What is the Oeko Tex label?
The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 label is designed to guarantee that textiles are free from substances that are toxic to the body and the environment. It assures consumers that ready-to-wear and household linen are free from harmful substances, whether dyes or textiles.
This label is an international control and certification system. It brings together 18 independent research and testing institutes in the field of textile and leather ecology in Europe and Japan, with offices in over 60 countries.
Carré Blanc certifies almost all of its products to the Oeko-Tex Standard 100. To check this status, you can enter one of our certification numbers below on the Oeko-Tex website.
What does the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 label certify?
Oeko-Tex is recognised by professionals and consumers alike. When an article is guaranteed by this label, it promises to exclude undesirable substances that may present a health risk to the consumer.
An Oeko-Tex Standard 100 fabric is checked at every stage of processing (raw materials, yarns, dyeing) to ensure that it contains no chemicals that are harmful to health.
Laboratory tests currently include around 100 control parameters, based on international test standards and other recognised test procedures. The more intensive the contact between the textile and the skin, the stricter the limit values to be respected.
How does the certification process work?
1 - Companies wishing to certify an article must submit a certification dossier to one of the Oeko-Tex member institutes. In France, this is the IFTH (Institut Français du Textile et de l'Habillement) based in Lyon. It carries out laboratory tests on representative samples of the materials sent to it. If the results comply with the requirements, the certificate is issued and the applicant undertakes to guarantee that the products are identical to the samples tested. The Oeko-Tex label is valid for one year.
2 - An audit of the company is then carried out every three years if certification is renewed. Random checks are carried out in the trade to ensure that the samples sent for certification are not different from those marketed. Auditors also visit production sites directly to carry out checks and take samples.
3 - The Standard 100 label differentiates between four classes of products: from closest to the skin to furthest from the skin. The more intensive the contact between a textile and the skin, and the more sensitive the skin, the more stringent the anti-allergy requirements.
- Class I (the strictest): for articles intended for children under 3 years of age.
- Class II: for articles that come into contact with the skin (underwear, bed linen, T-shirts).
- Class III: for articles that do not come into contact with the skin (coats, jackets).
- Class IV: for furnishing materials (curtains, tablecloths, upholstered furniture coverings).