Our Shower Curtain Construction	Other Manufacturer's Construction

Superior Performance

We have sold Cotton and Hemp shower curtains for many years and for a time, they were the only environmentally sensitive and less toxic options to Vinyl shower liners to keep water in tubs and shower stalls. Untreated natural fiber shower curtains, like Cotton and Hemp, have many drawbacks when they are used as a shower liner and get wet repeatedly. We received numerous product returns due to mold growth on the Cotton and Hemp material. We have discussed these issues with our customers who followed care instructions and used fabric treatments with enzyme cultures designed to control mildew and nothing worked. Even Hemp fabric, which should be naturally mold and mildew resistant, had problems with mold growth and mildew staining. After a year in development, EnviroCurtain^tm has produced a superior product that combines the performance and looks you want in a shower liner with environmental sensitivity. Here is why our 100% Recycled Polyester shower curtains are superior to untreated Cotton, Hemp and other natural plant fiber shower curtains:

Cotton, Hemp and other Natural Fibers - all plants contain fibrous bundles that may be used to produce textiles such as seed fiber (Cotton, Kapok) and bast fiber (from the plant stem - Hemp, Flax, Jute, Kenaf). The common characteristic of these natural fibers is that they contain cellulose and this is what creates problems for textiles used in wet environments.

• Moisture Absorption - moisture and a food source are two necessities for mold and mildew to grow. Cotton, Hemp and other natural fibers absorb and hold moisture.

• Mold and Mildew - the cellulosic fibers provide a good food source and with moisture, provide an environment for mold and mildew to proliferate.

• Resiliency - resiliency is the measure of how well a fiber recovers from deformation (bending, twisting, etc.). Cotton, Hemp and other natural fibers have low resiliency and will wrinkle badly and require extra care if a wrinkle free appearance is desired.

• Shrinkage - natural plant fiber fabric will shrink considerably when washed for the first few times. This is why manufacturers make their products oversized. The amount of shrinkage is not consistent and depends on factors such as water temperature, drying temperature, detergents used and water conditions. It is difficult to guarantee the final size of a Cotton, Hemp and other natural fiber shower curtains after washing/drying.

• Durability - Cotton yarn is made from staple fibers of Cotton that are usually twisted together to create "spun yarn". The yarns are then used to weave the Cotton fabric. Cotton fibers can range in length of 1/2" to 2". Over time as the shower curtain is used, washed and dried, these short fibers will begin to fall from the yarns used in the weaving. This will weaken the fabric and eventually cause the fabric to decompose. Anyone that has worn Cotton blue jeans knows that cotton will wear and breakdown. If you have ever emptied a dryer lint screen after drying Cotton goods, you have seen the buildup of these Cotton fibers.

Recycled Polyester - recycled Polyester has all of the properties of virgin (new) Polyester. It is the most widely used synthetic fiber. Our shower curtains are made from 100% recycled material containing post consumer and post industrial Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) waste to give you all the characteristics of a synthetic Polyester material with the added benefit of environmental responsibility.

• Moisture Absorption - Polyester does not absorb moisture into the fibers. Actually, Polyester wicks moisture away and spreads it out for evaporation and quick drying. High performance outdoor and athletic clothing used to control wetness and moisture are made with Polyester fabric and related synthetic materials. Polyester will not hold moisture and wetness to contribute to mold and mildew growth. Additionally, the EnviroCurtain^tm has a water repellant finish to help keep water off of the material. 

• Mold and Mildew - being a synthetic fiber, Polyester does not have any food value to contribute to mold and mildew growth. As extra protection, our 100% recycled Polyester Shower Curtains have an anti-microbial treatment applied to the fabric to help prevent mold and mildew growth.

• Resiliency - Polyester has high resiliency to resist wrinkles and if wrinkled, will recover well to maintain a good appearance.

• Shrinkage - the fabric used in our EnviroCurtain^tm Shower Curtains have been heat set to eliminate shrinkage. The product is the right size right out of the package.

• Durability - the abrasion resistance and strength of Polyester is excellent, whether wet or dry. The material is also resistant to sunlight damage. Polyester fibers are extruded to make continuous filament yarns. Unlike Cotton, the manufactured fibers used to make Polyester yarn are continuous in length and have no protruding ends that can cause lint or pilling. You won't see the build-up of link in the dryer screen indicating a breakdown of the material.

Environmental Impact

Our EnviroCurtain^tm Shower Curtains meet the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines for recycled products. Made from 100% recycled materials including post consumer and post industrial Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) waste. This keeps these materials out of landfills and provides a value and demand for the base materials to encourage recycling.

post industrial fiber waste and post consumer plastics are collected

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 the waste enters a unique material conversion process where it is chopped, ground, melted and reformulated

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a 100% recycled chip is formed

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the recycled chip is extruded and textured through a proprietary process

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first quality recycled yarns are produced ready for weaving

The material used for our shower curtains conserves natural resources by reducing the energy consumption necessary for production and protects petroleum resources by offsetting the need to produce virgin (new) polyester. Each full size EnviroCurtain^tm Shower Curtain saves 130,000 BTU's of energy compared to the production of virgin (new) polyester, equivalent to over 1 gallon of gasoline. The sale of 26 full size recycled polyester shower curtains saves enough energy in the manufacturing of yarn to power a home for an entire month.