Method Home Products -- Good and not so good

Frequent readers know that 2008 is my year to create a natural lifestyle for myself and my family. I've moved beyond the creams and lotions to integrate some "earth-friendly" products -- linens, detergents, dish washing liquid, diapers, et al. So to share some of the experiences I've been having AND to get your feedback and suggestions, I've created a new category -- The Green Life.

First up in this category is Method Laundry Detergent. I'd heard great things about this line, from the inspiring story of the men who launched the line to the amazing cleaning power. Being a Wisk and Era girl my whole life (except for a short stint of naturalness when I lived in Park Slope) I told hubby that we were making the switch when the last bit of detergent was gone.

I'd so far been uninspired with previous attempts to go green in laundry when I used the over-priced, much hyped Sweet Grass Farm laundry concentrate. So off I went to Target, searching for Method. I bought two bottles of hand soap (love the bottle design), the all surface cleanser, all purpose wipes and the concentrated laundry detergent.

Loved everything except the laundry detergent. Maybe we're a super smelly family --- my hubby comes home from his five mile runs every day, the two-year old takes off his dirt, milk and food stained shirts, my daughter,let's just say that baths are optional in her mind nowadays and my clothes after giving massages, well, I need a powerful detergent to get the massage oil and sweat out of my shirts. After four separate loads, Method failed to impress or more important, to get my clothes clean. Two loads have to be re-washed to get the odors out. After a long wash and dry, I was putting the clothes away and could still smell my man's sweaty body on his shirt. I love his sweaty smell, but not after I've washed the clothes!

Wanted to love Method because, let's face it, the price is nice, the story is great and honestly, the other products worked quite well. But for $11 bucks, I want super clean, odor-free clothes that don't make me waste  more money by re-washing and buying another bottle of detergent.

Have you used Method Home? What's your feedback and please give me some suggestions for another line? I bought the softener from Seven Generations, but from this Method experience I'm hesitant to take another leap in the green laundry arena.

Comments

[Jillian]

Just wanted to suggest, (a little late) that you try the brand "Earth Friendly Products" detergent "Ultra Ecos". Whole Foods does carry it and sometimes Costco. When I can get it at Costco it is the GIANT bottle (hard to handle) so I keep the smaller bottle to refill so its easier to handle. Trust me, I have tried every detergent in the natural area and this is the one I keep coming back to. It really cleans the clothes and actually leaves a little fresh scent even AFTER drying. This is something the others just don't do. Magnolia and Lily scent is my personal favorite. Here's a link: http://www.ecos.com/pages/ecosliquid.html
Add the company's OXO-Brite for the really bad stains.
As much as my Virgo nature wants me to find the perfect brand for everything, it just doesn't work that way, each company seems to do a few things the best.

[Anana]

I like Ecover. It is great, particularly their surface cleaner, bleach and cothes softener.

[Andrea]

Alright... I'll check out 7th Generation. Like I said, I have the softener because it was just 4 bucks, so if I can find a smaller size for sale, I'll try the detergent. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Critty]

I use a lot of Method products, but yep, the laundry detergent sucks. I prefer Seventh Generation or Shaklee for laundry items. If you have granite countertops, Method's The Daily Granite is a must have!