here to stay

method has just posted this adorable little story about mandarin mango hand wash:

"once upon a time there was a young hand wash named mandarin mango. she moved to a quaint neighborhood called Target.

there were many other hand washes that lived in her neighborhood. there was the ever popular cucumber (total jock), french lavender (nice elderly type), sweet water (studious professor), grapefruit (school teacher) and sea minerals (free-spirited hippie). they had all lived in Target for some time and had become rather close friends. they were very different but often got together for small dinner parties and book clubs.

mandarin mango was significantly younger than all the other hand washes. some might even call her immature. she came into the neighborhood with a bang, wearing a sassy “guest star” logo printed on her bright orange bottle. all the other hand washes were very skeptical about what made mandarin mango so darn special, and she had no trouble informing them.

“like…i was born to be a star! people can see it from aisles away. omg lil’ bowl blu is soooo hot!” this didn’t go over too well with the other hand washes in the neighborhood. but they were told not to sweat it because she was a limited edition and would only be around for 9 months tops.

weeks went by, and mandarin mango was correct - she was a star! ‘people against dirty’ came from near and far to check out the newest addition to the hand wash family.

the whole gang was starting to get used to the young and spunky mandarin mango..."

Head on over to their official people against dirty blog to read the rest!

the comments are in...

...concerning method's decision to discontinue the entire aircare line (something many people don't seem to have grasped yet. A few think they've only discontinued the pills, perhaps because of the photo they used with their article?) And peeps, they ain't happy! (Count me as part of this group, too!) Here's just some (of the many) comments taken from method's official blog, and Facebook page:

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Are the pill plug in parts recyclable? I have so many... Very sad."

"i'm sorry but don't a TON of people make similar natural cleaning products while pretty much NOBODY makes natural air care products???"

"I can't find any equivalent for air care, nothing anywhere! There are NO plug ins! But there are a shed load of eco friendly cleaning products! Talk about missing a trick."

"no more lotions and no more candles. besides my mom needing some cleaning sprays once in awhile this is pretty much good bye for me."

"I'm seriously, really and truly, UPSET about this. These are the only air fresheners I trust in our home. The ingredients in all the others are such a mystery to me. I use the lavender ones both at home and at work, since lavender helps a lot with headaches. I also love the sweet water and the holiday scents. I was willing to pay more for them ..."

"VERY upset about this. I hope there is some new amazing air product to replace these. I hate when I find products I love and then they change or are discontinued. Just ends up making me shop elsewhere. Not smart Method."

"Please bring back the aircare line!!!"

"honestly, i used to go OUT OF MY WAY to buy the air care b/c i'm really sensitive to chemicals & perfumes (even though i have to drive to another city to get it). i do have some of their cleaning products, but now that i live in a town w/o a target, i do end up buying seventh generation for cleaning. air care was the only thing keeping me with method. i bet they are going to regret this move."

"I can't believe the aircare line has been discontinued! the aroma plug-ins are the only air-care products that lasted a long time, didn't smell like a chemical and came in a beautifully designed package. has anyone found out why it was discontinued?"

"Just came back from hoarding AromaPills & Rings @ Target. This was so not a good business decision. ;("

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And then my favorite, apparently from a very optimistic person:

"i believe one day they will emerge again... :)"

How's that for hope?

win + give

Win a year's worth of products for your charity! Yeah, uhm, that's all I have to say! Cause it's so very awesome it's worth repeating (yes, you can still use the word awesome! Even though it's really 80's! So there!) Win a year's worth of products for your charity! Oh hey, one more time! Win a year's worth of products for your charity! - from method! How cool is this!

"Charitable giving is important to method, and we’re thankful for all the people against dirty who give back to their communities. so to help you help others, tell us in the comments section below what non-profit (pick just one) is close to your heart and deserves method products. we’ll randomly choose one person against dirty to win a year’s worth of method products for the non-profit of their choice."

The total value is $360. Contest ends 12/16/09, 11:59pm pst. You must be 18 to enter. Non-profit must be a registered 501C3 and be in the US or Canada. One entry per person.

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So! Get to it! And good luck (for you, and your charity!) And remember, you only have until next Wednesday, so don't dawdle (yes, I just said dawdle!)

holiday contest-o-rama!

method's got a nifty holiday contest happening this very moment over on their people against dirty blog! So clickity-click-click and see if you can guess 2 (out of 3) of the very first holiday method scents from 2003! (And no, the picture above is not the answer! Well, not completely, perhaps? Hmm...)

"You will be entered to win a holiday assorted bundle, valued at $26! One entry per person. Must be 18 to enter and be a US, Canadian or UK resident. Contest ends at 12pm on 11/29/09." - Good luck!

go phosphate free!

Great deal from method! You can receive free shipping (which is like saving a fortune, cause their shipping costs are insane! But yeah, method already knows this) with the purchase of method pink graepfruit smarty dish (pouch only) on methodhome.com. enter the promo code “cleanH2O” (make sure to capitolize the H and O) at checkout.

The deal is valid through 10/21 midnight pst! And be sure to read their post on phosphate free states (is yours one of them?)

method eco-maniacs play farmer

Great post over on method's people against dirty blog about eco-volunteering!

"our eco-maniacs* team was at it again a few weeks ago with a volunteer trip to Slide Ranch to help clear some land and learn about sustainable farming. Slide Ranch offers visitors hands-on learning about the impact our choices have on food, health, and the environment, through activities and independent exploration of the farm and coastal wild lands. not only is the ranch educational, but it is beautiful!!!"

And get this, I love it (and wish my company was this forward thinking!)

"*method gives each method employee 3 days per year to spend volunteering in our community. we can use them either for company volunteer events or for personal volunteer projects."

How rockin' is that?! Head on over to their blog for more pics, and the rest of the post! Oh, and check out the first pic above, method's Grassroots Guru Anna is sitting next to a bottle of method hand sanitizer! Too funny! (And isn't this the perfect realization that they need to make this in a more portable size?)

summer with seo!

It's a video kind of day here at methodlust! method's official people against dirty blog has posted this video with Danny Seo, giving us some cool environmental ways of getting rid of mosquitos and entertaining with style in the summer! Enjoy!

detox for your pets

method has a great post over on their offical people against dirty blog all about detoxing your home for your pets! Check it out!

"Let's face it - our pets often get the short end of the stick when it comes to choices. Whether it's food, treats, and frankly, who to live with, poor little Rover doesn't have a say in any of it. So why not give Rover a break and give him a toxic free place to rest his (and especially your own) cute little head in. Below are some awesome tips we were inspired by from a recent issue of ModernDog magazine.

+ Read your labels - shop for pet food without artificial preservatives or chemicals.

+ Clean cleaner - ditch toxins in your cleaning products. Ingredients with six syllables or more are usually man-made synthetics.

+ Go phthalate free - choose 100% organic products when shopping for shampoos and soaps.

+ Switch to HEPA filters - using a vacuum with a HEPA filter will eliminate a majority of airborne particles, including dust, dander, and other allergens, while you clean.

+ Keep air conditioners, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers clean - regularly replace air-conditioning and furnace filters and check their manuals for cleaning instructions.

+ Natural is nicer - choose natural textiles and opt for feather, cotton, wool, or recycled fill.

+ Avoid that "new paint" smell - choose low-VOC (volatile organic compound) or VOC-free paint rather than regular paints which release low-level toxic emissions into the air.

+ Avoid insecticides - be wary of fertilizers and herbicides that when ingested by pets can cause severe damage to the nervous system.

+ Literally, go green - plants help clean the air by absorbing pollutants and producing oxygen. Just be sure it's not a species that's toxic to animals.

+ Open the windows - open those windows to let fresh air in and circulate. You and your pets will breathe a lot easier.
- Julie Kim"

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Now if we could just get method to stock a petcare line, we'd be set! (Hint, hint!)

mind the gap

Over on method's very own people against dirty blog, Danny Alexander has written (and Julie Kim has posted) a great little piece on a recent trip some method San Francisco-ians took!

"Hello from London! A few of us from the method San Francisco office have spent the last 4 days wandering the mean streets of London on a quest for inspiration. Gordie, Sally, Nate, Eric and I, Danny, have been keeping mighty busy over here, but have been having a blast nevertheless.

Our first objective here was to visit our UK office, which was a great opportunity for a method family mini-reunion. We talked business a bit, reviewing how wonderfully they've grown in the two years since method launched here and making sure we're all on the same page with our 2009 plans before taking turns hula-hooping. Although the office here is much smaller than our home base in San Francisco, it makes up for it in charm and quirk, and it's so exciting to see the method spirit alive and well half way across the world. It's nice to have such a welcoming home away from home.

While we had the whole gang together we spent yesterday morning walking the method mile (or High Street in Kensington, if you'll be in London any time soon), visiting a few method retailers and taking note of how the product looked on shelf. We may speak the same language (more or less), but the UK and the US are very different markets with very different needs. Talking to our UK workmates while walking the aisles gave us a better sense of how to design specifically for the UK market, so hopefully our future designs will be even better!..."

Head on over to people against dirty to read the rest of the post, and see more great pics!

chicago roundup

method's official people against dirty blog has posted a roundup of their Detox Chicago fun!

"As we bid Detox Chicago a fond farewell, we'd like to give a shout-out to our wonderful advocates. Four fantastic females allowed us to throw parties in their homes for a few of their friends. We stashed method in bookcases, bathrooms, and little nooks and crannies. Cocktails flowed and we got a chance to talk to people about everything from design to environmental responsibility. Everyone walked away with a plastic bag rehab tote stuffed with products and surprises; and hopefully a better understanding of every aspect of method. There's nothing better than getting the chance to tell why we do what we do."


Head on over to their blog and see more photos, as well as read about stopping drafts in windows and doors, lowering heating costs, and the winner(s!) of the marine naturals/skinny dipping contest!

who doesn't lust a good man in a uniform...

...Oh, it's not THAT kind of Marine, is it? Oh, ok, sorry there. Well, method has announced the big marine naturals line, sending out an email today! In case you're not on their mailing list (yet!), it reads (also available on their people against dirty blog):

"We’re so excited about our newest line of personal care products! Like all method products, we give you the good stuff – refreshing ingredients like sea salts and kelp extracts – without the bad – like EDTA, which bonds to heavy metals in waterways, or triclosan, an anti-bacterial officially classified as a pesticide by the EPA.

In fact, with fragrances like sea minerals, water flower, and refresh mint, it’s so invigorating that it reminds us of our skinny-dipping days. come on, you know you’ve done it too. We’re so sure that you have a good skinny-dipping story that we’ll send out some free Marine Naturals to the person that leaves the best one here in the comments section, or on the wall of our Facebook page by Friday, Oct. 10. Just, er, keep it clean, ok folks?

Look for Marine Naturals at Target and other retailers."

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Take note of that last line. It appears they don't have plans to sell marine naturals on the method home site as of this moment! I know that's disappointing for some lusters out there that have yet to find it at their local Target. Hopefully it'll hit soon! In the meantime, go read those skinning dipping stories!

method gets down and dirty

Over on people against dirty, method's oh-fish-e-al (now THAT takes talent!) blog, they've been helping out,and cleaning up!

"If you ever have the chance to visit method or talk to one of its employees, one of the first things you might notice is a heightened level of passion that its employees have, not only for products they create, but also the values they share. Values like sustainability and environmental stewardship to name of a few, but also social responsibility.

So striking is this notion of doing good that a small group formed (informally at first) around the idea of identifying charities to which we as an organization could give. The group became known as Ecomaniacs (a slight misnomer since many of our projects are oriented around social good, not just eco-intiatives).

Last week, the method Ecomaniacs set out to sponsor a volunteer day around cleaning up a local Compass Community Services family shelter. Compass is an organization in San Francisco which provides emergency shelter for homeless families for up to 6 months until permanent housing can be found. So, 46 method people against dirty shut our laptops and took a day to clean, repaint and even install some new furniture at the Compass shelter. We did leave a skeleton crew back at the office because, well... someone’s gotta mind the fort.

After a long, rewarding day of hard work, we realized that every now and again it’s good for a soap company to get its hands a little dirty."

Head on over to their blog to check out tons more pics from the big day!

japanese sniffin'

Oh my word! Drool! Over on method's people against dirty blog, Nate Pence had this to say:

"We spotted this menu in a window in Japan. We were drawn to the incredible scents (bayberry, anyone?) and the colors in what looked like the window of a nail salon. Further sleuthing revealed this to be an airbar, where you can order up some fresh air, infuse with the scent of your choice and then sit back and breathe deeply.

Great way to get a fresh air fix in the middle of the city."

MAN! Would that not rock! I think I'm going to open one of these in Greensboro. Ok, it would never go over here. (Hey Steve, think Charlotte would like one of these?) This is so cool! And airbar?! Mmm, the possibilities! I mean, all I do now is sniff every method item in Target (and at home, and in the car, and while I'm sleeping, and...) (Same stuff, still sniff! I'm a sniffin' fool! Ok, maybe that doesn't sound right. Don't D.A.R.E do drugs, kids. But SNIFF away at the airbar! Yes!) I mean, lavender tangerine, peppermint wintergreen (hello!?), lavender balsam fir needles, orange peppermint, oh dear... can't think straight. So excited. They need method airbars! With method scents! Oh yes, they do.

go advocate yourself!

Guess what's BACK! (Other than me, I mean!) method's official people against dirty advocate sign-up! Yes!

You can now head over to method home, and click on "meet people against dirty", then select "the community" and add yourself to the big ole' list of method advocates! I know many of you have been waiting for this to return to the method site, so rejoice, and go advocate yourself! Yay!

I THINK (but I'm not sure) if you signed up previously, you should still be listed as an advocate. BUT I'm not totally sure, as OY!, I attempted to make it to the 'N' section, but gave up. Right now it's using a page number method to view all the advocates; and I made it to page 14, and was still in the 'A' listings! Hopefully down the line they'll make it alphabetical (so you could just choose 'N' and boom, go to the 'N' section! Ok, I didn't really have to explain that one out, but just in case, ya know?) But none the less, it's back!

method's people against dirty

method's very own people against dirty blog has been posting at a higher frequency lately, focusing on green issues, as well as some method fun! Check'em out:

the secret to innovation at method:

At method we have a five core values that help us create the most innovative products and brand possible. They are:

collaboration
innovation
care
what would mcgyver do
keep method weird
It's a secret sauce that when it all comes together in the right way, creates something truly magical. Our most recent example of this 'perfect storm' happened just today when a giant gold earring belonging to Jeannie, one of our industrial designers, was rescued from the manhole on Sacramento street...

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Home Depot is now recycling your compact fluorescent bulbs for you:

CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs are a great way to help save energy. But if you’ve been keeping up with the news lately, you know that there’s been some worry about getting rid of them since they have small amounts of mercury (which our greenkeepers say is a neurotoxic heavy metal and not good to have in the environment). Well worry no longer...

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Road Warrior Packing (Eco) Secrets:

I’m constantly traveling---filming for TV, shooting a story for the magazine, giving a speech---so over time, I’ve learned a thing or two when it comes to making travel a bit less stressful...

what the?

Curious? Head on over to people against dirty and find out!

the dynamic duo

Over on the method people against dirty blog, there's been an Adam + Eric sighting!

"We think Spring in San Francisco is so cool and we're not talking about the weather. Spring, an eco-boutique located on Polk near Broadway, hosted a shindig for method’s very own Adam + Eric in honor of their new book, Squeaky Green. In case you missed it, don't you worry, Eric is heading over to Borders in Alameda on May 30 at 6pm to talk about Squeaky Green.

Squeaky Green , if you don’t know it yet, is the first book co-written by Adam + Eric, co-founders of method. Caution: facts contained within may result in readers rethinking their cleaning habits. If you’re late on checking it out, you can get your own copy by clicking here to methodhome.com."

squeaky green talk

Over on method's people against dirty blog, they've got this informative video featuring co-founders Eric and Adam (check out the pic here where they're playing ping pong!), discussing the new squeaky green book!

"Squeaky Green - the method guide to detoxing your home just hit bookshelves last month. The co-writers (and co-founders of method) Adam Lowry & Eric Ryan sat down at the method office to talk through the inspiration behind the book, sample some of the dirty little secrets you'll find in Squeaky Green, and show us easy solutions to detoxing our homes in order to create a healthy and happy environment for ourselves, our kids and our pets.

If you haven't gotten a chance to check out Squeaky Green yet, be sure to check it out on methodhome.com. First 300 people to order the book online get a free book cover that actually doubles as a reusable microfiber cloth (only available while supplies last on methodhome.com)"

not just green... squeaky green!

method has just posted their latest update to their people against dirty blog, pertaining to the new squeaky green book! It begins:

"Congratulations – it’s a... book! It’s our first one, and we’re so proud. We’ve named it Squeaky Green: The method Guide to Detoxing Your Home. (Kind of a mouthful, we know. We hope it doesn’t get teased too much on the playground.) In a nutshell, it’s a room-by-room guide to lots of easy things you can do to rid your home of toxins so you and your family will breathe easier.

In celebration of Earth Day, here are five easy and inexpensive tips – all pulled from our very own Squeaky Green.

1. Exercise that green thumb by picking up a plant, or five. Plants are nature’s detoxers and can actually boost oxygen levels in your home. Some real botanical champs are philodendrons, green spider plants, dracaenas, palms, ferns, English ivy, peace lilies, mums and daisies.

2. Slay the energy vampire. OK, we know you don’t want to come home every day and reset the time on all your appliances. Neither do we. But for those times you’re leaving for a while, plug everything into a power strip and simply switch it off. (Er, you might want to make sure you haven’t lost the manual for your DVD player.)"

To read the full Earth Day tips list head over to their site!