How long has the company been in business?
Under the Nile was originally a family company founded in 1998 by Janice and Mohamed Masoud. For more about us and our commitment to ethical business practices please enjoy Our Story.
What is GOTS?
GOTS is the Global Organic Textile Standard. GOTS certification defines high-level criteria for environmental and social standards in all parts of the organic textile supply chain. Every part of our products is regulated by GOTS, including -but not limited to- fabric, thread, snaps, hangtags, packaging and the treatment of workers in the manufacturing process. You can see all of our certifications by clicking here.
To learn more about GOTS, please visit the GOTS website.
What is Organic Cotton?
We use only 100% certified organic cotton, produced without using chemicals, pesticides, or dyes with heavy metals.
Organic cotton is cotton grown without the use of harmful toxins or synthetic fertilizers. Products made from 100% organic cotton, like those at Under the Nile, are produced without using chemicals, pesticides, or dyes with heavy metals.
Why is organic cotton softer than conventional cotton?
In order to get the very soft feel of our material, the cotton yarn is handled with great care during the knitting or weaving process. All auxiliaries used must either be recyclable or be biodegradable to at least 90%. For example, for the weaving process only natural starch is used.
How is the color for your dyes made?
Our aim during the dyeing process is to use only agents and methods that are environmentally sound and, at the same time, ensure the highest quality standard. Under the Nile uses only low-impact, metal free dyes when dying our yarn. These dyes do not contain any harmful chemicals and are in accordance with the Global Organic Textile standard. Our dyes do not contain PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride), a hazardous chemical used in conventional dyeing processes, which is known to cause kidney failure, developmental delays, and even hearing loss in children.
Do you use bleach to get the white color?
No, we never use bleach in any process. Sometimes the cotton harvest of a particular year is different, so for continuity of color in our collections we use a natural whitening process using oxygen.
Do you use chemical finishing on the fabrics?
No. One of the most dangerous chemicals found in the finishing of conventional fabrics is Formaldehyde. This is a chemical gas used in the finishing of conventional cotton fabrics. Babies and children are very sensitive to this chemical, and having it on the clothes they wear can cause skin rashes, coughing, and flu like symptoms.
Do you use flame retardant on your products?
No, we do not use flame retardant on any of our products. All of our long johns meet Federal Safety Commission requirements for sleep wear and are made to fit snugly to ensure safety.
What are your snaps made of?
Our snaps are made of nickel-free copper, according to OEKO-TEX standard 100.