Shower Curtains
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Shower curtain for cast iron tub
Dec 2011I'm looking for a recommendation for a shower curtain from anyone who has a claw foot, cast iron tub. The problem I find is that two shower curtains barely wrap around the tub so we have to clip them with a metal clip, but three curtains are too many with all the billowing plastic. Also, every curtain we have tried just gets sucked into the shower space as soon as the water comes on. Because of this, we have it anchored to the wall with a pushpin. The only material that seems heavy enough to minimize the suction effect is heavy clear plastic, which turns white constantly and looks terrible. Those dinky magnets sewn into the bottoms don't help at all. We tried hemp curtains once and they were perpetually moldy. Help! Victorian dweller, shower taker
There are several strategies that can reduce or stop this problem. First, a double set of curtains, one inside, one outside, with the interior curtain being of a heavy material; second is the weight/magnets/suction cups that you have already tried, but make sure the magnets are powerful and/or the weights are heavier and all spaced close together (fish weights, chains or table cloth edge weights); and finally the most effective fix is to install a rod that curves away from the long straight sides of the tub. Like so: (II). While you can purchase curved rods for a regular bath, you may need to construct this yourself for a claw foot, or modify an existing system. The curvature will greater reduce the suck in, plus because the top curves beyond the edge of the tub, the upper portion will provide a wider area with more elbow room. You can see the effect of this geometry by holding a tissue straight along the long edge and blowing on it. Do the same thing again by holding the edge against a curved piece of plastic (a comb or plastic ruler works) and notice the greatly reduced 'suction' effect, especially at the ends. A combo of all three methods should eliminate the problem and provide a wider shower area, but a curved rod may be sufficient in itself, with a heavier weight curtain. CB
We use a shower curtain ordered from this company: http://www.shop4classics.com/product.asp?lid=738 and like it pretty well. It is one piece, doesn't billow so much, is heavy and the magnets work well. The frosted version doesn't get ugly as fast. It's held up nicely for going on five years now. We use the rollerball-type hooks for ease of movement and reduce stress on the grommets. We've also found that a bathroom squeegee (like the Clerz products) can help keep shower curtains looking good for a long time. Jim
I use two nylon shower curtains from Restoration Hardware. They look like they are perfectly sewable, and I keep meaning to sew them together at one end, but really I just overlap them by one hole and pin them together with a clothes pin in back. This leaves a small area at one end open (about 18' to 2'), but that hasn't been a problem for us.
The best thing is that they go in the washer and dry in minutes on a clothesline or drying rack. (Beats scrubbing tile!) I even use bleach on them, although the care instructions say not to. My current set is probably about 10 years old.
I also thought I would turn up the hems (they're pretty long) and put magnets in the pockets, but they kinda stick to the damp side of the tub and don't billow too badly. Chris
Fabric Shower Curtain with No Liner
May 2011We want to replace our moldy plastic shower curtain with a fabric one that requires no plastic liner and can be thrown into the washing machine. Hemp is too expensive (the ones I've seen are $100+); we want to spend less than $50. Has anyone had any luck with a fabric shower curtain(preferably cotton and not polyester)? Where did you buy it and how much did it cost? sick of plastic
We were also sick of our moldy plastic shower curtain. I bought a fabric curtain on sale at Pottery Barn for about $35 and an EVA liner for $12. The liner is very thin and soft. If you dry the shower curtain well after each shower you could probably get away with not using a liner. We keep the liner tucked inside the bath and the curtain outside. Hate mold too
I tried cotton so you don't have to! The cotton gets really heavy when it absorbs water, and takes a long time to dry. It gets moldy fast. And if you wash it in hot water with bleach to kill the mold, it's likely to shrink.
Nylon or polyester shower curtains are still plastic-based, but they hold up longer than the vinyl ones and you can toss them in the washer as often as you like. If you don't spray directly on them, they won't overspray onto the floor. But if you kids like to play 'tidal wave!' in the tub, they won't do much to keep your floor dry * singing in the bathtub
I just bought a linen shower curtain at www.giaim.com for $58. Pricey but worth it. I hate stinky bathrooms too
We use a nylon shower curtain liner as our shower curtain. Simple white look, inexpensive, easy to toss in the washing machine, and either hang back up to dry or run briefly in the dryer on low.
Restoration Hardware has a fabric shower certain for $20 that does not require a liner. It's nylon instead of cotton. We've been happy with ours
Restoration Hardware has a great fabric shower curtain that doesn't require a liner. They call it a hotel shower curtain and it costs $20, and it can be thrown in the washer. We have it and it's fantastic. Katherine
I buy mine at Bed Bath and Beyond. You will have to look carefully to find it, and it cost around 20 dollars. I think that it is polyester, but it definitely has a fabric feel. I throw it into the washer, and even bleach it. Good luck
BTW: You can wash your plastic shower curtain in the washing macine to keep it fresh. Of course not the dryer though heart
We have used a fabric curtain (only) for years and years. A decorative curtain PLUS a liner is way too foofy for me, and the fabric curtains last much longer without getting grody than the vinyl ones do, plus they are of course much easier to clean. The only disadvantage is a much more limited choice of colors and no prints or cute designs. I know you can get densely-woven natural-fiber versions from places that sell 'eco friendly' housewares, but those are too pricey for me. I've just used the cheap ($20 or $30) polyester ones from places like Bed Bath& Beyond, and they work fine. Holly
Shower curtains for clawfoot tub
March 2009Hello- Needing some advice for keeping water off of our bathroom floor when using the shower in our clawfoot tub. We have a leak into the downstairs which we think is coming from water on the floor. It is hard to keep all water in the tub since the shower curtains need to part to let in the shower head and to reach out to get the shampoo, etc. Any thoughts? Also, alternatives to the toxic smelling nylon curtains would be appreciated! Thanks! Lisa
We cut a hole in the curtains and feed the head through. We also cut some shapes to fit around the taps. That way it runs all the way around behind and doesn't leak. fiona
I don't know what kind of shower rod you have now, but if you don't have a hoop like this, http://www.amazon.com/Add-Shower-Set-Clawfoot-Tub/dp/B000MK30XW, you need to get one. Then get two shower curtains (cloth is fine, you can get them at Bed Bath and Beyond or just Google it) and overlap them in front. Next, get a shower organizer with pockets like this, http://www.alwaysbrilliant.com/aa/aspx-products/1-1247/2-56395/SC-Froogle/kw-62865/bb/Hanging-Bathroom-Organizers.htm, and hang it on the inside of the curtain so you don't have to reach out. Water outside the tub can cause toxic mold and eventually structural problems in the building, so it is very important to keep moisture damage to a minimum. Sanon
I use 5 (!) yes 5 IKEA plastic shower curtins with our claw foot tub. I unpack them & hang them on the line to vape off before I bring them in. Then I hang & cut them to fit around the hardware so that the overflow is clear and water doesn't go to the wall or floor anywhere. Curious what others do!?!??
Hemp Shower Curtains
Oct 2006I am trying to rid our house of as many potentially toxic artificial chemicals as I can. Vinyl shower curtains are terrible as they have toxic phthalates in them. Has anyone tried a hemp shower curtain? They are very expensive when I search online ($64 to $72 plus shipping) but look promising in that they are clean and chemical free, and can be washed and should last for a long time. How long though, is a long time? If you have one, was it worth the purchase? How long has your curtain lasted? Do you use it alone (like the websites claim you can) or with a liner, and have you found a vinyl-free liner? Where can I get one? Any local sources in the East Bay so I don't have to order one online? Any info would be appreciated before I make the plunge and buy a very expensive stall shower curtain! Thanks! wants to stop using toxic $9.99 vinyl shower curtains
Bed Bath & Beyond sells polyester liners for $12.99. I believe the brand name is Hotel. They come in a variety of colors and both look and work great anon
I bought a cotton shower curtain and a nylon liner at Bed, Bath and Beyond. They work great. The liner does get a bit mildewy, I may not wash it quite often enough. I periodically replace it. go for it
We bought a hemp curtain 4 years ago. We've washed it 4 times (only when it got pretty clearly mildewy around the bottom and started to smell a little) in warm water, air-dried. It shrank noticeably the first time, and the last time we washed it (a few months ago), it got pretty ragged around the bottom, where the mildew had apparently destroyed the fibers. We intend to throw it out when we move in a month. We bought it online (we did a little research and didn't find any in the Bay Area), and paid something like $70 for it. We used it without a liner, and took pretty good care of it (never leaving it bunched up, etc.). It was expensive, and didn't last anywhere near as long as we hoped, but it was worth it to us (no offgassing, less trash, no dioxin generated), and we'll buy another one Hempy
I can't comment on hemp, but IKEA sells only non-vinyl curtains and liners R.K.
I have plain cotton shower curtains which do the job (keeping water in the tub) just fine. No liner necessary. I don't know about how long they will last. I only take a shower rarely. If you are concerned about the air you breathe, showers are not the best choice because of all the chemicals that volatilize in the spray. If you don't have a filter for your shower, a bath may be a better choice. In addition, the more water in the air, the more mold that grows, which is also not good for you.
we had one, but it is so thick and heavy it takes forever to dry so it got mildewed. I wasn't going to use bleach every week! Our solution is that we have a very filmy white cotton shower curtain from cost plus. It is meant to be used with a liner but we use it plain. A little water mist escapes, but it does a pretty impressive job of keeping the water in! It dries quickly, which inhibits mildewing -- to help this we spread it out after use and the hem is pulled out of the tub after it finishes dripping. Go ahead and try a thin cotton curtain--you may like it as we do -- hates vinyl too
I had my hemp shower curtain for 5 years until we moved to a house that did not require shower curtains. It was great! Easy to wash and I even brought out the non-toxic fabric paint and added my own design when I got tired to the plain off-white. (My daughter loved that part). I used it without a liner and had no problems. The curtain would get wet, but dry quickly, and since I could wash with a non-chlorine (Hydrogen peroxide) bleach whenever I felt it was getting a bit musty, it was always fine - if a bit boring. I recommend it! OH! I got mine a Real Goods, but I'm sure if you google ''Hemp Shower Curtains'' you could find one easily enough. Sorry I cant' recommend a local store
We bought a fabric shower liner at Target and use it with a fabric shower curtain. It's not as waterproof as a vinyl liner (you have to be careful that the liner isn't touching the curtain). I think it only cost $10. I was worried when I bought it that it would mold, but it hasn't so far (about six months). I just stretch it out the length of the tub when I am done showering so it can dry. It's machine washable, too. Hope this helps.
I've never used a hemp one, but I have an alternative solution for you if you're willing to accept a ''compromise'' -- it's not a natural or organic material, but is much nicer than vinyl, and a lot cheaper than hemp or cotton. Plus, lightweight, and a choice of colors! We have a polyester fabric curtain which I bought at Bed Bath and Beyond for something like $15. It is watertight, machine washable and has lasted for years and years Can't Afford Organic
You can also make shower curtain liners cheaply, it's very cheap and easy and I'm *not* a sewer. My first one I made it out of canvas, which has water repellent *qualities*, loosely speaking. I bought a piece of fabric that was wide enough to fit the length of the shower, and sewed in cheap magnets on the bottom so that it stuck to the inside of the tub. I used seam binding for decoration and to hem the sides, buttonholes to house the shower clips. It's about 6 years old now and in fine shape (I wash it about every other week). The next one I make I will use a lighter fabric. It took the canvas a while to dry but the cotton was a relief after plastic liners. anon