Dope on a Soap

Umbra on Method cleansers 23

Dear Umbra,

I've noticed lately that Method cleaning products are now being sold in a number of different retail outlets, whereas before they were only sold in Target. This shouldn't seem too weird in our every-store-sells-the-same-thing world, but seeing these products on the shelves in Whole Foods got me wondering more about them. You see, I went looking for some trusty Bon Ami cleaner the other day and found it gone from the shelves and many Method products in its place. The Method stuff seems a little too good to be true (though they don't seem to offer an elbow-grease product like Bon Ami in their line). Maybe it's the slick packaging; maybe I'm just a cynic. Is it really true that such a positive cleaning product is being sold in big retailers around the country? Are there any bad things we should know about these products? Thanks!

Micha M.
Tucson, AZ

Dearest Micha,

A madness to your Method?

You are far from the only cynic among us. I have also given Method the gimlet eye. Method products have become omnipresent, the bottles look good, yet I've never noticed any green claims. My cynicism feels a little deflated after researching your question: I can't seem to find anything bad about Method merchandise. Of course, I'm not without a bit of advice regarding the complete line of Method products. But I'll give said advice at the end. First, let us celebrate what seems to be the mainstreaming of environmentally-better products. We pick Method for the first round of applause, but that's only our latest example. Tom's of Maine and Burt's Bees, mentioned months ago, are everywhere I look. Target, the store you mention, not only carries the Method brand but also is reducing its use of PVC. Just a few brief reasons out of many for celebration.

In no way should this rejoicing certify the effectiveness of Method -- I have read a review by Grist's Sarah v., and I've checked out the Green Guide, which does approve of Method's cleaning power. I, however, have never used Method products. To inspect their bonafides, I looked at the company website, which is filled with cute humor and very thorough FAQs. Method claims to ne'er use phthalates, parabens, ammonia, triclosan [PDF], or to test on little animals (these are all bad things, in case you've never heard of them). Then it claims that it's assessed by the EPA (true) and, even better, by a European organization that uses cradle-to-cradle methodology (basically, nothing becomes waste). That's true, too. All this sounds like a giant Method infomercial. Instead, please interpret it as a consumers-make-a-difference infomercial. There is no way the two young (environmentalist) fellows who started this company would have been able to infiltrate Target if the ecological shoppers weren't known to be there, waiting to buy less-awful cleaning supplies. Yay.

In the context of this celebration, here is my actual environmental advice regarding all cleaning products: Beware of buying stuff you don't actually need. Yes, we need to purchase cleansers made without known poisons and pollutants, and we need laundry detergent, dish soap, and maybe dishwashing liquid. But almost all of our other general household cleaning needs can be met with soap, white vinegar, baking soda, borax, a sponge, scrubby, and a pile of old T-shirts. Individual grapefruit-scented wipes (non-toxic and bamboo-based or otherwise) are, basically, silly. They're probably very nice-smelling and convenient, but there's no call for a one-use wipe (30 for $4 from Method) when a sponge will probably do the trick. What I'm saying is, watch out for getting sucked into the shopping vortex, a place where convenience and enticing packaging suddenly erase all our heartfelt commitment to reduce.

Air fresheningly,
Umbra

 

Yours is to wonder why, hers is to answer (or try). Send your green-living questions to Umbra.

Umbra Fisk is Grist Research Associate II, Hardcover and Periodicals Unit, floors 2B-4B.

Related Stories

Advertisement
Advertisement

  1. Kiara Posted 4:21 am
    20 Aug 2008

    On cleaning productsGoing even further on the self-sufficient route, why a sponge?  For the kitchen I use little squares of terry cloth from old towels and change them every day, a very sanitary practice.  I also use them for general cleaning such as washing floors (with a deck broom).  These little squares take hardly any space in the cloth washer.

    Permalink

  2. punkdiddy Posted 5:54 am
    20 Aug 2008

    FragranceI had the opportunity to speak with one of the founders of Method at a recent Method-sponsored soiree in Seattle. I was concerned about the fragrance oils (synthetic derived, can anyone say phthalates?)they utilize for their products. He did admit to the use of synthetic fragrances and justified the use by the by pointing out the parts per billion amount they use. Blah, Blah, Blah, still  fake fragrance, still toxic.

    Permalink

  3. Carolyn H.'s avatar

    Carolyn H. Posted 6:39 am
    20 Aug 2008

    Convenience junkyI, for one, am a very busy person (full-time work and full-time grad school) with little time for family, never mind to do laundry.  Some day I aspire to the level of keeping my house clean and being able to do so with bits of self-made rag (I have said rags - a load's worth - that have been waiting to be laundered for at least month) and the above-mentioned staples. In the meantime, I am happy that there are products such as Method's bathroom wipes, that make it easy for me to actually get some cleaning done with less impact than the alternative.
    Better to have these products on the market so we can slowly get all of us doing our part. They are the things that get our friends and parents and siblings thinking green. Baby-steps folks.
    As for the product effectiveness, I've had mixed results. The daily shower spray has not reduced my scrubs.  Consumer Reports just reviewed some of these and liked Clorox's green cleaner.  Clorox? Seriously?  Anyone know how green THAT one is?

    Permalink

  4. gezelliggirl's avatar

    gezelliggirl Posted 6:42 am
    20 Aug 2008

    re: TargetI just got back from Target (in the Bronx) this afternoon and was amazed to find they not only stock Burt's Bees now, but Kiss My Face, Alba Botanicals, and even Dr. Bronners soaps.  

    Permalink

  5. Indiana Posted 7:40 am
    20 Aug 2008

    BravoUmbra, your very polite and nicely conceived para on not getting sucked into the shopping vortex--even with green things--won me over. You're my hero today, and I am now your loyal reader.

    Permalink

  6. eram Posted 8:11 am
    20 Aug 2008

    I don't like the Method dish soapWe use the green stuff and everything tastes like the dish soap after. Yes, we rinse (as we do with other products), but that stuff doesn't rinse off easily. I like their hand soap & general spray cleaner.

    Permalink

  7. Zino Posted 8:27 am
    20 Aug 2008

    Great advice!Vinegar forever!

    Permalink

  8. eshowe4u Posted 9:29 am
    20 Aug 2008

    On cleaning productsMy kitchen cloth of choice is a little thing I picked up at the San Diego Earth Fair this year called a skoy cloth.  Feels like a cloth, absorbs like a sponge, and dries overnight so the nasties can't grow.  My old sponge always reminded me of a petri dish science experiment that smelt bad after a day or so.  The cloth is wood cellulose and cotton so it composts away in no time at all once you are done with it.  I shred mine and feed it to the worms who gobble it up in no time at all.  Great find!

    Permalink

  9. TheSmartMama Posted 10:24 am
    20 Aug 2008

    Work well, but not greenThe Method products work well, but they aren't green.  And the company makes no claims that they are.  The fragrances used are a blend of essential oils and synthetic fragrance.  No phthalates, but still petroleum derived.  As of last conversation with tech people, some of the products still had trace amounts of 1,4-dioxane.  
    Skoy products are great, and so are Twist.
    Jennifer

    http://www.thesmartmama.com

    Permalink

  10. robinjoyyost Posted 10:34 am
    20 Aug 2008

    Method to my madness?I am a big fan of Method Cleaning Products. I agree that we don't need 8 different types of sprays for each surface in our home... On that note, use your own good judgement on which Method Products to buy and you won't be disappointed. (Exception: the dishwasher soap). I love the hand soap, the baby products (the best Ive tried), laundry soap... you will find all the basics at my house! Happy cleaning, you might as well have a fun fragrance and catchy labels.

    Permalink

  11. sustainablemer Posted 11:33 am
    20 Aug 2008

    cleanersfor eram:

    try diluting out your dish soap, say 25% with water. the brand i use doesn't cling so much to the dishes at that dilution. also, a little vinegar in the rinse water may help cut it loose.

    emmer

    Permalink

  12. mickowitz Posted 1:54 pm
    20 Aug 2008

    Method - just good greenwashing PR?Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I recently heard somewhere that the Method products are made by a large consumer products company - Clorox, or Proctor and Gamble - something like that.
    Although I (sort of) like this foray into greener products by Big Business, I, too, am gimlet-eyed (e.g., the fragrances mentioned above) and still think it is a nice little bit of green-washing PR on the company's part.
    BTW, the fragrances of the Method products are mostly, IMHO, way too strong and even retch-inducing in a fake-scent kind of way. Adding such strong fragrances is NOT a green concept. And some of the spray cleaners not only don't clean that well, they leave behind a sort of sticky residue.

    Permalink

  13. PermieWriter's avatar

    PermieWriter Posted 4:53 pm
    20 Aug 2008

    I don't know about the productbut the Method bottle we inherited when we rented our house does great at dispensing foamy soap. We put our tea tree oil soap in there, which is a great grease cutter and does wonders for acne-prone skin.

    Permalink

  14. svg Posted 11:50 pm
    20 Aug 2008

    Laundry Detergent/Dish soapI've found very good recipes for both laundry detergent and dishwasher soap that only take a couple of minutes to make and eliminate a few more cleaners from my grocery list!

    Permalink

  15. mamaly11 Posted 9:28 am
    21 Aug 2008

    skoy clothdo you have a web site to purchase these from???

    Permalink

  16. mamaly11 Posted 9:29 am
    21 Aug 2008

    laundry et dishwasher soapcan you share the site, or where you found these recipes?????

    Permalink

  17. brojiley Posted 11:08 pm
    22 Aug 2008

    not my favoriteI tried the grapefruit scented spray cleaner and wipes and found them to be quite average in cleaning power, won't buy them again.  The grapefruit smelled really good for a short while then actually smelled bad.  I find Seventh Generation multi surface cleaner to work better, and the wipes were kind of a dumb idea (what can I say, I got sucked into the vortex).  I now use the SG cleaner or baking soda with the Twist sponge paper towel which you can dishwash after use http://www.sustainableisgood.com/products/2008/04/twist.h ...

    Permalink

  18. wmonfalcone Posted 5:07 am
    23 Aug 2008

    MethodI have been using the Method bloq body wash for months and i love it. Even with synthetic fragrance it still is much friendlier to the body and the environment than other body washes. It has no parabens or animal by-products. On top of that it is very affordable.

    Permalink

  19. TheSmartMama Posted 3:38 pm
    25 Aug 2008

    SkoyI'm pretty sure you can buy skoy directly from skoy at http://www.skoycloth.com.  Or, buy from The Earth Friendly Shoppe - http://shop.earthfriendlyshoppe.com.  Or through Amazon or Natural Galaxy.
    Jennifer

    http://www.thesmartmama.com

    Permalink

  20. TheSmartMama Posted 3:38 pm
    25 Aug 2008

    SkoyI'm pretty sure you can buy skoy directly from skoy at http://www.skoycloth.com.  Or, buy from The Earth Friendly Shoppe - http://shop.earthfriendlyshoppe.com.  Or through Amazon or Natural Galaxy.
    Jennifer

    http://www.thesmartmama.com

    Permalink

  21. minka Posted 3:36 am
    26 Aug 2008

    shakleeI don't like Method, it still smells too strong for me.  I have been using Shaklee products and find them excellent.  They are super concentrated so you use small amounts of the product each time, they last for a long long time.  I hope those products are as said all natural, or else I would be really disappointed.  Has anyone read anything bad about them?

    Permalink

  22. Robco1 Posted 2:44 am
    29 Aug 2008

    FragrancePunkdiddy: I can't use Method detergents because of the overpowering perfumes, which I irritate my chemical sensitivity problem. My take as an environmentalist is to quote Bill McDonnaugh: "Less bad is not good." And Umbra's suggestion to forgo most cleaning products for the tried-and-true basics our grandmothers used is spot-on.
    My take on Method as a professional marketing communicator and graphic designer: they have a brilliant marketing strategy and a sophisticated appreciation of the influencing power of design. Something many "green" companies could learn from. The knee-jerk distrust of "slick" marketing and design plays in mainstream culture as "hippy-dippy-doo treehugger stuff that doesn't work." Like it or not, that is the perception in suburbia. Method adopted a strategy of "cool, clean upscale design," and underplay the overused "green." The attitude is " of course it is green. It is well-designed. "  
    The proof of the effectiveness of their strategy is proven by Clorox, and their new "green" line of products. How clorine-based chemistry could ever be "sustainable" is beyond me. But something has them scared.
    If environmentally sustainable business want to succeed, they had better learn to preach to the unconverted. Method is an excellent case study in how to start.

    Permalink

  23. Ian Hanington Posted 6:38 am
    29 Aug 2008

    Make your ownYou can find recipes for making your own green cleaners - as well as cosmetics,etc. - here:
    http://www.davidsuzuki.org/NatureChallenge/QueenofGreen/

    Permalink

Add a Comment

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have an account, log in. If you don't have an account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.

Hello, Visitor!    Why not register?

Viewed
More
Commented
More
Advertisement