Greater Goods

This WAS a wonderful store… it closed in late February 2011.

I’ve never been to a store like this. It’s a boutique I suppose, but with the feeling of a neighborhood establishment. I can always find something to buy here and I usually learn something cool too. Plus the owner is one of the most approachable and affable people I’ve met in DC. Must-​visit for any new arrival in the capitol.

What I like and respect about this store is the wide diversity of genuinely useful green products. The «green» category can be oh-​so-​annoying and… superfluous. As if buying a hemp shopping bag and organic beeswax candle is all you need to do to save the planet.
Here, you find nice housewares AND decidedly unsexy winterizing products like weather stripping and sealing foam to make your home more comfortable, AND non-​toxic cleaners, AND baby stuff, AND pet products, AND nifty solar gizmos, AND safe insect spray, AND a bunch of categories I can’t remember right now. The location isn’t super convenient for me, but I can count on picking up a bunch of useful stuff when I go. [Oh right, AND they carry dimmable CFL light bulbs, which is why I looked up the address this morning, and ended up writing this review…

Greater goods is great! They have lots products that help save energy. I also buy my laundry detergent and fabric soft here because they sell the high efficiency kind where you use less and it lasts long time. My favorite is Mrs. Meyer lemon kind. I used to buy it at whole foods, but the price is just as cheap at Greater goods. They also have other products that I like including organic baby toys.

very poor customer service. We called and called and called for about a week. Left messages to no return phone calls. Decided to just head down to the store, got there after the website and store window stated the store would be opened. And the store was closed. We waited and waited and about 40 minutes after the store should have been open, someone rolled up to the scene, did not even apologize for being late, and said oh I’ll open in a few minutes. When asked where he had been, he replied, the beach. If you are going to go out of town and are responsible for opening up a store, be responsible and allocate enough time for your return trip.
On those same lines, would it be that hard to change your message or put a sign up in the window if you will be out of town and the store will be closed (this is an assumption as we aren’t sure if the «beach» trip was why we never heard back from anyone).
While the store may have a niche market in DC, it does not seem like is is being run with a good business model.
I would prefer to give the store no stars due to being rude, poor customer service, and I’ll definately not be making a return visit, but Unilocal is requiring at least one star.

This is one of my most favorite local businesses. I really like the expanded line of goods they carry. I heard a rumor which I truly hope isn’t true, they may be considering closing the store. It would be such a loss to the neighborhood. So, my fellow Unilocalers, please shop at Greater Goods. We need local businesses and especially ones that sell eco-​friendly products!

I love the concept of Greater Goods with its extensive selection of eco-​friendly items that go beyond the usual span of cleaning products and housewares and delves into water filters and materials to start a compost.
However, I’ve been here twice and can’t get past the rude salesperson/​owner. The first visit we asked him if he could recommend a restaurant in the area and he replied with a snooty «there’s a lot of places around.» Well yes, we can see that but were looking for a recommendation, which he clearly couldn’t give us. Strike one.
Strike two occurred on visit number two when I inquired about a specific water filter I had learned about the day before at a Smithsonian exhibit. He looked at me like I had two heads and with attitude replied that he had never heard of such a filter. Great, super helpful. I can understand not knowing about it, but spare me the attitude please.
After the first visit I thought the indifferent attitude with a twist of rudeness was a fluke, but after encounter number two from the same person, I will steer clear.

It’s hard to figure out what exactly this store is for but the owner helps you get it. He really knows his composters, and he doesn’t carry products he finds gimmicky even if they might sell. His prices for items like reusable bags and coffee mugs are competitive, and he’s generally a nice guy.
I’d go here for green home improvement stuff and ‘green around town’ stuff like bags.

I Love Greater Goods, they always seem to have everything i could need or want. They have great cleaing supplies and i love the fact that its all good for the environment. I wish that their prices were a little lower on everything, but i use my Live Green card to get 10% off cleaning supplies and my personal items… i just wish i could get that discount on everything!
all in all, big fan.

I really love everything about this store. I think a lot of stores try to be «green» but this one’s really got it down. I think it’s a great spot for people on all levels and budgets of eco conscious living. I know this may sound corny but I think it’s almost inspirational. You can walk through and look at all kinds of ways to change different aspects of your daily impact.
The owner is great; every time I go in we have great conversation. He’s constantly looking for new products and looking for customer feedback, The prices are great compared to other places selling the same products and there are a lot of things there that you can’t find anywhere else. I wish Greater Goods huge success because I think we must have businesses like this one in the neighborhood.

This place is pretty reasonable, has a great selection (I buy soap and baby products here) and the staff is very friendly. I’d recommend it for anyone looking for green products for their home, personal hygiene, or gifts. A great addition to U Street!

A wonderfully helpful store that stocks organic/​environmental sound housewares, cleaning supplies and quality tools.
The staff are very helpful, and they are a great place to find recommended contractors/​painters/​handy (wo)men. GG runs some DIY classes on a variety of topics.
If you get your food at a farmers’ market or CSA, Greater Goods fills in the blanks to complete your grocery experience.

I love this place — the staff is super friendly and it is just a fun place to look around.
Welcome to the neighborhood. We should all shop here more — green and local. What could be better?

YES!
THANK YOU!
I mean, I don’t live in DC anymore, but if I did there is one thing I would be buying here for sure…
! ** RECYCLED TOLIET PAPER ** !
I mean, really… I have been asking myself why there is not an abundance of this around everywhere. I have LOOKED for it and not found it in San Francisco.
@ only .79 a roll, why not?! He says it is hard to come by, and he has to order tons of it at a time… So, really now, if you are literally just using it to toss it, why not buy it recycled?
That was the highlight of my trip to Greater Goods! I mean, don’t get me wrong, there was a lot of other really cool stuff there too, but I was so excited about the recycled TP, I sort-​of forgot about the rest… I’m a lamer.
But Greater Goods is not a lamer! Yay.

Greater Goods isn’t good, it’s grrrrrrrrrrrrreat!
Seriously… Daniel Velez and his team have amassed some of the most important home care products for the 20^th century. Our world is changing, rapidly, and we all need to be prepared. The grocery bags (very colorful and pretty, might I add) are a must have for anyone visiting Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Trader Joe’s or outdoor market. What would your friends think if you actually used plastic bags?! Or worse, paper bags!!!
Daniel offers a wide selection of books– some funny, some extremely useful– and other instructive items. He is very patient and informative and always willing to help customers find exactly the right product for their home or lifestyle.
Did you know you can also work with Daniel to find contractors to spruce up your house in an eco-​friendly (and very hip) way? It’s a GREAT alternative to visiting Home Depot or Lowe’s (in crazy and scary far-​away lands such as Virginia or Maryland).
Let’s keep an eye on Greater Goods as it continues to increase its inventory and services offered.

Great Store. I grew up in a home with solar powered water heaters and built in water purifiers. So green isn’t foreign to me. The service is great and they have minimal things in the space but it’s all stuff that’s good for our environment. While i loathe «green consumerism» I prefer to try and and help out where I can. When I need something I will go here. The next thing will be the stainless steel water bottle. I was able to grab some more toothpaste from Tom’s of Maine.

Happy Earth Day! (in 3 days…)
Think of it as a big display for environmentally friendly products. Don’t expect to go in and get lost between the shelves, because you will feel conspicuously naked. I wouldn’t worry if you just want to browse; there are a lot of really cool products there, but, if you’re the shy type and don’t like to get caught off guard, look at their website to see what you might be interested in buying.
Also know that they don’t really have much more in the store than what they do on the Internet. I went in looking for a compost bin and the only 2 they had were: The Tumbler ($ 190 — makes it so you don’t have to touch your decomposing scraps, you can just flip it and get the soil off the bottom) and this multi-​level worm composter ($ 70 — cool, but I’m not ready to try composting worms just yet, however it does have a spiffy «tea» spout). If you’re curious look up «compost tea» on the Internet and here’s a clue — you DON’T drink it!
I got a composting guide and a compost pail for my kitchen. The workers are very knowledgeable and they don’t just talk the talk. The gentleman I talked to lives in an apartment, so he can’t compost on his own, so he freezes his fruit and veggies scraps and takes it over to Shady Grove. How cool is that? You inspire me dude!
Looking at their website and going to the store really opened my eyes to more ways to love the planet. So, go, learn something new and make the world greener!

I showed up early for an appointment at Bang last month and decided to swing by Greater Goods (I’d been meaning to check it out). I agree that it looks a bit like a showroom but it is a fairly large space and the inventory doesn’t take up much room.
The owner is extremely approachable and friendly. I actually ended up chatting with him about books for 20mins! He did mention that customers have been commenting on the limited inventory. He reasoned that most people don’t really know what they want when they walk into the store anyway, which I totally agree with. The products that they do sell are not particularly expensive (Mrs. Meyer’s is sold at Whole Foods; not sure if there’s a price difference). If you’re an «eco-​newbie» however, Greater Goods is a good place to get all your basic supplies (reusable grocery bags, cleaning products, thermostats, etc) and the owner is certainly open to suggestions and new ideas.

Wondering just how easy it is to be green?
Greater Goods has the products — composting supplies, low-​flow shower heads, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day cleaning supplies, Envirosax reuseable bags, SIGG aluminum water bottles — to help you green your home and your life. Their website also boasts of relationships they’ve developed with contractors who can install tankless water heaters, home automation kits, and light switches.
And if you still want more they even offer «greener living classes.»

Watching Greater Goods settle in to the storefront at 17^th & U was a daily guess as to what the store was going to provide. Art gallery? Hemp clothing? Vegan food? Hat knit by a fair trade worker from Peru?
Fortunately for all of us the answer is none of the above. Instead, Greater Goods provides various goods and connections to services that make our lives better and the earth happier. Some of the goods I spotted on my first visit (as pressing my face to the window doesn’t count): Envirosax reusable grocery bags in a ton of different design hues, Simplehuman trash bins, conservation-​minded lightbulbs, solar-​powered flashlights, Meyer brand household cleaning supplies, eco-​friendly toilet paper, thermostats, energy consumption monitors, and the owner assured me, much, much more. Speaking of owners, I only assume the gentleman who greeted me was the owner as he provided a stream of information about the thermostats alone. Don’t be intimidated, he is simply excited about the products Greater Goods carries!
My personal favorites so far are the Envirosax bags — I already own a set and receive compliments every time I use them. The bags are roughly the size of two regular grocery bags and roll up into a little ball that I can pop into my purse and carry around. Sets of five will set you back about $ 30 and you can use them all yourself or pop them into someone’s stocking this year.
So, don’t worry about popping out to Home Depot to upgrade to the electric thermostat that will save you on your heating this winter, and don’t fret about trekking out to Target for earth-​friendly bathroom cleaner — hit up Greater Goods! You’ll make the earth — and yourself — quite happy. (Bonus? The tummy-​friendly Henry’s is no more than a stone’s throw away!)