Our Criteria & Methodology

Our product evaluations are rooted in the question: What are the potential health effects of this product?

While “Non-Toxic” as a term does not have a codified, agreed-upon definition, we take it to mean a product that does not contain substances that are harmful to human health through either acute or chronic exposure— and this is what we seek to achieve with our recommendations. As shopper preferences evolve, we see this term being used more liberally, often within the guise of marketing or product claims. Our goal with The Clean List is to cut through the fog of marketing to get to the heart of whether an item is actually Non-Toxic.

There are several key toxic chemical compounds and classes we look to avoid wherever possible; though our criteria err on the side of caution, they are not fixed across categories, reflecting as they will the nature and usage of the material or product. Perfection is not the end goal, and in certain situations, minimizing rather than completely eliminating will be the better aim. Items that will have prolonged direct contact (bedding, pillows, mattresses) are subject to more stringent criteria. High-volume articles will have an outsized impact on indoor air quality (interior paint, flooring) and will have more of a focus on VOC emissions. With soft goods, we recognize the importance of being able to keep items clean and Non-Toxic and prioritize those that are machine washable. Many of our recommendations are highly product-specific, as some companies make both Non-Toxic and more conventional items; with other companies, our recommendations are almost their entire catalogue. In all, we try to look at things as holistically as possible.

Perfection is not the end goal, and in certain situations, minimizing rather than completely eliminating will be the better aim.

Of course, every human body is different - and though we may recommend an article as Non-Toxic, that doesn’t mean an individual body won’t have a reaction to it. For example, a small percentage of people are sensitive to proteins in latex and wool and may react to something even though we would consider it to be Non-Toxic. The best approach, if you are concerned about individual sensitivities, will always be to obtain material samples before placing purchase orders (ask the company directly - many will offer!), especially as several of our recommendations are made to order and are not eligible for returns.

We are not doctors, nor are we chemists, and our recommendations should not be taken as any kind of specific medical or health advice. We research the heck out of things, we consult with environmental health specialists and other experts, and we have spoken directly with either the owners or representatives of every product we recommend to cross-check marketing and product claims and to obtain much more detailed material information than can be found on product pages and websites. A lot of time and research goes into each recommendation, but we’re not perfect, and we’re sure to make some (hopefully few!) mistakes along the way. We are continuously learning and will update our information and recommendations accordingly as our knowledge evolves.

Within most categories, we have researched far more than what we include. Some categories (mattresses) are vast with potential inclusions - and we will update with new recommendations as we have more time to research. Just because a company is not listed yet doesn’t mean they won’t make the cut (though it might!). In other categories (sofas), we have thoroughly researched all potential inclusions we can find and have included only those we deem to be actually Non-Toxic. If you have a specific company or product question, feel free to ask us!

A note on certifications: per our certification overview, we are both incredibly supportive of the collective efforts to improve material health and consumer safety and critical where we see certifications that are misused or misleadingly used, whether intentional or not. We do highlight material and product certifications within our recommendations, as we recognize it’s no small amount of effort or financial outlay to achieve these certifications, and when used correctly, they can be very helpful signifiers for overall cleaner and healthier materials and products. As always, context is key, and we try to highlight as much as we can the nuance that goes into these products and our corresponding recommendations.

With love,
Kaleigh and Ryan