Method’s Method

While you probably haven’t seen any television commercials or newspaper advertisements for Method cleaning products, you’ve most likely come across them in your local stores. They stand out because of their unique packaging and catchy names. This line of 130 environmentally friendly cleaning and personal hygiene products got its start in the middle of a recession in 2001. Method’s founders, Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry, have been friends since high school and are former roommates.

The duo set out to create a line of nontoxic, environmentally friendly cleaning products that work jut as well — or better — than conventional cleaning products that oftentimes contain poisonous chemicals and are bad for the environment. In addition to creating healthier cleaning alternatives, the team wanted to make the packaging attractive enough that people wouldn’t want to hide it, so they brought on designer Karim Rashid to create revolutionary packaging that is attractive, eco-friendly, and recyclable.

Although the company shuns conventional advertising, that hasn’t stopped their growth. Their annual revenue has topped the $100 million mark in less than ten years, a feat that took Seventh Generation, another eco-friendly cleaning brand, almost twenty years to accomplish.

Method’s line of products includes dish soap, dishwasher pods, bathroom cleaners, antibacterial cleaners, and even a reusable mop similar to the Swiffer Sweeper that uses biodegradable corn-based plastic cloths that won’t sit in a landfill until the end of time. Their triple-concentrated laundry detergent comes in a small, easy to carry bottle that is lightweight, yet washes up to fifty loads of laundry. The company has a product for nearly every cleaning job, including gentle cleansers to clean baby’s clothes, as well as baby herself.