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Non Toxic Curtains
By Dr. Meg Christensen | Updated October 2025
Non-toxic curtains and blinds, analyzed for their health layer by layer. Plus, why most “organic” curtains aren’t actually organic.
Certified Non-Toxic Curtains
Made of 100% European flax, these non toxic curtains come in lots of styles and colors, and are all class 2 OEKO-TEX certified, meaning they’ve been tested for harmful chemicals and are safe to the touch. They are flame retardant free. In a world where so few GOTS certified organic curtains exist, these have been an Interior Medicine favorite for years.
Non toxic linen curtains with OEKO TEX certification, Piglet in Bed’s cute patterns are another great choice for healthier shades.
Quince Cotton Velvet Curtains
Despite what pops up during google searches, Quince doesn’t have any truly organic curtains. That said, they do have an impressive array of OEKO TEX certified cotton velvet curtains linked here. You can choose between a light filtering or room darkening polyester lining.
Not quite organic linen curtains, Solino Home offers light filtering curtains made with 100% natural linen in many colors. They’re the best linen curtains on Amazon. In an email, they state their fabric is made in an OEKO TEX certified facility and that they do not add flame retardants.
Earthshade Organic Blinds
Earthshade offers a variety of organic blinds, Roman shades, roller shades, and metallic versions. You can select from GOTS certified organic cotton, hemp, or standard polyester for linings for their curtains, and jute, bamboo, or wood reeds for their blinds. An investment; they've been making safer, chemical free blinds for decades.
Almost no truly organic options exist for curtains, but if it’s important to you, you can make your own Organic DIY curtains with a flat sheet and using these easy instructions. You could also source truly organic fabric from Two Sisters Ecotextiles.
Crate and Barrel Semi-Organic Curtains
A search for “organic curtains” brings up a lot of brands that are partially or minimally organic. Crate and Barrel is the best of them— theirs are made of 100% cotton, at least 50% of which is organic. They don’t necessarily stay organic during dying and processing, so don’t have GOTS certification, but they do have OEKO TEX certification, meaning they’re tested for the most harmful chemicals. This is a step above Anthropologie, Barn and Willow, and other big brands that can’t back up their organic claims. You can read more about why that’s important for health below, or in my Fabric Guide.
A handful of small brands that can’t necessarily afford the expensive GOTS or OEKO TEX certification like the big brands do, still use organic fabric and safe processing techniques. Anchal Project is one of them— they use Azo-free dyes. There are also many makers on Etsy who start with organic fabric. To find a pair of curtains with materials you trust, look for a high degree of transparency and a willingness to tell you about the details of their processing or why they haven’t pursued certifications. You can read more about what to look for in my Fabric Guide.
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Why is it so hard to find GOTS certified organic curtains?
GOTS certification for curtains is an expensive and complicated certification to achieve, because it requires that the entire life of the curtain is organic, from fiber growth to dying to stitching. Big brands that can afford this certification still don’t have GOTS certified organic curtains available, likely because most consumers would be unwilling to pay the price for them, settling instead for an OEKO TEX certified fabric instead, which is less strict and less expensive. Because curtains are a low-touch item, an OEKO TEX certified pair is typically safe enough for most people’s regular use.
What does GOTS certified mean?
GOTS is short for the Global Organic Textile Standard.
It is the gold standard 3rd party certification for organic fabrics made from natural fibers like wool, cotton, linen, and others.
Fabric with the GOTS-certified organic label means that at least 95% of the starting fibers are certified organic, and ensures that the fabric remains healthy throughout the entire manufacturing process. This means the dyes and other chemicals used are safer for human and ecological health than standard fabric processing methods. No harmful finishes may be added to the final product.
What is OEKO TEX?
OEKO TEX certification applies to the finished product only, and is for both natural and synthetic textiles. Organic fibers, as well as man-made fabrics like polyester can both qualify, depending on what chemicals, and how much of them, are left in the final product. It does allow for some harmful chemicals, but in much lower quantities than are used in standard textile processing. You can see their limits, which are updated annually, here.
Are there flame retardants in curtains?
In many, yes. In many states and cities, it’s a requirement that curtains used in public spaces meet standards for low flammability set by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Ironically, natural fibers have flame retardants added to them more often than polyester and other synthetic fibers, because natural fibers burn more readily. The easiest way to know if your curtains have flame retardants is by looking for GOTS certification, which prohibits them, or for OEKO TEX certification, which prohibits flame retardants except in firefighting clothing. You can also confirm directly with the company that they don’t use them, as I did for the options above.
What else is in my curtain fabric?
Making fabric is a surprisingly chemically-intensive process. For natural curtains, if the fibers are grown conventionally, pesticides and fertilizers are used. Synthetic sheets (polyester, microfiber, etc) come from petroleum. Acids, scouring chemicals, and other processing agents used to wash fibers. Fiber-strengthening chemicals are aded to turn the fibers into sheets of fabric. Detergents, solvents, bleaches, acids, and enzymes are used to remove chemicals from previous steps, make the fabrics lighter, or prepare them to accept dyes in the next step. Pigments, binders, plasticizers, PVC, and other polymers (plastics) are used in this step, to make the dyes stick to the surface of the fabric. Finally, chemical treatments are added to make the fabric perform a certain way. Formaldehyde resins offer wrinkle-resistance, other resins work for anti-pilling, PFAS for stain-resistance, polyglycols for anti-pilling, acrylates or PVC with plasticizers for protective coatings, and flame retardants for fire resistance. Read more about this process and fabric in general in my Fabric Guide.
Does washing fabric remove chemicals?
Unfortunately, no. This research study from 2015 assessed the textile processing chemicals left on 60 different clothing garments before and after washing. Thousands of chemical compounds were found using gas and high-performance liquid chromatography which are laboratory methods of separating and identifying specific chemicals.
They found more chemicals in polyester and other synthetic garments compare to clothing made with cotton and other natural materials.
Concentrations of the chemicals did decrease after washing, but not by much, confirming that these pollutants both make their way into our water supply through washing, and stay behind on clothing for contact with our skin.
You may already know this experientially, as well— if you’ve ever purchased a water-resistant coat, which are made waterproof by treatment with PFAS, it can handle a few washes before you start to notice that it’s less and less waterproof. The same concept goes for dyes; over time, dyes are released and your clothes become less vibrant. Many textiles dyes, of course, are carcinogenic and have other health effects, as well.
In short, what is used in fabric processing doesn’t stay in the fabric. Some is washed away, some stays in contact with your skin. I think it’s still a good idea to wash fabric and look up methods for removing chemicals while preserving the textile itself. But, whenever possible, this is why it’s important to choose fabric that is grown and processed organically, or at least has declared the ingredients used in its creation.
Does Etsy have organic curtains?
They may, though it is harder to verify fabric certifications and how it was treated. Ask the shop owner about GOTS or OEKO TEX certifications and whether they added anything to the fabrics when sewing curtains. Here is my guide to healthier textiles for additional information as you decide.
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