{"id":3316,"date":"2026-09-24T14:34:56","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T14:34:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dr-wow-cleaning.com\/oeko-tex-standard-100-what-it-means-for-cleaning-sponge-importers\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T14:38:29","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T14:38:29","slug":"oeko-tex-standard-100-what-it-means-for-cleaning-sponge-importers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dr-wow-cleaning.com\/fr\/oeko-tex-standard-100-what-it-means-for-cleaning-sponge-importers\/","title":{"rendered":"OEKO-TEX Standard 100 for Cleaning Sponge Importers: What Class II and Class IV Actually Mean"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Quick answer:<\/strong> OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is an independent certification that tests a material for more than 1,000 harmful substances, from formaldehyde to heavy metals to phthalates. For cleaning sponges and cellulose cloths, the level that matters is Class II, the grade required for products in direct, prolonged skin contact. FoamTech holds both Class II (certificate 26.HCN.79020) and Class IV (certificate 26.HCN.99360), and buyers can verify both numbers directly in the public OEKO-TEX database before placing an order.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What the Standard Actually Tests<\/h2>\n

OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is not a factory audit and not a quality grade. It is a laboratory test of the finished material itself, run by independent institutes. The list of regulated substances covers formaldehyde, heavy metals, AZO dyes, phthalates, and several hundred other chemicals that import regulations in the EU, US, and Japan restrict or ban in consumer products.<\/p>\n

For a cleaning sponge, the test answers one practical question: if a person handles this product wet, every day, for months, is anything migrating out of the material? That is why European retail chains and professional cleaning brands increasingly treat OEKO-TEX as a gate, not a bonus.<\/p>\n

The Four Product Classes, in Plain Terms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Class<\/th>\nApplies To<\/th>\nWhy It Matters for Sponges<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Class I<\/td>\nProducts for babies and toddlers<\/td>\nStrictest limits; not typically required for cleaning products<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Class II<\/strong><\/td>\nProducts in direct, prolonged skin contact<\/td>\nThe relevant level for sponges, cloths, and gloves held wet in bare hands<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Class III<\/td>\nProducts with limited skin contact<\/td>\nLooser limits; sometimes quoted by suppliers whose product only qualifies at this level<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Class IV<\/td>\nDecoration and furnishing materials<\/td>\nBaseline level; still tested against the same substance list<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

When a supplier says “OEKO-TEX certified,” ask which class. A Class IV certificate on a kitchen sponge that buyers hold in wet hands does not answer the question your retail customer will ask. Class II does.<\/p>\n

How to Verify a Certificate in Two Minutes<\/h2>\n

Every valid OEKO-TEX certificate has a number printed on it. Enter that number at the official label check on the OEKO-TEX website and you will see the certificate holder, the validity period, and the certified product scope. Two things to check:<\/p>\n