If you avoid plastic/vinyl . . .

[jewelmcjem]

What do you do for a shower curtain liner? I usually use mine til stuff starts growing on it, then throw it out and buy a new one -- yeah, I know not very environmentally friendly (or sanitary for that matter). I hate trying to wash it, it never gets clean and scrubbing a curtain -- an exercise in futility in my book. Anyway, do you just use a cloth liner and wash it every week or so?

[illinoismommy]

I am not avoiding plastics (well, some) but I use a cloth liner and when it gets yucky I put it in the washer with some detergent and bleach :duck and it comes out spiffy white. I just prefer the cloth to that yucky plastic liner that's all crunchy.... cloth is so much prettier and softer looking...

[Lady TS]

Where do you find a cloth liner that doesn't allow water to spray/soak through it?

[bostonsmama]

Where do you find a cloth liner that doesn't allow water to spray/soak through it?


I've seen them at most stores :yes We have one, too. I got ours at Bed, Bath and Beyond :tu

Heres one from target: http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/187-9647736-5337040?ASIN=B0001XMQTE&AFID=Froogle&LNM=B0001XMQTE|Fabric_Shower_Curtain_Liner_White&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B0001XMQTE&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001

[Lady TS]

Hmmm...I've not seen them, but then I haven't bought a shower curtain in the last 3 years or so, either. :shifty

I am in the market for getting one for our upstairs bathroom that SIL redid!

[2sunshines]

We have a cloth one that's just regular -- i think I bought it at walmart. I used to use a liner but they'd get gross too quickly so last time I took the liner off I just kept it off and it hasn't been an issue. The cloth curtain gets wet, but holds all the water inside. And I just wash it occassionally.

[Katigre]

I use a cloth liner too - I think they're made out of nylon? They're at all the regular stores and are usually white though come in different colors too. (Think the same liners as are in hotels - those are fabric too but also waterproof).

[Lady TS]

Looking at the fabric content of the cloth liners, it looks like they are nylon or polyester----not exactly as natural as I had imagined/hoped :shifty.....so that factor might have a lot to do with it still keeping the water inside the shower, huh? :shifty

I had tried making what I think was a 100% cotton shower curtain. It just wasn't heavy/tight enough weave to keep the water in the shower. It seemed like once it got wet it allowed the spray out. (This was tried in a stall-type shower, not a tub shower.) I ended up going back to the vinyl kind...but am again pondering the cloth kind...

:think
:cup

[Katigre]

Right - the liners aren't a natural material, BUT they don't off-gas harmful chemicals like pthalates the way PVC does.

[bostonsmama]

If you aren't going for looks and/or practicality, maybe a wool liner would work? :think

[Quiteria]

My health food store had a 100% cotton one..it was a very heavy duck cloth canvas or maybe denim....I forget the weave, but very heavy and tight.

[jewelmcjem]

We have a cloth curtain, maybe I'll just try it by itself a time or two and see how that works. With a cloth liner, I think it would provide an extra layer of absorption so the water wouldn't spray out thru both of them. Nylon doesn't bother me, but the stench of that PVC is horrible enough when you open the pkg, that can't be good to breath. Before GCM, I never even thought about a cloth alternative, lol.

[2sunshines]

I finally got around to checking out my shower curtain and it is 100% cotton. And we use it alone and have never had water come out of the shower while using it. Mind you, the curtain itself does get wet obviously, but water doesn't get through it or anything and it dries between uses. And I just throw the whole thing in the wash occassionally and we've never had an issue.

[Lady TS]

I finally got around to checking out my shower curtain and it is 100% cotton. And we use it alone and have never had water come out of the shower while using it. Mind you, the curtain itself does get wet obviously, but water doesn't get through it or anything and it dries between uses. And I just throw the whole thing in the wash occassionally and we've never had an issue.


That's encouraging--I'm gonna try another round of making/finding a cotton one(or hemp, or ???)

[afternoonrain]

My immediate thought too, was wool. I wonder how easy it would be to naturally waterproof...with lanolin/some kind of oil...or maybe a thin beeswax layer like they use for earthen floors? Maybe I'll experiment...

Edit: To say, "I wonder how easy it would be to naturally waterproof a COTTON liner." :)

[mommylove]

My immediate thought too, was wool. I wonder how easy it would be to naturally waterproof...with lanolin/some kind of oil...or maybe a thin beeswax layer like they use for earthen floors? Maybe I'll experiment...

Edit: To say, "I wonder how easy it would be to naturally waterproof a COTTON liner." :)


Oooh, good idea. If you experiment, report back. I'd like to hear how it goes.

I was at BB&B over the weekend & found this supposedly eco-friendly liner. http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14887059 I didn't buy it because it's still vinyl & disposable, even if it's biodegradable (call me a skeptic), so I'd rather have one that lasts a long time & holds up well to machine washing.

[Rabbit]

Hemp canvas will work better than wool, and last considerably longer.

[afternoonrain]

Hmmm...I wonder though, if the "natural waterproofing" would hold up in the wash. I'm assuming it might wash out and have to be re-proofed?

*Off to try on some small pieces*

[afternoonrain]

Neither of the beeswax swatches I tried worked out too well. The first was mostly beeswax with a bit of coconut oil, and basically resulted in what I expected. The cloth was definitely waterproof, but was very "waxy," like a candle. I tried to saturate the swatches so that the liquid would penetrate through the fibers. The big problem came when I began to "wash" the cloth (by hand.) The beeswax pilled off. Probably great for earthen floors that aren't meant to be flexible. :shrug

I tried using more coconut oil than beeswax in the second swatch. I should have thought about this first. Of course, coconut oil melts with even moderately warm water, so my swatch was kind of sticky (and would probably attract dirt debrit and soap?)

Ah, oh well. I love experimenting..so I might try a few more alternatives...

[Rabbit]

Are you talking about the natural waterproofing of hemp or wool? Hemp canvas that is tightly woven and a heavy enough grade is spray proof enough without anything added. Wool need lanolin.

[jewelmcjem]

We're just using the light cotton outer curtain we had before it's working fine (when dd remembers to tuck it IN the shower, grrr!). I was thinking that heavy canvas or sailcloth should be pretty waterproof -- it's used for sails, after all. But this works fine - it does get wet but no spray out into the bathroom or anything. I wait til it's not dripping, then pull it back outside the tub so it doesn't get mildewy against the tub at the bottom. An added plus -- the grout in the wall tiles doesn't get mildewy as fast either since the air circulates through there better.