what's so smart...

...about laundry? Hi Fred! Fred is a Green Chef! And those Green Chefs are always cooking up all sorts of greatness over at method! Case in point, their brand spanking new laundry detergent! So recently, Anna Boyarsky (president of the method fan club extraordinaire!) did a quick Q+A over on their official people against dirty blog with Fred Holzhauer about his favorite new product!

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one of our unsung heroes here at method is fred. fred works on our formulations team, and not to brag or anything, but in his life before method, he developed the first oxiclean® liquid! we are lucky enough to have fred on our team now, and for the past year, he has focused solely on creating the stellar formula for our new laundry detergent. i sat down to pick his brain about what makes our formula better than the rest.

Q hi fred! Method laundry detergent is here. how excited are you?
A this project is the coolest thing i’ve ever worked on. now that this ultra-concentrated detergent has rolled out, it seems the “ultra” theme keeps coming up - i’m ultra pleased that we’ve managed to make laundry ”handy”. the pump is ultra easy, just one hand to use. it’s ultra portable for folks on the go (even if it’s to your mom’s or the ’mat). we’re starting to see people blogging about how they have discovered that method laundry detergent eliminates the need for an extra product for those tough spots and stains. ultra effective! seriously, we’ve heard about grass, garage greases and oils, blood, ink and marker, and that’s just NOT your typical foodie stuff. so give it a go as your pre-treat strategy as well. what can method laundry detergent do for you today?

making life easier and greener, like that, gives me and all of us here at method the ultra satisfaction.

Q what is so much “SMARTER” about method laundry detergent?
A there are a whole lot of smart ideas in there, but i think my favorite is that the formula is more efficient at how it approaches the fabric and soil. it gets more work out of less material. so that means super clean clothes with less product than conventional 2x detergents. minimizing the requirement at the washing machine level has translated into minimization all along the packaging and supply line. less packaging, less energy into raw material and manufacture, less fuel and shipping, all equals less waste!

Q what does ‘ultra concentrated’ mean?
A it’s 8x!!! our formula is 4x more concentrated than traditional 2x, and 8x more concentrated than old 1x formulations.

Q how’d you make it so concentrated?
A it wasn’t easy! quite a few man-years of development have gone into just investigating material functionalities and compatibilities for method® laundry detergent with smartclean™ technology. this detergent is pushing the limits of concentration, and that’s about all i can say here. the rest is covered in our patent application.

Q how is it that such a little bit works? and why does it work so well?
A we redesigned laundry detergent so it works in a whole new way. getting your clothes clean requires cleaning agents (aka surfactants). surfactants bond to dirt and stains in the wash, lifting them up to be carried away by water.

traditional detergent’s cleaning agents are on the inside in little balls and water is on the outside. for those cleaning agents to work, the cells have to break open to release the surfactants, which requires agitation and time… and is a little hit-or-miss…. not all surfactants break through which means you use (and waste) more detergent than you really need.

our smartclean technology™ formula is designed to be inside-out with cleaning agents outside, water inside. this allows cleaning agents to get to work right away – once released into the wash, they’re like magnets immediately drawn to dirt and stains. and unlike traditional detergent, more of our cleaning agents are used. that’s why you can use so much less and still get a great clean!

Q so now that you have revolutionized laundry what are your next plans fred?
A it’s safe to say you’ll be seeing more news from method in the laundry aisle. stay tuned!

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Hmm, do you think he means new fabric softener (since their current softener line has been discontinued?) Curiouser and curiouser!

sad homes

So it definitely looks like it's true. While still no official word from up on method high, I'm calling the time of death on aircare. I walked into my local Target last night and my shoulders slumped as I turned the aircare aisle corner and saw... the entire method section had been removed and replaced WITH... Glade. Glade, Glade, and more Glade. So. Sad.

The remaining method aircare items were moved to the endcaps of the aisles, where at least at my store they've hit 75% off now ($1.98 for aroma sprays!) So I'd say run out and snatch up what you can, cause it really truly looks like it's all over for the aircare line. Which shocks the heck out of me! I mean, this isn't small potatoes, this is an entire line of products they've had for years, gone. I think they've really dropped the ball on this one, but time will tell I guess.

Now I could be completely wrong here, but it's at least obvious that Target is done with the aircare line, it's history! So I'm sticking by my instincts on this one. With that said, let's (sniff sniff) take a quick last look at some old school aircare aisle shots!


(photos via The Dieline)

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What are your thoughts? Gonna miss them? What will you use instead?

no business like soap business... part four

Part four of four! The end!

no business like soap business... part three

Part three of four! A new segment each day!

in print

It's not very often you'll find method print ads! But as I was flipping through the latest issue of Dwell magazine (pictured above - full of modern drool! They should just call it Drool magazine, really!) I stumbled upon a TWO-PAGE spread method print ad! Whoa! It was of course for their new and most amazing laundry detergent! So be sure to check it out next time you're perusing Dwell!

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Speaking of their laundry detergent. Target has these plastic presentation pieces they're clipping onto the shelves, next to the new detergent. They slide a card into the plastic thingy-ma-bob which gives people a quick what's what about the product! Well, as you know (if you've ever bought poster frames) the acrylic presentation pieces come with a blue sheet of film over them (to prevent scratching.) And one of my Targets had failed to remove the film, so it was hard to see the card. So there I am with my fingernails trying to make a scratch into the film, so I could pull it off the presentation piece and allow people to read the card more easily! I accomplished my goal, and quickly wadded up the film and slipped it behind the shelf piece. And as I walked away thought to myself "I really gotta get a life! I DON'T work for method!" Ha ha! Eh, what can you do?

no business like soap business... part two

Part two of four! A new segment each day!

no business like soap business... part one

Part one of four! A new segment each day!

spit polish

Hey lusters! Just wanted to make everyone aware of a couple of new fangled things I've sorta added to this here blog. (Things everyone else has had on their blogs since 1952. Didn't you know that's when blogs first began? Don't you read the internet? The internet is always right!)

Anyway, you can now choose to share each and every post you enjoy by just heading to the end of that post and clicking the plus sign on the share button! Facebook, email, Twitter, MySpace (if you still have a MySpace account, shame on you! Butterflies, unicorns, unreadable text and Creed playing in the background were so 2006!) Share away! It will only share that particular post (yay!), instead of what I originally had on method lust; which pretty much just shared the whole freakin' site. Ha ha!

Secondly, I've added "more method lusts" to the bottom of each post (the bottom of these posts is where it's at, I'm tellin' ya! The par-tay is happenin' THERE! You've been warned, invited, and as long as you bring a bottle of wine, appreciated!) Now if you want to read more about reusable bags (and who doesn't?! Right? Right?!) or candles, or whatever it may be, you have more articles to choose from relating to the one you just read, without hunting and pecking your way through method lust!

Just me trying to help out my lustful peeps! I know, I know... never say peeps again. Sorry.

dumped?

Missing your favorite method product that you once purchased from Target? Wondering why it just suddenly disappeared/got clearanced/went away? How about this REALLY interesting article from CNN about how products are literally being dumped from store shelves!

"Dumped! Brand names fight to stay in stores |
By Parija Kavilanz

Don't be shocked if you can't find your favorite salad dressing or mouthwash on your next trip to Wal-Mart.

Large retailers -- including Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500), the world's biggest -- are wrestling with having too many types of brand-name products. At the same time, shoppers are buying less and looking for bargains.

So unless a particular brand is a top seller in its category, it's getting knocked off the shelf -- and sometimes getting replaced by a cheaper store brand.

For example, Wal-Mart recently removed Glad and Hefty-branded storage bags from shelves, replacing them with its own lower-priced Great Value brand, according to the parent companies of both products.

In the case of Hefty, parent Pactiv Corp. (PTV) told CNNMoney.com that Wal-Mart reversed its decision, and will return its products to shelves this spring -- after Pactiv agreed to make the Great Value bags that will sell alongside the competing Hefty product.

"Hefty was off Wal-Mart's shelves, but we are being brought back," said Matt Gonring, spokesman for Pactiv Corp.

Bill Pecoriello, CEO of market research firm ConsumerEdge Research, expects Wal-Mart and other sellers will trim several name-brands across categories in coming months, or negotiate deals to get better pricing.

According to Pecoriello, those categories at greatest risk of losing brands are everyday-type purchases such as household products, toiletries and food staples.

These are also categories in which retailers have aggressively pushed their own house brands.

"If you consider the economics of this, if Wal-Mart can build customer loyalty for its own brand, which is also cheaper-priced and cheaper to stock than name-brands, then it will," he said.

Heavyweight
Moves such as this are significant given Wal-Mart's heavyweight status in the retail industry.

"Any change that Wal-Mart makes with its product assortment has enormous implications for the entire industry," said Ali Dibadj, senior analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.

Wal-Mart declined comment for this story.

Wal-Mart is not the only one doing this, according to Dibadj. He says leading drug store chains, including CVS and Walgreens, grocers such as Kroger (KR, Fortune 500), and Wal-Mart's rival discounter, Target (TGT, Fortune 500), are also looking to simplify their store shelves.

In good economic times, product variety is a must for retailers. But in down times, when shoppers aren't buying much, variety can be a burden.

"Wal-Mart's a little fed up," said Lora Cecera, retail expert and partner at strategy consulting firm Altimeter Group. "I think the feeling is that as these companies keep extending their [product] lines, it's only causing confusion for shoppers and not really driving them to buy more products."

As a consumer, she asked, "Do I really need to decide between 15 different types of toothpaste when I go to a store?"

Dawn Willoughby, vice president-general manager of Glad brand for the Clorox Co. (CLX, Fortune 500), agreed.

"On an industry level, we've been talking about simplifying product assortment for a long time," said Willoughby. "If you walk into a Wal-Mart or another large retail chain, there are so many products on shelves that it does make it harder to shop."

Let's make a deal
Besides cutting clutter, industry experts say Wal-Mart and other retailers are looking for more lucrative deals from suppliers on both prices and advertising.

In one recent example, according to published reports, Wal-Mart removed Arm & Hammer liquid laundry detergent from most of its stores. But the discounter brought back the product after Arm & Hammer boosted its advertising for the product at Wal-Mart.

Arm & Hammer parent Church & Dwight (CHD) did not return calls for comment. Other consumer product makers -- including Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble -- either declined comment or did not return calls.

Said Dibadj, "Perhaps one consideration in which product to cut is based on which company gives [Wal-Mart] the best deal."

Citing the Hefty example, he said "these threats can become quite aggressive, such as delisting and subsequent relisting after a compromise.

Altimeter Group's Cecera believes consumers stand to win from the retailers' moves.

"In this recession, consumers have certainly become less discriminating with what they buy," said Cecera. "Consumers have rushed to value prices, and they are buying generic brands."

She said retailers' own brands have grown their market share by between 2% to 6%.

This newfound affection for store brands is "sticking," said Dibadj. He cites his firm's recent survey finding that 77% of consumers who traded down to less expensive private label products are happy with their decision."

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Be sure to head on over and read the comments people are leaving. Lots of food for thought!

So what do you think? You know what's crazy is, the more obsessed I've become with method products, the more I've learned about retail practices (I had no idea until a few years ago that brands had to buy and fight for space on shelves!? That's just, well, insane to me! No joke, I don't know how many times I'll walk down the floor cleaning aisle and stand in AWE I tell you, in awe at the fact that Swiffer LITERALLY owns that aisle. The. Entire. Freakin'. aisle. I mean, there are so many Swiffers and Swiffer cloths on those shelves you'd die if they fell on you. You'd die of light as a feather Swiffer cloths falling upon your body because there are so many frickin' packages of them on the shelves! "Man Crushed By Swiffer Cloths! News at eleven!" AND yet, they can't make a tiny teeny little bittle bit of room to fit three method oMops on that shelf. Nope. Nada. None. (Cause three was all they ever carried at a time, anyway.) I mean, WHAT the crap is up with that? Seriously.) It's cause Swiffer has bought up all the shelf space and the oMop went bye bye. (And the oMop is just a tad more expensive then the Swiffer, but I digress...)

Many of us have noticed Target's purging of method products (among many items and brands) from their stores as of late, and the apparently lack of finding said products. I think personally, it's sad when a retail store purges brand name products, so they can make their own cheap versions to sell. Up & Up anyone (Target's new generic brand) or... uh, nothing?

And did you notice how every product Walmart brought back in that article above, had a "you scratch our backs we'll MAYBE scratch yours" attached to it. That's just not right. Thoughts?

Lastly, I just HAD to share this from another blog! It cracked me up, is so totally true, and you'll notice what brand she ends the piece with (and I'm betting is starting to curse as she heads into Target for her latest aircare purchase.)

From Whrool:

"Dear Target
I have a bone to pick with you, Target. First off, I would like you to know that I am a very nice person who enjoys giving the benefit of the doubt. You are a very popular store. I get it.

However, why must it be so difficult for you to keep my meager list of needed items in stock? Will the glorious day ever arrive when I can cross off 100% of the items on my shopping list before exiting your store? For instance, WHY OH GOD WHY is it so hard for you to keep Dove Sensitive Skin Face Cloths on your shelves? You have 3,000 Dove Moisturizing Face Cloths and 14,000 Dove Deep Clean Face Cloths sitting right there in front of my face, mocking me. All I need is ONE BOX of Sensitive Skin Cloths. WHHYYYYYYY?

Funny story, Target. Do you realize that the primary reason I started using Dove Sensitive Skin Face Cloths was because you couldn’t keep the Oil of Olay Sensitive Face Cloths on the shelves? So, after much trial and tribulation, I finally found a new brand that didn’t make my skin weep and always seemed to be in stock? But NOW, the Dove ones are always sold out? Do you know how this makes me feel, Target? It makes me feel very shaky. Isn’t that a funny story, Target? Not so much funny ha-ha, but funny stab stab STAB.

Same with deodorant. (Why is it so difficult for me to spell deodorant without spell check? Am I the only one?) I have long been a user of Secret Powder Fresh or “Protecting Powder” deodorant (p.s. – Secret, please stop changing the names. You are confusing me.), yet it has been virtually impossible to find on your shelves. I have spent many, many cumulative hours searching though the sea of Secret deodorants: Vanilla, Rockstar Rose, Tutti-Frutti, Wild Jasmine, Cherry Mischief (seriously, WHO wants their armpits to smell like fucking fruit?), Truth or Pear, Sparkly Shit, WHATEVER. JUST GIVE ME MY OLD SCHOOL POWDER FRESH, PEEPS.

Yet, no dice. So, once again, I changed my personal preference to ensure an In Stock Status. Secret Unscented seemed to be the wise choice, considering there are usually 325 Unscented ones on your shelves at all times. Also, who knew that I would actually enjoy not making my armpits smell like a fabricated freshly-washed baby’s ass? It’s liberating, I tell you!

I bet you know where this is going, don’t you? Over the past couple of months, I can’t find a Secret Unscented to save my life.

Target, I’m beginning to think you are toying with me, knowing that I must visit you in order to buy all of my Method cleaning products. What’s a girl gotta do to get some health and beauty product love?

Sincerely,

Whoorl"

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and what do you know, a comment from the article: "I feel the same way, but about the Method products we apparently so covet. Target has scaled back on the amount of products they stock. My favorite aroma pill, Pomegranate Tea, is now MIA. SO my backup of Vanilla Apple? POOF! Gone too! Target is SO on notice around here..."

danny's discovery

Danny, Danny, Danny. Admit it. You don't really read method lust, do you? Oh, you might skim a post here or there, but really, really read it, no I don't think you do. Because if you did, you'd know I've been screaming the wonders of Baggu Bags for well, 2 years now! (Psst - I'm just giving method's Green Co-Conspirator, Danny Seo, some humorous jabbing. Why?)

Cause over on his personal blog, Daily Danny (full up on lots of grand green stuff!), he's finally discovered the greatness that is Baggu Bags! Danny writes:

"Twice a year in NYC is the New York International Gift Fair. It’s when designers/vendors and buyers collide and when decisions are made what home, beauty, and anything else you can pick up in a department store, catalog or gift store will be made. There is literally hundreds of thousands of items, some beautiful, some inventive, some eco-friendly and some outright what-are-they-thinking? worthy. This post is dedicated to the greener and better products I found this week.

Reusable tote bags have become like building a better mousetrap. Sure, everyone has as reusable bag and every store is selling all different types. There are plenty of terrible bags: the ones that barely hold anything or they rip after a few uses or have the giant SAFEWAY SUPERMARKETS logo emblazoned on the side. Not cool. So, the hunt for a pack of reusable tote bags that are sturdy, colorful, lightweight and can hold a whole cart’s worth of food may be over with these Baggu Bags.

All five of them fit into a tiny little bag. Because the nylon bags “memorize” the crease marks, they are very easy to fold right back up into tiny little squares. Each bag can actually hold up to 50 pounds each, meaning you can haul 250 pounds worth of groceries to and from your car to the house. The biggest question is: why on Earth are you buying 250 pounds of groceries?!? That question for another day…"

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You'd think Baggu Bags were paying me for all the endorsements I seem to give them here on method lust! But no! (But uhm, Baggu, if you're reading this and just wanna send me free bags for spreading the word, I'm always open to that option! Ha ha!) Just like my ridiculously unhealthy love for method products, Baggus also hold a special place in my heart (which could be why there's no room for a boyfriend! Between method and Baggu, and maybe comic books (hey, I went to college to be a comic book illustrator, ok, so stop making fun of me!), there's no more room! Sorry guys! Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm gonna tell myself when I'm all alone this Valentine's day! That'll do the trick...oh, I'm so off topic here!) They're just really, really, really (one more time) really awesome bags! Of course everyone has their favorite brand, and I know there are lots of nifty styles and types out there; but for me, it's gotta be Baggu!

Be sure to read all about the other discoveries Danny found at the NY Gift Fair (man, I bet it would rock to go to something like that!); and be sure to give Baggu Bags a try! I bet you'll lust them as much as I do!

And if you've got a favorite reusable bag/tote you use all the time, drop a comment and give us the name and website/where they can be purchased! Let's spread the resuable bag love!

hello?

Anyone out there? I'm not sure why, but I sure am starting to feel all lonely here... (luster roll call!)

the dirty secret

Adam Lowry is kicking butt and taking names! Make sure you take some time to read this very intriguing article from Treehugger.com (have you hugged a tree today? No? Well go! Hug! Ah, didn't that make you feel all sorts of better! Yes, I knew it would.) In it he discusses in detail laundry's dirty secret: overdosing! (No, not that kind of overdosing!)

"Laundry's Dirty Secret: The Overdose Dilemma |
by Adam Lowry, method

I blog here about design as intention, which is to say that if you broaden your design intention to include social and environmental factors, your designs can become transformational. Examining typical laundry packaging from this design perspective provides interesting insight. If you ask what is the intention of the design of a typical laundry package, the answer is clear: Big detergent jugs are designed to get us to use more. They are a symbol of bigger-is-better wastefulness. The laundry jug is the SUV of consumer products--it's antiquated, wasteful, and costly, but supremely profitable for its makers.

In last Wednesday's Wall Street Journal, Ellen Byron wrote an article called "The Great American Soap Overdose," in which she examined America's addiction to using too much laundry detergent and the various reactions of the "we're on your side" laundry detergent manufacturers.

The piece examines why dosing of laundry detergent is so confusing; why the fill lines are hard to read, and why the caps are oversized. Detergent manufacturers are quick to point out that they, too, are against overdosing and its' negative effects, and that they are constantly looking for ways to curb it.

I'm not buying it.

This rhetoric is symbolic of a greater ideological battle in sustainable business today. It is a fight between those that want to appear green as they protect the ignorance-is-bliss status quo that serves their business interest, and those that are truly willing to put their money where their mouth is and innovate better, greener solutions that help people live more sustainably.

You might ask, why is this important? Isn't it just laundry detergent? When you consider that 1,100 loads of laundry are started every second in America, that means over 500 million pounds of laundry detergent go down the drain and into our waterways every year.

The main arguments that detergent manufacturers give for why dosing is so confusing are that they haven't yet found a way to make it clearer, and that consumers want control. According to the article, large manufacturers don't want to boost sales by confusing consumers, because they don't want their customers disappointed in how the product makes their clothes look and washing machines wear.

These arguments warrant a critical eye.

If detergent manufacturers were really that concerned about the negative effects of using too much, then why wouldn't they limit the size of the cap to the amount you need for a heavy load? That's what Method did when we launched our 3x laundry detergent in 2004. Furthermore, given the huge volume of laundry detergent sold every year, "right-sizing" the cap would save manufacturers millions in plastic cost and create an enormous sustainability benefit. But they don't. Still today, the volume of the cap is often more than double what you need, and the 'natural' brands are as guilty as all the rest..."

Head on over and read the rest!

to the loo

I'm so behind on this post it's crazy (hey, I might not have much of a life and all I dream about are method products dancing merrily in my head all day; but you know, sometimes laziness, work, or a bit of both get in the way! I think I need a method lust assistant! Ha ha!) But right now method is having all sorts of bathroom goodness going on!

You can download some awesome inspirational bathroom quotes here; place an order for their bathroom kit here (which comes with one each of: lil' bowl blu, tub 'n tile cleaner, le scrub, and flushable bathroom cleaner wipes.) - and use this checkout code: SHIPTOMYLOO for free shipping! Sale ends 2/12/10! So get to buying!

AND finally, there are so many bathroom related contests and things to read, you'll just have to run over to this post on method's official people against dirty blog to learn all about it! (Pictures, Facebook contests, Twitter contests, and more oh my!)

Whew! So get going cleanin' that loo!

aha!

method lust reader Jamison just spotted method's new laundry detergent at his local Target (and I have as well! Ugh, Target! My one complaint (as I always have one, right? Ha ha!) is as usual they carry peony blossom AND fresh air in both sizes, but the free + clear (the one I buy!) only in the large (meaning more expensive) size. Grr.)

Meanwhile, reader Regan spotted the amazing product at her local QFC! (Regan, what IS QFC? I've never heard of it!)

If you happen to spot method's new laundry detergent at a store near you, take a pic and send it in to method lust! I'll post them up as I get them! Happy hunting!

1 + 1 = confetti!

2 years and over 900 posts later! Happy anniversary to method lust!

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How long have YOU been reading method lust?

method at the office

Keep watching 'til the "clappers" segment! Pretty crazy to see where method products pop up! (via method's Facebook page)

new new for you!

UPDATE Found it! During my usual Target jaunt (well, one of many many many... sigh!) I finally spied method's new limited edition waterfall hand wash! It is, as many lust readers have said, in with the main Target selection (dish cubes, all-surface cleaner, etc.) and NOT with the hand wash in the, well, hand wash area. method sorta likes to put their "top four" gel hand washes (pink grapefruit, lavender, cucumber and go naked) in with their big area product selection (now five, if you count waterfall!) They then put the remaining hand washes (sea minerals, waterflower, refresh mint, sweet water, the moisturizing line, etc.) on the hand wash aisles at Target. Should I draw you a map? Cause, really, I could. Oh how I could.

I gotta say, I love method's limited edition hand washes and hope they keep on keepin' on; but man, if I had to do a blind sniff test between their new waterfall and the sea minerals scents (which some readers have also said smell very similar) I'm not sure I'd be able to tell which one was which! I'm sorta surprised they chose a scent so very close to one they already carry. But I also know sea minerals appears to be a big hit for them, so perhaps they're trying to hook that customer base with some more similarly scented products.

You'll all definitely have to let me know if you agree or disagree on the scent similarity when you get a chance to try it out yourself (or hey, just do like I do, and sniff it in the stores! Man, I sniff so much stuff in the stores, I'm surprised Target hasn't pulled all the surveillance video together and made a mashup YouTube video of me sniffing method products! Ha ha! Oh but that's be so very sad. Let's hope that never comes to pass.)

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Look and see! A brand new limited edition hand wash scent coming to a Target near you! - Waterfall (man does it look a lot like Sea Minerals! I'm really curious what the scent smells like!)

Let methodlust know if you spot new mr. blue on a shelf near you! (Wow, so much rhyme, so little time!) Waterfall will be available thru July (or so) according to method's latest Tweet!

movin' out

UPDATE Reader Brit just let us know that Target has indeed clearanced the fabric softener - so it looks like it's either going away, or method is set to debut updated softener as part of their new laundry line. Time will tell!

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Making a quick trip to Lowe's this week to see if they'd gotten the new laundry detergent (as I had yet to actually see it in a store) I FINALLY spotted the new product! I took a big whiff of peony blossom, and it wasn't at all what I was expecting. (It didn't smell like peonies to me at all. But then, I'm more so a free + clear fan anyway, and I've already heard of lots of method lusters who love the new peony blossom scent, so what's my opinion anyway? LOL)

But while I was there, I also noticed Lowe's is putting the method fabric softener (available in fresh air and water lily + aloe) on clearance. The only other store that I know currently carrying the softener is Target, and they only carry the fresh air. So I'm not sure if this is simply Lowe's removing the product from their shelves, or method discontinuing it and bringing out a new fabric softener more in line with their new laundry products! I'll keep you updated when I find out anything more!

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And you know something I'd REALLY love to see is their fabric softener in a free + clear "scent." Towels and sheets I don't mind having a lingering fragrance, but for clothing it's sorta a big no-no for me. (Hey, isn't that what cologne/perfume is for? Ha ha!)

clean sweeps

A couple of bippity-bops!

UPDATE Bought it! Lovin' the coconut cream + honey fragrance! And I can definitely tell they've upped the moisturizing properties in the hand wash. It's silky now! Give it a try!

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Stumbled upon the new moisturizing hand wash today! Believe it or not I didn't pick any up. I'm totally planning on doing so, I just remembered I had a $1 off coupon laying around at home and so I'm holding off until I grab that! I think both scents are pretty wonderous! The coconut cream + honey smells like, well, coconut! And the cucumber + aloe smells really fresh and slightly green (perhaps even a bit floral to me, but just a touch.) Still no sign of the waterfall gel hand wash scent, though I am hearing from other method lusters that they've found it on Target's shelves! Reader Aaron says "It's a bit more "watery" smelling than the sea minerals, which I think is a bit more powdery (without being feminine)." Hmm...

+ Picked up the last three remaining lavender + lemongrass aroma pill refill packs in my area. Almost all the Targets around me are OUT of them, so while the purchase was painful ($20! - that first tier clearance price of 15% Target does is laughable) I didn't want to miss out on what MIGHT be my last chance! Sigh... (keeping fingers crossed.)

+ According to method, their new laundry detergent will hit Target stores by February 14th!