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IRIDIO PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO
Soap
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The scoop on
Kirkland Signature
environmentally
friendly cleaning
products
For the best results when using any of the Kirkland
Signature environmentally friendly cleaning products,
follow the package directions and measure precisely,
advises Pat Volchok, Costco’s consumer reporter.
BuyingSmart
Consumer reporter
Pat Volchok gives a
behind-the-scenes look
at Costco products and
services. Send your
questions to:
buyingsmart@
costco.com.
UN TIL RECENTLY the green cleaning movement—using household cleaners made from
environmentally friendly ingredients—
seemed muddied by products short on valid
eco-claims and cleaning performance yet high
on price and false promises.
Feeling pretty green-shy, I nonetheless
took my habitual leap of faith when it comes
to all things created by Costco and purchased
the newly launched, U.S.-made Kirkland
Signature™ environmentally friendly liquid
laundry detergent.
Price and performance
The cost—less than 14 cents per wash
load versus the 20 to 44 cents I usually spend
on regular brands—immediately impressed
me. The label lists many biodegradable and
biorenewable properties, including powerful
cleaning agents made from coconut and palm
oils rather than petroleum-based chemicals.
Equally pleasing are the statements “CRUELTY
FREE, NO ANIMAL TESTING” and “SAFE FOR
SEPTIC SYSTEMS”; a toll-free 800 number for
questions (1-800-774-2678); and the HE
symbol, which is found only on the detergents
approved for high-efficiency (HE) washers.
The 170-fluid-ounce (enough for 110
loads) recyclable bottle is made of at least 25
percent recycled material and is easy to manage. The double-concentrated formula is
doubly good for the environment, with less
water used in manufacturing and a smaller
amount of detergent needed to clean.
Cleaning results are excellent (see “Pat’s
Test Kitchen”). Consequently, the other three
Kirkland Signature eco-cleaning products, all
equally stellar, with recyclable packaging and
biodegradable and biorenewable cleaning
agents, now also reside in our home.