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Best Organic and Non-Toxic Curtains
By Dr. Meg Christensen | Updated Decmber 2025
I analyze curtains layer by layer—fabric, dyes, chemical treatments, flame retardants—and verify every "non-toxic" and "organic" claim against GOTS and OEKO-TEX certifications. Rated from healthiest to least healthy for curtains that are both safe and beautiful. Scroll down to learn how fabric processing affects health, why flame retardants are used in curtains, and which certifications guarantee truly non-toxic materials.
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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Your Guide to Non-Toxic and Organic Curtains: Understanding GOTS, OEKO TEX, Chemicals, and Safety
Why is it so hard to find GOTS certified organic curtains?
GOTS certification for curtains is expensive and complicated to achieve because it requires the entire life of the curtain to be organic—from fiber growth to dyeing to stitching. Even big brands that can afford GOTS certification don't offer certified organic curtains, likely because most consumers won't pay the premium price, opting instead for OEKO TEX certified fabric, which is less strict, a little less healthy, and also less expensive.
I think that’s just fine, firstly because I don’t think anyone needs to be perfectly healthy and prioritize transparency, but more than that— curtains are a low-touch item. You may touch them once daily with one hand. Compared to bedding, which your entire body is in very close contact with for 8 hours a night, an OEKO TEX certified pair of curtains is typically safe enough for most people's regular use.
For now, if you want truly organic curtains, you can make DIY organic curtains with GOTS certified flat sheets or source organic fabric.
What does GOTS and OEKO TEX certification mean for curtains?
What does GOTS certified mean for curtains?
GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standard—the gold standard third-party certification for organic fabrics made from natural fibers like cotton, wool, linen, and hemp.
Curtains with the GOTS certified organic label, if they were to exist, would mean at least 95% of the starting fibers are certified organic, and the fabric remains healthy throughout manufacturing. The dyes and processing chemicals must be safer for human health than standard methods. GOTS prohibits harmful finishes commonly found in curtains, including flame retardants, formaldehyde resins for wrinkle-resistance, and PFAS stain treatments.
What is OEKO TEX certification for curtains?
OEKO TEX certification applies to the finished curtain product (not every step of the way like GOTS) and covers both natural and synthetic curtain fabrics. That means organic cotton or linen curtains and polyester curtains can all qualify, depending on what chemicals—and how much of them—remain in the final product.
OEKO TEX allows some chemicals but in much lower quantities than standard curtain processing. There are four OEKO TEX classes, and the class matters for curtains:
OEKO TEX Class I is the strictest level, meaning the curtain fabric is safe even for babies and toddlers to touch—important for nursery curtains or kids' rooms where children might grab or chew on fabric.
OEKO TEX Class II means the curtain fabric is safe for direct skin contact for adults. This is ideal for most residential curtains.
OEKO TEX Class III and IV are for other decorative items without frequent skin contact— which, for most people, curtains fall into. These are still much safer than uncertified curtains that may contain flame retardants or formaldehyde finishes that off gas.
For curtains, OEKO TEX certification prohibits flame retardants and tests for harmful substances including heavy metals, formaldehyde, pesticides, and phthalates commonly used in curtain manufacturing. You can see their complete limits, which are updated annually, on the OEKO TEX website.
Do curtains contain flame retardants, VOCs, or other chemicals?
Are there flame retardants in curtains?
In some curtains, yes, to meet low flammability standards set by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Ironically, natural fibers like cotton and linen have flame retardants added more often than polyester and other synthetic fibers because natural materials burn more readily.
The easiest way to know if your curtains contain flame retardants is by looking for GOTS certification (which prohibits them) or OEKO TEX certification (which prohibits flame retardants in curtains and other home goods.) You can also confirm directly with the company for peace of mind.
Do curtains off-gas VOCs?
Yes, many conventional curtains off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs), especially curtains with PVC backing, vinyl coatings, chemical treatments, or synthetic dyes. VOCs can contribute to poor indoor air quality and cause headaches, respiratory irritation, and other health effects.
Look for curtains with GreenGuard Gold certification, which screens for over 15,000 VOCs and ensures low chemical emissions. Natural fiber curtains with OEKO TEX or GOTS certification are also safer choices that won't off-gas harmful chemicals into your home.
What chemicals are used to make curtain fabric?
Making fabric is surprisingly chemically intensive! Here's what goes into conventional curtain production:
Growing & harvesting: For natural fibers grown conventionally, pesticides and fertilizers are used. Synthetic fabrics like polyester come from petroleum, and are technically a type of plastic.
Fiber processing: Acids, scouring chemicals, and other agents wash and prepare fibers. Fiber-strengthening chemicals turn fibers into sheets of fabric.
Dyeing: Detergents, solvents, bleaches, acids, and enzymes prepare fabric to accept dyes. Pigments, binders, plasticizers, PVC, and other polymers make dyes stick to fabric.
Finishing treatments: Formaldehyde resins for wrinkle-resistance, PFAS for stain-resistance, acrylates or PVC with plasticizers for UV protective coatings, and flame retardants for fire resistance.
You can read more about this in my Fabric Guide.
Does washing fabric remove chemicals from curtains?
Does washing fabric remove chemicals from curtains?
Unfortunately, no—at least not significantly. A 2015 research study assessed textile processing chemicals left on 60 different clothing garments before and after washing. They found thousands of chemical compounds, with more chemicals in polyester and synthetic garments compared to cotton and natural materials. This is partly why sports bras and leggings received some blow-back about having BPA in them— as you sweat, it encourages BPA out of the fabric and directly onto your skin. Obviously you’re not sweating on your curtains, but these chemicals are still there and will find their way onto your hands and into the environment over time.
Concentrations of chemicals decreased slightly after washing, but not by much, confirming that these pollutants both make their way into water supplies through washing and stay behind on fabric for contact with skin.
You may already know this from experience—water-resistant coats treated with PFAS can handle a few washes before they become less waterproof. The same concept applies to dyes; over time, dyes are released and colors fade. Many textile dyes are carcinogenic and have other health effects.
In short: What's used in fabric processing doesn't fully stay in the fabric. Some washes away, some doesn’t. It's still a good idea to wash new curtains, but whenever possible, choose fabric that's grown and processed organically or at least declares the ingredients used in its creation.
What are the safest materials for non-toxic curtains?
The safest curtain materials depend on which certifications you can find, and your budget. Again, if you tend toward perfectionism, remember that curtains are a low-touch item.
The hierarchy for curtain materials:
GOTS certified organic cotton, linen, or hemp are the gold standard for curtain materials. These certifications ensure the fibers are grown organically and processed without harmful chemicals, flame retardants, formaldehyde resins, or PFAS treatments. However, GOTS certified curtains are extremely rare (non-existent?) and expensive because certification requires organic integrity from fiber growth through dyeing to final stitching.
OEKO TEX certified natural fibers (cotton, linen, hemp) are the next best option and much more widely available. OEKO TEX certification tests the finished fabric for harmful substances including flame retardants, heavy metals, formaldehyde, pesticides, and phthalates. Look for OEKO TEX Class I for nurseries (safe for babies to touch) or Class II for adult spaces (safe for direct skin contact). Magic Linen offers OEKO TEX certified linen curtains with natural fiber content.
OEKO TEX certified polyester can be safe when properly certified. Polyester itself is relatively stable (it's the same material as PET plastic bottles), but the health concerns come from chemical additives—antimony residue from manufacturing, phthalates for softness, BPA, and unknown contaminants in recycled polyester. OEKO TEX Class I certification ensures these harmful chemicals are below safe thresholds, essentially leaving just inert polymer fibers.
Uncertified natural fibers from transparent small brands (requires research)
Uncertified polyester or synthetic blends may contain flame retardants, formaldehyde resins, PFAS stain treatments, or other undisclosed chemicals. Without third-party certification, you have no way to verify what's actually in the fabric.
PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and vinyl are the worst offenders. These materials off-gas harmful VOCs including phthalates and organotins, especially when heated by sunlight. Avoid any curtains described as having "vinyl coating" or PVC content.
Look for transparency from brands about their materials and processing methods.
Are polyester curtains safe?
Are polyester curtains toxic?
Polyester lands very much in the grey area between non-toxic and toxic. You can see a visual guide of exactly where in my free Fabric Rating Guide.
Polyester itself is relatively stable once made, meaning it doesn't easily make its way into your body. In that sense, polyester curtains are safer than PVC or vinyl curtains. They typically don’t off-gas. However, polyester's health issues come from the chemicals that often accompany it during processing—dyes, finishes, flame retardants, and plasticizers, that fall out of the fabric and settle into dust over time, or that can be absorbed through skin.
Look for polyester curtains with OEKO TEX certification to ensure harmful chemicals have been tested for and are below safe thresholds. Natural fibers like organic cotton, linen, or hemp are generally healthier choices when available.
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