should hang it out in the sun until the odor disappears.

There are other shower curtains alternates that are available such as nylon or polyester shower curtains and cloth shower curtains. They are somewhat less toxic however they are made from nonrenewable resources and are not biodegradable.

Other alternatives:

Glass shower doors in lieu of vinyl, polyester, and nylon shower curtains. Glass shower doors are made from a tempered glass to reduce the potential of breakage.

Shower curtains made from linen, hemp and organic cotton are also very good alternatives to vinyl shower curtains. These can be found online at most home good stores or on line.

Another alternative is to use no shower curtain at all or a shower door if your shower is large enough so water does not splash outside of the shower. If the bath room is designed with a drain in the floor any spilled water will simply flow down the drain.

Home contamination by dioxin should be avoided as much as possible. In general dioxin is used to describe a group of hundreds of chemicals that are highly persistent in the environment. Dioxin is formed as a by-product of several industrial processes such as chemical and pesticide manufacturing, pulp and paper bleaching. Dioxin is formed by burning chlorine-based chemical compounds with hydrocarbons. It is also used in the production of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) plastics such as shower curtains.

Home use of products that use PVC can be avoided as long as we are willing to settle for alternatives. For your own health you should never use vinyl shower curtains. Look for an alternative curtain or use glass shower doors.

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