Method in her madness

Manchester mum Leslie Gray O’Neil put the Method brand of eco-cleaning products through its paces.

When Amanda asked me to review these, I decided to switch my usual commercial cleaning products with the 100% natural Method products for a week. I’ve always been slightly wary of using eco-cleaners because I just wasn’t sure of their cleaning power. They’re also significantly more expensive than the supermarket brand cleaning products that I normally use.

I suffer from sensitive skin and mild asthma that’s sometimes irritated by spray cleaners, and generally have to wear gloves while cleaning. I used the Method dish soap on a load of very greasy dishes. Just two pumps created a sink full of sudsy, foamy bubbles that lasted for a very long time. The dish soap had a very pleasant cucumber scent, which I loved. Though the soap did clean well, I did have to add a tiny bit extra to the sponge to get some grease from a glass. My hands were left soft and weren’t irritated in the slightest.

Method makes all-purpose spray cleaners in a variety of scents; I used the French lavender, which had a pleasant, calming smell. The spray did a great job on a particularly nasty pet stain and left my floor clean. It worked wonders on the worktops, cupboard doors and my dining table – and I was also able to clean my shower cubicle and bath without choking as the spray did not seem to irritate my asthma. However, it wasn’t so good at cleaning grease from my hob and the hood above it, which needed my usual commercial degreaser to sort it out.

The laundry detergent probably came up for the most scrutiny in our household – my eight-year old and two-year old sons have all kinds of stains on their clothes. I was impressed with the Method laundry detergent, which worked beautifully well at 30 degrees. The pump system is one of the smartest ideas I’ve seen for a laundry detergent. Not only are you able to dispense the correct amount into either the drum or the drawer without wasting a drop, you can also apply the detergent directly to a stain as a pre-treatment. The ‘Fresh Air’ scent was pleasant and didn’t linger on the clothes too long, which I liked.

Method’s hand soap, with its droplet shaped bottle, looks great and works great as well. The ‘Waterfall’ scent smelled good and the soap cleaned some very grubby toddler hands (using a very small amount) and left them soft.

Method products are quite pricey compared to supermarket and commercial brands, but attractively priced compared to other eco-brands – and their design is much better. The all surface spray cleaner is the best value for money, in my opinion, because one bottle works on all hard surfaces and there is no need for a separate bathroom and kitchen cleaner. Slightly to my surprise, after a week of using Method products, I’m still using them! 

• Method All Surface Spray Cleaner 828ml-£3
• Method Laundry Detergent 300ml-£5.99
• Method Dish Soap 538ml -£3
• Method Hand Wash 354ml £2.49

For information about stockists and to see a wider variety of Method products, visit www.methodproducts.co.uk . The bottles are made from recycled materials and are recyclable; the sprayer on the all surface cleaner is currently not recyclable.

 The products were supplied free for review purposes. All opinions are independent and the reviewer’s own.