That “new shower curtain smell” — the sharp, plasticky odor that fills the bathroom when you first hang a vinyl curtain liner — is not just an inconvenience. It is the off-gassing of volatile organic compounds from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the synthetic plastic that most inexpensive shower curtains are made from. PVC releases over a hundred volatile compounds, including phthalates used as plasticizers and organotin compounds used as stabilizers, into the warm, humid, enclosed air of the bathroom.
What PVC Shower Curtains Release
A study conducted by the Center for Health, Environment and Justice tested five new PVC shower curtains purchased from major retailers and found that they released over a hundred different chemicals into the air during the first twenty-eight days after opening. The concentrations of some compounds exceeded guidelines for indoor air quality. In the small, poorly ventilated space of a bathroom — where the curtain hangs inside or near a warm shower — these emissions concentrate at levels that are meaningfully higher than they would be in a larger room.
The Alternatives
The Healthier Alternatives
PEVA (polyethylene vinyl acetate) is a non-chlorinated vinyl alternative that does not contain phthalates or release chlorine-based compounds. It is widely available, similarly priced to PVC, and produces significantly less off-gassing. If you want a plastic curtain liner, PEVA is the minimum upgrade.
Choosing a Curtain That Protects the Air
Fabric curtain liners — made from polyester, nylon, or cotton treated with a water-resistant coating — eliminate the plastic chemistry entirely. They are machine-washable, which means they can be cleaned rather than replaced when mildew appears. A cotton or hemp shower curtain with a fabric liner is the most health-conscious option: it introduces no synthetic off-gassing into the bathroom, it is durable, and it dries faster than most people expect.
The best option, where design and budget allow, is glass — a frameless glass enclosure eliminates the curtain entirely. Glass does not off-gas, does not harbor mold the way fabric folds do, and creates a more open, visually clean bathroom. For any shower renovation, the move from curtain to glass is worth considering.
Where To Start
- Replace any PVC shower curtain with PEVA or fabric immediately. This is a five-minute swap that eliminates a significant source of volatile chemical exposure in the bathroom.
- Choose a machine-washable fabric liner. Cotton, hemp, or polyester liners can be laundered when mildew appears rather than thrown away and replaced.
- Consider glass for your next renovation. A frameless glass enclosure eliminates the curtain entirely — no off-gassing, no mold in fabric folds, no replacement cycle.
The shower curtain is one of the most overlooked sources of chemical exposure in the home — precisely because it seems so ordinary. Replacing it with a healthier material takes minutes, costs almost nothing, and removes a daily source of indoor air pollution from the room where you start every morning.
What is your shower curtain made of — and did it have a smell when you first hung it?