Softweave Products Are Oeko-Tex Certified: What Does This Mean?

What do Oeko-Tex certified towels mean?

Chemicals, bleaches and dyes are harmful not only to the environment but also to the human body. It is said that new clothes should be washed before they are worn. This is because the human skin is permeable. It absorbs anything that comes into contact with it. So when clothes processed with harmful chemicals and dyes are worn without washing, our skin absorbs these chemicals and reacts to them.

Some clothes carry a label that indicates ‘Oeko Tex Certified’. Softweave towels also carry this label. You do not need to wash Oeko Tex certified clothes before using them for the first time.
What does Oeko Tex mean? Are they different from organic clothes?

Oeko Tex is an independent global certification system for textiles. While organic certification is done for the raw materials (cotton, bamboo, flax, hemp) that go into the fabric, Oeko Tex certification is done for the processes that are carried out on the fabric. This includes dyeing and finishing.

An Oeko Tex certified product is a guaranteed product . This means that the fabrics are tested and have been processed without using harmful chemicals.

Following are the most important things to know about Oeko Tex:

• It is a certification that was introduced in 1992 and is provided by independent third-party laboratories all over the world.
• The test is applicable to yarns, fabrics, buttons, sewing threads, studs, zippers, rubber bands, labels, prints, leathers, colorants, and textile chemicals. It is a voluntary
  certification that manufacturers undertake to prove that the finished product is not harmful to wear.
• Products are tested for harmful substances or chemicals which are prohibited by law and harmful to human health. Testing is also done to check color fastness and acidity.
• The stringency of the tests depends on the time the textile is in contact with the skin. Prolonged contact between the textile and the skin would mean that the test would be more
  stringent.
• The tests are globally binding and are updated every year. The current version is Standard 100 and is available on the official Okeo Tex website.

The requirements and intensity of the test depends upon the end-use of the textile. Following are the four product classes under Oeko Tex.

• Class I – These include items for babies and infants (up to 36 months of age). Tests for this category are more rigorous than any other test. There is also an additional test of saliva resistance.
• Class II – These include items that come under direct and prolonged or large-area contact with the skin.
• Class III – These include items with little or no skin contact.
• Class IV – These include furnishing materials for decorative purposes (upholstery, curtains, table linen, carpets, etc.)

All the Oeko – Tex certifications are valid for one year. Ideally, consumers should buy products that are organically processed or are Oeko – Tex certified and should not forget to verify the issue date. We believe in mindful manufacturing, hence all the products at Softweave are Oeko – Tex certified. Hope this information helps you with all your future textile purchases.