What Is the Good Housekeeping Seal?
The Good Housekeeping Seal (known by many as the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval") is the emblem issued by Good Housekeeping Magazine to products that have met the publication's quality standards. Does this Spark an idea?
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Origins
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In 1909 the Good Housekeeping Institute tested and approved the first products to bear the Seal. In 1911 testing was expanded to include food and beauty items and in 1943 the endorsement was expanded to guarantee a product replacement if the item was not as advertised in the magazine.
Seal Holders
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Good Housekeeping awards the Good Housekeeping Seal to a wide range of consumer products, ranging from beauty-care items to pet-care products. The Seal is even awarded to foodstuffs.
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Good Housekeeping Research Institute
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Founded in 1900, the Good Housekeeping Research Institute is Good Housekeeping's product-research laboratory. According to the Good Housekeeping website, the magazine only accepts advertisements for products once they have been reviewed by the Institute. To be awarded the Good Housekeeping Seal, a product must endure even more rigorous testing, the website states.
Name Change
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In 1941 the Federal Trade Commission required Good Housekeeping to drop wording that indicated products had been "tested and approved." Even though Good Housekeeping did test the products, the FTC found that the tests did not provide a basis for claims made about specific advertised products found in the magazine. Since then, the phrase "Tested and Approved" no longer appears on the seal.
Fun Fact
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The Good Housekeeping Seal has been awarded to almost 5,000 products.
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