Why I'm Jealous of my Shower

I had the opportunity last November to hear one of the founders of Method, Eric Ryan, speak at the Designature conference that I volunteered at here in St. Paul. (In case you're just now tuning in, in addition to being the Junk Mail Gems creator, I am an industrial designer) Ryan, if you happen to come across this blog, you did an awesome job. I was the huge, 8 month pregnant woman who held up time cards for you. ;-)

I still remember the day that the Method Dish Soap package stopped me dead in my tracks at Target. They have such beautifully designed packaging. Since then I never could stop myself from checking out every new product I saw on the shelf with each shopping trip. That is the curse (or blessing) of being a designer.

But, after hearing more about Method from Ryan himself, I learned of it's environmental benefits. The products are made of natural, bio-degradeable, and non-toxic ingredients. They smell great, and, here's the kicker...they WORK. For some crazy reason people today think that for a cleaner to be tough and work, that it has to be poisonous and burn off your nose hairs. I got fed up with giving myself the feeling that I was in a gas chamber ever time I cleaned my shower with Tilex, while my husband (a chemical engineer major) repeatedly reminded me how dangerous the fumes were. I got more concerned about breathing this toxic stuff when I was pregnant, and now that my baby is here, and while I plan on installing those annoying child-proof cabinet locks, I'm thinking that it's worth an extra buck to get cleaners that are not "fatal if swollowed."

So, when I was running errands at Target yesterday I finally picked up some Method cleaning products to try...the daily shower spray and the tub & tile cleaner.


This stuff is great! I must say though, after taking a shower, I was a little jealous that my shower smelled better than me. They could put a "body spray" label on this stuff and I'd spray it all over myself. I happen to have been born with a particularly sensitive sniffer, and it was so refreshing not to have to turn on the vent fan and air out the bathroom after cleaning it to clear out the fumes. I actually wanted to sniff the bathroom more because, like the packaging notes, it smelled like a spa. Mmm... Let's just say that as my other poisonous chemicals run out, I will be replacing them with more Method products to try! It did work just as well, if not better, than the nasty Tilex.

I admit that I frequently make a "green" choice based on reasons other than their green-ness...like compact fluorescent bulbs & cloth diapers because they just save so much money in the long run...and now these cleaning products because everything else STINKS and is toxic for my baby. But, I figure, the planet doesn't care why you went green in the end...it's just happy you got there!