Short shower — that was me! Was it because I wanted to conserve water? Were my kids hollering for me the minute I started? Yes to both, but the truth is, my shower liner was the real reason. It was so smelly and gross. At first it was the smell of it — headache city. Then when the off-gassing was done the mildew and pink mold took hold. This is a complete disaster. There must be a better way! Enter the greener option…
What's To Love?:
Greener Aspects:
Rock Candy Life shower curtains are made out of PEVA, a non-chlorinated vinyl that is 100% recyclable, chlorine and PVC-free. They do not emit ‘off-gasses’ as traditional shower curtains do and are mildew resistant. So you don’t need a liner, it lasts without developing mildew, and it is recyclable — that adds up to less waste.
The shower curtains are produced in Taiwan in a factory vetted for ethical practices. They are designed in, and shipped from, Texas. When my curtain arrived, it was in an envelope rather than a cardboard box and had minimal packaging — just the bag in which the curtain was sealed with one piece of cardboard for shape.
What’s to love?:
You know that smell that knocks you over when you open the packaging of a new shower liner? Well forget it! This one has little or no smell at all. The first shower, I could smell the liner a bit, but nothing obnoxious. By the third shower, there was nothing to smell but my organic shampoo. Be careful not to loose yourself in the joy of an odor free shower and use too much water.
The curtain performed well without any leakage. It is the correct length for our application and since there are no magnets in the bottom edge, you can cut it down if you have a bathroom with a lower ceiling.
The designs are cool! They are all limited edition — when they sell out they retire the design and come up with a new one. Rock Candy Life has found a way to merge eco-friendly with style and affordability ($25 – $30). Way to go!
What’s not to love?:
The curtain is a little stiff and needs some “training” to get it to pleat while you open and close the curtain. I can live with that.
Why buy versus go without?:
The typical shower curtain liner is made of PVC vinyl. This is a particularly bad plastic — full of phthalates and other plasticizers that are known problems. https://www.thegreenmama.com/better-plastics
There are a number of “green” options for your shower curtain. If shopping around is your thing, make sure you consider the following:
- NO PVC!!!
- How long will this new curtain last? Being mass consumers is a big problem we face. So will the new curtain resist mildew? Is it machine washable or otherwise easily cleaned? Will the style stand the test of time?
- Very little lasts forever (not even Twinkies) so prepare for the end game. Is my new curtain recyclable or is it landfill bound?
Having a hard time sorting out the vinyls? Check out this link.
Overall Rating:
Health Rating:
Having a non-pvc vinyl is really important for lots of health reasons. In the perfect world and for perfect health, I recommend going with a non-plastic option like hemp or canvas, but they usually get grungy over time. So, this PVC-free vinyl is a good alternative.
Design Rating:
Really nice patterns, so you don’t feel like you need a liner and a curtain design-wise.
Carbon Rating:
Curtains are produced across the Pacific and travel a long way to get to us in North America. Hopefully something Rock Candy is working on reducing.
Waste Rating:
Its still plastic (less toxic than other options, but still plastic). We find a lot of re-uses for our old curtains, inside and outside for projects. Maybe you will too?
