The second semester of the school year is officially underway, and it’s time for a deep spring-cleaning. As you walk through Target and peruse the cleaning supply aisle, I would urge you to reach for a method product. Method produces a wide variety of cleaning products that range from floor cleaners to laundry detergent. The method brand has created a sudden and dramatic change in home care. The products are safe for people, pets and the environment. The product packaging is made from post-consumer recycled material, keeping more plastic out of our landfills and major bodies of water. As I arrive back on campus and return to dorm room living, I know that I will be using method products to clean, and here is why.

Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, the co-founders of method, invented a product that has substance and style. It is not only functional, but it's also aesthetically pleasing. The unique bottle shapes and soap colors are very recognizable and attractive on the shelves of stores around the nation. Since February 28, 2001, the date of Lowry and Ryan’s first sale, method has become the seventh fastest growing company in America, according to Inc. 5000. As a brand, method prides itself on the company’s good business tactics, collaborative work environment and quality products that are sustainable.

After some experience in the industry, Lowry decided that method needed to be a business with a social mission. In a collaborative environment, method employees are encouraged to innovate through trust and transparency at the office. The creative culture is the driving factor in regards to product innovation. Lowry’s main goal is to “keep method weird.” He even put a Ping-Pong table and turf field in the office to promote employee creativity. Lowry wants his employees to continue to propel the company forward everyday.

Employees at method are also encouraged to be green giants in an effort to produce high quality, sustainable products for customers. For example, method created concentrated laundry detergent that is currently the world’s greenest laundry detergent on the market.

Method also exercises sustainable practices beyond the chemical makeup of their products. The production of a greenhouse, located at a manufacturing plant in Chicago, created 100 new jobs for people in the area. This effort helped put method on the map as a company committed to supporting our earth. Method also has a partnership with Sustainable Coastlines where together they create hand soap bottles made from plastic that used to float in the North Atlantic Gyre. The purpose of this collaboration is to raise awareness about ocean pollution.

It is evident that method as a brand and the products the company produces are top shelf theoretically and physically. Product experience is the primary concern for the method team, and the quality of the product is superb. These cleaning products are worth using for spring-cleaning and a fresh start for a new semester! So go for it –– reach for the top shelf and grab a method product next time you’re at the store.