Posts Tagged products
A Method To My Madness: A Look at Method Green Cleaning
Posted by Gareth Eynon in Products and Tips on September 12, 2011
There’s a new environmentally-conscious cleaning product finding its way into UK shops right now, and I’m so impressed with the stuff, I thought I’d write a review about it.
The product is called Method and it works really well. That’s it. What more can I say?
Oh all right then, here’s some more info: Method is manufactured by a San Francisco based company of the same name. Their products are “made with naturally derived, biodegradable ingredients that clean like heck and smell like heaven”. I have to say; they’re right. However, it’s not just the goods themselves that turn me on to this company; it’s the ethos behind the brand and also the packaging.
The ethos is sustainability and community and all of their products are non-toxic and never tested on animals. The packaging is not only dead cool, but also the cleaning bottles are made from 100% recycled material and the rest is readily recyclable.
The company has been around for about 10 years now, but it’s only recently I’ve seen – or even heard of – their products. According their press, they have been selling in this country for 6 years. So that one slipped passed me, did it not?
Method appears to be a young, innovative company and part of the reason I’m so fond of their products is because of what happens behind the scenes. They’ve put sustainability and environmental responsibility at the core of their business model, including: climate modelling, an awareness of their partners’ business practices and transparency in everything that they do. For a full list of all the cool things this company is doing click here.
For me it’s not enough for a company to just throw a few natural ingredients into a cleaning product and say it’s environmentally-friendly; they also have to show consideration for the environment in every aspect of their business.
As an amendment to the first version of this post – and after a question about the carbon footprint of using a product in the UK that’s made in the the US – Method do manufacture in the UK too.
Like many people, I’m a huge fan of the Ecover brand, in no small part because of the way that they also conduct themselves. However, here is a company that may usurp Ecover’s long held eco-crown. We shall see.
Over the last few years various different natural cleaning products have been released on to the market, and I have tried many of them. This is the first one that has really grabbed my attention as a serious rival to Ecover - hence this blog post.
Although having said that, one aspect Ecover does have over its rivals is the ability to refill bottles when they’re empty, as opposed to buying new ones.
In summary then…
Method products look the part, do the job well and smell really nice. I recommend you give them a try. That’s it.
GR
If you have anything to say on this article, or indeed anything raised in The Green Review, then do join the discussion on the facebook page. The more contentious the better please…
Photos courtesy of Method
Putting a Green Spin on Things: Gas Powered Tumble Dryers
Posted by Gareth Eynon in Products and Tips on July 9, 2011
You may well have read my recent post on ceiling mounted airers, in which I looked briefly at the impact tumble dryers have on the planet. Well, in researching that post I found a surprising bit of kit that I never knew existed: the gas powered tumble dryer.
I’m well aware that the average domestic user shouldn’t really be using a tumble dryer, but perhaps you own a business that requires one, or maybe run a children’s football team and get lumbered with the kids’ muddy kit every Sunday evening. If you are one of these people then read on. If not; get a washing line.
There are 10 million tumble dryers in the UK, accounting for 4.3% of our domestic energy consumption. Ok… Stop for one second: 4.3% of our domestic energy consumption? Geez people, what’s wrong with the sun and the wind? Do we really have to throw so many clothes into these machines? I have a family of four, including two young, messy children, we live in small Victorian terrace and we have never, ever felt the need for a tumble dryer.
Anyway, sorry about the rant – on with the post.
Gas powered tumble dryers are beneficial to your pocket and the planet for the reason that they use gas, which is cheaper than electricity and emits less CO2
The average carbon emissions from a domestic electric tumble dryer are 159kg of CO2 per year and they cost about £37.00 to run (based on 148 4.7kg cycles) A gas tumble dryer should produce 54% less carbon than this and cost 61% less to run.
There is only one gas tumble dryer available in the UK market and that is the White Knight (a somewhat grand title for a clothes dryer, don’t you think?) However, you may be able to purchase a second hand gas tumble dryer from a launderette, which would be an even greener option (reuse); just remember to remove the coin mechanism – or perhaps not; it may look quirky and cool.
Of course there are some downsides to using a gas tumble dryer:
- They have to be fitted (and maintained) by a CORGI registered gas fitter; an electric version simply needs to be plugged in.
- If you use renewable electricity in your home, you will not benefit from any savings by using a gas tumble dryer. But then again, if you do have robust green principles and have taken the time and expense to install a renewable energy system, I’d be surprised to find a tumble dryer in your house anyway.
You can pick up a gas tumble dyer from about £300 so they’re not too expensive in comparison to electric models as is so often the case with ‘green’ technology.
To finish, I would like to say that we shouldn’t really be using tumble dryers at all. There are plenty of other ways to dry clothes without the need for these machines. Nevertheless, if you do truly need a tumble dryer, or feel you really can’t live without one, perhaps you should think about a gas powered version. At least it’s greener than the alternative.
GR
If you have anything to say on this article, or indeed anything raised in The Green Review, please join the discussion on our facebook page. The more contentious the better…
Photo courtesy of my mother-in-law. Gracias
Hung Out To Dry: Ceiling Mounted Airers
Posted by Gareth Eynon in Products and Tips on June 26, 2011
Laundry. It’s something we all have to do, something we never want to do and something that leaves a stubborn stain on our household energy consumption. We are always being told about the steps we can take to reduce energy consumption when washing our clothes, but what about drying them?
This post – the first of The Green Review’s actual reviews – is going to look at ceiling mounted airers, explaining what they are and why we should use them. They are not needed by everybody, but if you fit the criteria of a homeowner who could benefit from one (like me), then they’re invaluable.
What is a ceiling mounted airer?
At the risk of sounding patronising, a ceiling mounted airer is a clothes airer that goes on … yes you guessed it … the ceiling. It is effectively a number of lathes/rungs that are attached to the ceiling via a pulley system. You hang your clothes on the lathes and then just hoist the airer up to the ceiling.
I was completely unaware of this product until I visited my father-in-law in France, where apparently everybody has one. Living in a small property myself I was instantly convinced to buy one of these and I am now passing on my admiration for the product to you.
I live in a small home and I was sick of constantly tripping over clotheshorses that were placed in un-strategic locations around the house. During the winter – when the outside clothesline is unusable (and being the proud father of two messy daughters) it felt that there was never a time when some clothes didn’t needed drying.
And this blog is related to the environment because?
Ok, I was just getting to that. Now I know that I’m not the only person raising a family in a small house or a flat. I also know that without sufficient room to dry clothes, they end up either in the way, over the radiators or in the tumble dryer. It doesn’t take a huge brain to realise that drying clothes over radiators will suck up the majority of heat emitted and require said radiators to be turned up, consequently increasing energy bills and carbon emissions.
A tumble dryer also pushes up energy bills and emissions, typically emitting 159kg of CO2 per year and costing £37.00 to run(based on 148 4.7kg cycles). If the purchase of a ceiling mounted airer can alleviate these, then great.
The advantages
First and foremost, the best thing about a ceiling mounted airer is that it gets the washing OUT OF THE WAY. Admittedly you can still see the washing as it’s above your head, but you are no longer tripping over it, stubbing your toe, fighting to get at a cupboard, stopping your two-year-old robbing the clothes, or … you get the picture.
The next advantage is that during the winter with the (uncovered) central heating on, the ceiling has a lovely circulation of warm air running around it, which dries the clothes nice and quickly.
Finally – and this one they don’t mention on the sales websites – it’s good for your back. On the majority of normal clothes stands there are a number of rungs that work their way up from the bottom to the top. When hanging and collecting clothes from the bottom few rungs that are near the floor, one has to bend down, causing strain on the lower back. With a ceiling airer, it is possible to adjust the loading level so that when you are placing clothes on it, all the lathes are at belly height, thus making it much more comfortable to work with.
So there; you not only save carbon emissions, energy and cash; you save vertebrae as well.
Things to consider
- You need very little room to mount one, mine is in a little entrance passage to the back garden – but do bear in mind access to the airer. You can get at them from underneath, but it’s far more convenient to go at them from the side.
- When you measure the space for the airer, remember that it has to attach to joists. Find the joists you are going to use first, then measure out from there. Don’t simply measure the area and think, “right that’s it, I’ve got room”.
- You can use a stud/joist finder to make sure you have appropriately situated ceiling joists
- Watch out for light fittings and other such cables that could burn down your house or kill you should you catch them with the drill; again a joist finder will help with this.
- RE the above: if you are not a very good DIYer, get someone who is competent to help you. This can be a tricky job for a beginner.
- There are various styles of airer to choose from. You can buy a more modern looking contraption, right through to an oldVictorian style airer, which looks great in a period kitchen
- They cost any where from £30 to £70 depending on size. Always go for the biggest you can as you can get more washing on it – obviously.
In summary then…
If you are one of those people who, like me, have very little space to dry clothes and don’t want to try and bleach out the dirty stain of a tumble drier’s carbon footprint; then you really should look into a ceiling mounted airer. They’re great product and come highly recommended by myself. Buy one. That’s it.
Photo courtesy of Cast In Style
