Children are more vulnerable than adults to many chemicals found in ordinary household products. Unfortunately, product labels don’t always tell the whole truth about ingredients and safety of products. So what’s a parent to do?
CHEC receives frequent requests for product recommendations. Verifying safety and environmental claims, however, requires product testing and extensive research of product manufacturing practices. At this time, we prefer to leave that to more seasoned experts.

We do suggest the following ways to find safer products:

1. Look for products in CHEC’s Safer Products Store

CHEC's partner, Green Home, thoroughly evaluates products before offering them for sale. See Why Green Home? below.

Enter CHEC’s Safer Products Store

2. For products not available in CHEC’s Safer Products Store, such as furniture and building supplies, try one of the companies in our Recommended Companies List (below).

3. Look for safer products locally in natural foods stores, coops and even some supermarkets. Seek products that list ALL ingredients or have been certified by a third-party certifier, like Green Seal or Science Certification Systems .

Why Green Home?

Green Home puts every product it considers through a rigorous evaluation process. Green Home requires that companies provide safety information about their products, ingredient lists and information about each product’s life cycle, to ensure that its manufacture and disposal will not cause environmental harm. Before a product is offered for sale, Green Home’s Approval Board of environmental experts must approve it. For more details, see Green Home’s approval process.

The process goes above and beyond what CHEC has been able to do in prior attempts to provide reliable product information to parents. We are confident that the products for sale have been well researched.

Green Home offers a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with a product you purchased.

An added bonus is that you can support CHEC when shopping at Green Home. CHEC will receive 5% of the proceeds from sales in CHEC’s Safer Products Store .

Companies interested in offering products for sale in CHEC’s Safer Products Store should email Green Home from the main page of the store.

Recommended Companies List

Ecobaby : The place to find safer products for your baby and nursing mothers.

Environmental Home Center : A complete source of environmentally friendly building materials, including wood (including arsenic-free pressure treated wood), paints, insulation, cabinetry,

IKEA : This furniture and housewares chain boasts an environmental policy that prohibits the use of PVC, formaldehyde-based glues, brominated flame retardants, and other toxins, and supports the use of environmentally friendly, sustainable and recycled materials.

N.E.E.D.S. : Specializes in products formulated for people who are chemically sensitive, which means fragrance and VOC-free products.

The Green Guide : The Green Guide is a bimonthly newsletter that provides green home tips, product reviews and environmental health advice. Subscribers have access to product reports and recommendations covering topics such as furnishing, cleaners, baby products, foods, pest control, and much more.