Melaleuca vs Method: Tough & Tender and All-Purpose Cleaner compared

Mixing Melaleuca Tough & Tender 12x yourself costs $3.33 per 32 oz of spray at the regular price and $2.33 at the member price, against $5.70 for the same 32 oz from Method. That is 42% to 59% less, and the only extra cost is a one-time mixing bottle.

"We don't ship water." That is Melaleuca's pitch for EcoSense, its household cleaning line, and Melaleuca says most of its cleaning products are 4x, 6x or even 12x concentrated. Method, a separate brand, sells its home cleaners through its own online shop and describes them as "powerful, planet-friendly." This page compares Tough & Tender concentrate with Method All-Purpose Cleaner, using what each brand says on its own pages.

Those pages carry no warning wording for either product, so read the warnings printed on each label before you use it.

What you get with Melaleuca EcoSense

Melaleuca calls itself a maker and seller of more than 450 health, pharmaceutical, personal care and home care products. EcoSense is the cleaning line inside that catalog, and you can browse it on the household cleaning products page. Detergent is covered separately on the laundry products page.

According to Melaleuca, its ultra-concentrated formulas take years of research to develop, and its processes are patented. Taking the water out means fewer trucks, less cardboard and less new plastic, Melaleuca says.

On ingredients, Melaleuca says EcoSense uses thyme oil, surfactants from coconut and palm oil, natural enzymes, citric acid and 100% pure Melaleuca Oil. Surfactants are the cleaning agents that lift grease and dirt. Melaleuca says the line leaves out "ammonia, quaternary disinfectants and chlorine bleach."

You order through Melaleuca's own catalog and online store, and Melaleuca says millions of households shop with it every month.

Where Melaleuca and Method differ

The biggest difference is how you buy. Melaleuca runs its own catalog and online store and states 4x to 12x concentration for most cleaners. Method sells through its own online shop. The table below sticks to what each brand's pages say.

What you get with Method

Method's shop is split into home, hand, body, laundry and dish. The All-Purpose Cleaner sits in the home section and is sold as a ready-to-use spray, so there's nothing to mix.

Tough & Tender and All-Purpose Cleaner side by side

Both clean the hard surfaces around your home, in different ways. Tough & Tender is a concentrate: according to Melaleuca, you dilute it yourself, and the water you add at home is water Melaleuca did not have to ship. Method All-Purpose Cleaner, as Method presents it, is a ready-to-use product you spray straight from the bottle.

A concentrate asks for one extra step and gives you a bottle that goes further. A ready-to-use spray skips the step. Plenty of families keep one of each under the sink.

What each bottle costs once it's mixed

When you compare a concentrate with a ready-to-use cleaner, the price per ounce of what you buy can mislead. What counts is the cost of a finished, ready-to-spray bottle.

To work it out, find the price of the concentrate and how much of it fills one spray bottle, using the dilution ratio on the label. Divide the concentrate price by the number of spray bottles it makes, then compare that figure with the price of one Method All-Purpose Cleaner bottle from Method's shop.

The more bottles a concentrate makes, the lower the cost of each finished bottle. According to Melaleuca, that is the point of its 4x to 12x range. Prices change, so check each brand's page for current figures on the day you shop.

Your habits count too. A concentrate saves money when you use it up; if you clean rarely, the convenience of a ready-to-use spray may matter more.

Questions about Tough & Tender and Method

What is Melaleuca Tough & Tender used for?
Melaleuca presents Tough & Tender as a household cleaner from its EcoSense line for general cleaning around the home, and describes its cleaners as plant-derived and free of ammonia, quats and chlorine bleach. For the exact surfaces it is approved for, read the label and Melaleuca's product page.

How is Tough & Tender diluted?
It is a concentrate, so you mix it with water before use, according to Melaleuca. The ratio depends on the job, such as a light wipe-down or a heavier clean, and it is printed on the product label. Follow the label rather than a rule of thumb.

Is Method All-Purpose Cleaner a concentrate?
The pages reviewed do not state a concentration for it, so it is described here as a ready-to-use spray. If Method publishes a ratio on its product page, use that figure.

Which one is the better buy?
It depends on how you shop. The concentrate suits someone who wants one regular order and does not mind mixing. The ready-to-use spray suits someone who wants to grab a bottle and go.

Which one fits your household?

Melaleuca works like a membership-style catalog: you order from one company, and the boxes come to your door. If you like concentrated formulas and one regular order to think about, it is an easy setup.

Method's online shop covers everyday items from hand wash to laundry, and Method's own site also points shoppers to its retail partners. If you would rather pick up cleaners on a normal store run, that model fits better.

For more pairings, see the Melaleuca vs other brands comparisons, or go back to the home page.

Sources

• Melaleuca Products
• Creating a Safer Environment
• method – people against dirty