What’s actually Organic in your home?

GOTS — the Global Organic Textile Standard — certifies the entire supply chain: fiber, spinning, dyeing, finishing and sewing. It also bans a long list of chemical inputs. The catch is that a brand can use GOTS-certified cotton and still sell a finished sheet that is not itself GOTS certified, so look for certification on the finished product, not just the fiber. Certifications, decoded →

No. “Made with organic cotton” can mean as little as 10 percent organic content. “Bamboo” without an OEKO-TEX certificate is usually rayon processed with harsh solvents. And “eco-friendly” and “sustainable” have no third-party verification behind them at all. When a product only makes a claim, we say so rather than dress it up. Certifications, decoded →

No. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 tests the finished textile for harmful substances — it says nothing about how the fiber was farmed. It is a real safety certification and a good companion to GOTS, or to European Flax on linen, but it is not a substitute for an organic standard. Certifications, decoded →

They cover different things. GOTS covers organic fiber and processing across the textile supply chain. GOLS — the Global Organic Latex Standard — verifies organic latex content and processing, which matters because “natural latex” without it may be a synthetic blend. Fair Trade Certified covers labor and wage standards, not organic farming. For foam, GreenGuard Gold sets chemical-emission limits and MADE SAFE screens for hazardous chemicals. Certifications, decoded →

We curate; we do not lab-test. A product has to be made from organic or natural fiber rather than a synthetic blend in green marketing; carry a certification that means something — GOTS, GOLS, OEKO-TEX, Fair Trade; publish real specifications, including fiber content, weave, weight and country of origin where available; and come from a supplier whose materials and certifications we can point to. We don’t publish fabricated scores or test verdicts, and we don’t claim to lab-test or wash-test products ourselves. Read The Standard →

We sell organic and naturally-made home goods and earn a margin on what we sell — that is our primary revenue. When we recommend something we don’t stock, the link may be an affiliate link and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We don’t take payment in exchange for placement, coverage or a recommendation. How we make money →