recommendation for shower curtains?

[HappyHappyMommy]

Can anyone recommend a good shower curtain liner. I want to keep the bathroom dry (so fabric is out), but I don't like the smell of vinyl. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

[fiona2359]

I'm not sure what there would be that isn't fabric or plastic... I did have a fabric one from Target (they also sell them on Amazon) that was similar to what they have in hotel rooms. It dried quickly and lasted many years. It could be put in the washer and dryer so it was easy to keep clean. I just replaced it because it was getting slightly discolored - I probably have had it 5 years or so.

http://www.amazon.com/InterDesign-Fabric-Waterproof-Shower-Curtain/dp/B0027IS6NG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1310173940&sr=8-4

I guess the alternative would maybe be a bamboo curtain of some kind - but I would think that would get wet and be difficult to keep clean.

[bobcat]

Bed Bath and Beyond sells one that is labelled "vinyl free" or "PVC free." The feel of it is different....it is less flexible, more stiff, and much more transparent, aka, clear as glass (not translucent aka semi-transparent like the older vinyl ones). I think I have also seen them at Walmart, but not sure. Target probably has them too. Vinyl is the same as PVC, when you are reading these labels on shower curtains.

We have one, and I recall it not giving off any kind of smell. I purposefully wanted to avoid PVC, because it's bad for people and the earth.

The feel of it is a little different, more stiff, and you can see soap scum on it a little more, since it's more clear. But I have no regrets. Mold doesn't grow on it, because the surface is so slick. I think to wash it, we would just take it down and scrub with a sponge. I wouldn't put it in the washing machine. The soap scum doens't bother me...it's minor.

I personally wouldn't buy a fabric one, because it should be easy for mold to grow on that kind of a surface, so I'd be 99.9% sure it's treated with some kind of anti-microbial chemical, and who knows how safe that chemical is, when heat/steam is applied, it could go into your lungs, etc.

I think the clear ones I have are made of poly....ethylene? It's a material that is basically known to be people-safe, despite the chemical-sounding name. It's basically food-grade plastic (not the BPA stuff).