What's so smart about Smarty Dish, anyway?

Here at Method there’s a bunch of stuff we like: happy hours, pretty colors and smells, innovative ideas … the list goes on. And as you know, there’s also stuff we don’t like.  Phosphates and chlorine bleach are two of those things. They are also two ingredients – especially phosphates – that a lot of other companies include in their dishwasher detergents.

When we introduced you to Lil’ Bowl Blu, our toilet bowl cleaner, back in February, we told you a little bit about phosphates.  Phosphates in our water supply contribute to algal blooms, which deprive fish and other water dwellers of needed oxygen. That’s dirty. Two counties in Washington banned the use of phosphates this year, with the rest to follow in 2010, and many other states are looking into the issue as well.

So to answer our own question, Smarty Dish is smart – no, brilliant! – because it gets the job done in your dishwasher without anything nasty you don’t want dirtying up our water supply.  It comes in pre-measured tablet doses that fit neatly in your dishwasher’s detergent compartment, so no more worrying about the dreaded “overpour.”

And speaking of smart, Smarty Dish passed quite a few tests before we decided that it made the grade: A third party confirmed for us that it cleans as effectively as, and sometimes even better than – the leading brands for many tough-to-crack stains. It’s also been approved by the EPA’s Design for the Environment program, which we told you about here. The container is made of 25% recycled content and is 100% recyclable. One test it didn’t pass, we have to admit, is animal testing.  But that’s because we just don’t think that’s nice.

And just in case you still don’t believe us, here’s what a couple of other people have said about Smarty Dish:

From Sustainable Is Good: http://www.sustainableisgood.com/products/2008/06/smartydish.html

From the Atlanta Journal & Constitution (scroll to the bottom of the article): http://www.ajc.com/search/content/living/personaltech/stories/2008/07/19/grabbag.html

Look for Smarty Dish at your local retailer (and available mid-September on methodhome.com), and let us know what you think!

Comments

[Amy]

I received the samples, used them and found my dishes came out cleaner than when I used my regular grease cutting dishwasher soap. Also, the rust spots caused by our hard water and high lime content disappeared on the first wash. My dishes never looked so good, thank you so much! (If only Smarty Cubes were coming out earlier!)

[Dara]

i saw this on HSN and while all my household products are now Method i found 20 bucks to be high. are you guys paying the 20 or did the price go down? i would love to try this out because we LOVE their other products so much that we have to have them shipped to us in bulk, because we live in an extremely rural area and i refuse to use anything else since i found their products.

[dar]

why should we have to buy from a website? I refuse to buy everyday items from a website! then we have to pay for the extra shipping costs! Put Method in stores!!!!! Target is fine, but what about Fred Meyer, Safeway, Albertson's? Method products are so good that they should be widely available. Method - what's the deal?

[shell]

This is great! I have dishwasher, and I think next gen has a dish product, but no cool scents or tablets. Way to go Method!

[kelly ann]

well, well, well, i may just have to get out there to buy myself a dishwasher.

i love you, method. you make everything i own oh so lovely.
xoxo

[Lynne]

I love your products the smells are so refreshing...yummmm. thanks, I am anxious to try your new dishwashing product

[Lynda Gayle]

I agree with everyone else, I am disappointed that TARGET does NOT carry everything from METHOD that they used to carry... that was my main reason to go to TARGET... where else to go in ORLANDO, FL?

[Carressa]

"One test it didn’t pass, we have to admit, is animal testing. But that’s because we just don’t think that’s nice."

I love you method! Thank you SO much for not testing your products on animals. :)

[Beyla]

I justed started using your general household cleaner for the first time, and I am absolutely hooked!! The smell of cumcumber has me cleaning everything in sight with absolute delight!! Can't wait to try your other stuff!!!
Thanks for making a great product that is kid and environmentally friendly!

[Kerstin]

Thanks for the septic info...I have been waiting for a Method dish detergent safe for our system. Now to hunt Smarty down! What can we do as consumers to get Target to care your entire line? LOVE your products...keep 'em coming!
kls

[Netta]

Good news, I just went to Target yesterday to pick up some of their new air care products and guess what???? the smarty dish were in stock. The waiting may be over for most of us method supporters.

[Jen Montgomery]

Seems like excessive packaging for such an eco-concious brand.

[Nix]

I was SO excited to try these, both because they seemed like an awesome, well-designed, Earth-friendly product, and because with the new home my boyfriend and I just bought (the first owned home for both of us!), I have a dishwasher for the first time in almost 7 years! We couldn't find these the night we did our initial shopping trip and ended up with something inexpensive and generic, which not only didn't seem to wash the dishes overly well, it didn't all rinse OFF of the dishes (and I had to wash them all by hand a second time anyway). We finally got these and they worked like a charm! The scent is fresh and not overpowering, and every dish came out clean and sparkly, not a drop of food or grease in sight. THANK YOU, METHOD!!!

[Tracey]

I love the smarty dish container because I can remove the label and reuse it for storage in my garage and craft room. I buy method products at target - but they need a bigger selection please (omaha, ne). I'd love to be able to buy this (and your entire product line) by the case on Amazon.com.

Love you guys, keep up the good work!

[Sabrina]

I LOVE these and have been tracking them down at local Targets..finally found one that had a good stock..I have tried the Pink Grapefruit and NOTHING else that I have tried have left my glasses spot free like this stuff..only issue (and I don't know if I'm the only one) is that the tab is an awkward shape for my dishwasher..I get it in there, but it's some work..worth it, though! Love the product!

[reesebud]

I bought the smarty dish at Tartget for 4.99 and loved it. Now I can only find it at HSN, 2 cans for 20.00. :-(
Great product, but not THAT great. Guess I'll be switching to another brand.