psst-psst

Sounds like we've got some new goodies comin' around the corner soon! method's been making some hints on their official Facebook page over the last couple weeks! So far we've got:

+ a brand new version of smarty dish, featuring a re-size

+ a new dryer sheet product that will replace their current sheet line

+ and a relaunch for their hand sanitizer

They've been whispering about the new dryer sheet product for a while now. - Notice the word product. I wouldn't expect dryer sheets with this one, but rather something that would do the same job. Perhaps in the same style as Downy's dryer bar (but I'm not saying it'll be a bar. Unfortunately, I have no clue at the moment!)

People seem to have problems with the size of the smarty dish tabs fitting in their dish washer, so that's primarily why we're getting that. Otherwise I think they work great (and I don't have this size problem. Do you?)

And lastly, if they don't debut the hand sanitizer in a carry bottle my mind will be blown. Seriously, when do people use hand sanitizer the most. - On the go. (Mind you, I think hand sanitizer is n.a.s.t.y.)

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What do you think? Excited for any of it? method has been awfully quiet for a long while (and so have you, oh great method lust one! I know, I know, my deepest apologies to all!) The last we've seen from them have been the spring/summer and limited edition hand wash scents, so it'll be good to see something new pop up! (Too bad it's not a method pop up store, in front of my house, where I can choose anything I want from method at my whim! Oh wait, I was dreaming again! Argh!)

(re)-introducing...

Update +  Meagan (method's official chatty cathy (aka brand experience community associate) wanted to let method lust know:

"...just wanted to clarify: the smarty dish packaging is getting a facelift, but it will still be the same great formula inside. Stay tuned for a possible re-formulation later this year…"

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re-introducing the new and improved smarty dish, now using method's (mineral based) Powergreen technology! Complete with cute new stylish packaging, too boot! Already on the shelves of your local Target (well, mine at least. I've only seen the pink grapefruit at the moment, but I'm sure free + clear will be popping up soon to give my dishes a squeaky clean shine!)

fishes love them, so do you

Go win some smarty dish cubes (courtesy of melissa ott design!)

sleeping with the fishes

method has this adorable fish tank (from their San Fran office) live video feed going!

"we love clean dishes and happy fishes. our smarty dish dishwasher tablets give you sparkling clean dishes free of phosphates and chlorine bleach. phosphates in our water systems lead to algae blooms that kill our fish population. do your dishes (and the fishes) a favor."

More from their official blog, people against dirty:

"hi there. my name is mr.pickles and i speak for the fishes (or at least the fishes in the method office). say hi to heidi and pat finn too. hi! we live in a tank at method and this is our first time blogging.

method adopted us a few weeks ago to be the spokesfishes against dirty. they set us up in this tricked-out tank and are recording our every bubble (think real world for fish). we’re here to talk about the dirty ingredients in your dishwasher detergent that make their way to our rivers and lakes.

one of the dirtiest ingredients is called phosphates. it travels from dishwasher, through the city pipes, and empties into our water. it’s a fertilizer and it causes an overgrowth of algae blooms. the algae is not only hard to navigate but it also depletes the water of oxygen and without oxygen we can die.

so we’re broadcasting live 24/7 to get the word out about smarty dish. these dishwasher tablets leave your dishes sparkling clean but are free of phosphates and chlorine bleach. yippee!"

So whenever you need a break, just check in with the fish!

be my baby!

Got a Babies R Us near you? Well, grab that purse/wallet and run on over! method lust reader Katie informed me over the weekend that she stopped into her nearest Babies R Us and found method Le Scrub for drum roll... 98 cents! It wasn't even listed as such on the shelf, and she didn't even realize what a deal she'd snatched up until she went to check out!

So needless to say, I had to do a quick run, and let me just tell you, it was like walking into a foreign country. I was actually uncomfortable in Babies R Us. Ha ha! I was like the odd man out! But anyway, ignoring all that, I found a slew of deals! I'm talking 98 cents Lil' Bowl Blu (my two stores were all out of the Le Scrub, in fact there was only one bottle of Lil' Bowl Blu, and it was just in some random area that didn't even have a tag!), $1.98 sweet water wet dryer sheets (the old school ones!), fuzzy peach kids line for $1.98, $4.98 free + clear squeaky green laundry detergent, and $1.98 smarty dish cubes! Ka-ching!

And (can we talk competitors for a moment, shh...) they also carry lots of Seventh Generation products, and a ton of them were on clearance. Dish soap, dish cubes, fabric softener (in free + clear! Hello, method, I bought TWO of these! Word to the wise, when your new fabric softener comes out, I pray there is some free + clear in there. Cause that was always my previous problem with the other version you had. I guess I'm the crazy one, cause I lust scents in everything, EXCEPT my laundry items. I must have detergent and fabric softener in free + clear. I hate my clothes to smell like anything! Yes, I'm weird. So I don't really ever use fabric softener, but when I found this I had to pick it up cause it was yes, once more, free + clear!) as well as spray cleaner, rinse aid for your dish washer, and more! AND it was $1.98 each, WITH a buy one Seventh Generation product (even clearance!) get one at 50% off price! Hello, did you hear that?! Hello!

Now like I said, double check the prices (they have price scanners in Babies R Us, and Toys R Us, which will usually have a small Babies R Us section) cause they aren't always priced as cheaply as they ring up! Good luck hunting, and thanks Katie!

I ended up with one package of method dish cubes, one Lil' Bowl Blu, and two jugs of Seventh Generation fabric softener (80 loads!) all for a grand total of $6.36! Deal-e-oh!

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?)

boost it!

method's own people against dirty blog has a great laundry tip! (And therefore, I thought I'd share it! Yay!)

"Looking for a whitening boost for your laundry? One of the cool tricks that one of our people against dirty discovered is an alternate use for Smarty Dish, our phosphate and bleach-free dishwasher detergent – a laundry booster! We thought it was a cool idea and decided to try it out ourselves. Indeed, it whitened our whites…..

+ 1. Throw a Smarty Dish tablet (can be either Go Naked or Pink Grapefruit) into the drum of your washer (even in an HE machine), then add your method laundry detergent as you would normally.

+ 2. Make sure to only do this with warm or hot water wash cycles. The tablet won’t dissolve completely in cold water.

+ 3. Use 1 for a regular load, 2 for a big or nasty load, or remedial whites.

+ 4. Run your washer as you would normally and dry as you normally do, too. Perhaps give line drying a try, as it uses nature’s energy to dry your clothes!

Smarty Dish is safe for colors, too. It also boosts performance on food and outdoorsy stains (grass & dirt).

Let us know how this works by emailing info@methodhome.com"

remain calm

Slight Update So, while I don't have any specific news from method to tell you yet (sometimes even they don't know, and have to do a little research! Who knew?) I will say that as of this moment only one of the three Targets around me have the listed method items on clearance. But as I've said before, every Target store runs on it's very own clearance schedule (something I've always thought was mighty weird.) So, I have a feeling that sooner or later, the others will catch up. If you happen to see a bunch of method products go on clearance, let method lust know!

I don't think this is a case of Target no longer carrying method products; more so they're just clearing a large group of them out. BUT that's never a good thing (less opportunities to find the items!) I did see that white tea body wash was part of the clearance as well (I missed that one on my list below) and it looks like the baby line is safe. More info. as I get it!

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Alright everyone. Breathe deeply. We'll get through this together, I promise.

Ok, on my latest trip to Target, I've discovered the retail store seems to be decimating their method line! Clearance stickers out the yahzoo! I'm talking the omop, omop all purpose floor pad, omop wood pad, omop sweeper duster cloths, glass, granite and stainless steel microfiber cloths, go naked dish soap, go naked and pink grapefruit smarty dish cubes, almond flower creamy hand wash, almond flower body wash, squeaky green kids crisp apple body wash, fuzzy peach body wash (I didn't get a chance to check out the baby line), almond flower and white tea soap bars, and more! All on clearance! Gah!

What's going on here? I'm checking with method and will soon have a report back to let you know if these are going away at Target (forever?!), or making room for updated product (which would be the case with the dish cubes, I'm betting, since they're in new pouch packaging.) More information as it becomes available (cue news bleeps here!) These are only on first markdown at my local Target (but markdowns vary store to store.)

more smarty

Do you have hard water? Are you having issues with your method smarty dish cubes getting your dishes squeaky clean? (I haven't, personally; but do hear of some that have, including those with hard water.) If so, give this a try! It was posted on Facebook by a method advocate who uses the dish cubes:

"Try adding a teaspoon of sodium carbonate to your dishwasher each cycle (along with your dish cube.) This will soften the water and it is a natural ingredient. Sodium carbonate cleans clothes, softens water, cuts grease and disinfects. It also increases the cleaning power of soap."

same clean, smaller footprint

Smarty dish has changed it's packaging! (Well, actually method changed it, but you say tomato, I say tomahto? Ok?) It's now being packaged in a lightweight pouch, which just happens to use 87% less plastic than the original. Now THAT is crazy! 87%?! Wow! Amazing... so be on the lookout for this new packaging!

And hey, if you liked the old containers you can always save yours and use these as refills, just like the hand wash! Win, win! These should be available at stores near you soon, and can already be purchased at methodhome.com!

all washed up?

UPDATE method "development dude" Fritz dropped a comment letting us know:

"No Smarty Dish demise, folks. Info from Target as of today is that they are pleased with the product. There *are* some endcaps going away though."

Colleen Reilly let's us know that while smarty dish cubes are alive and well, if your Target is discontinuing the product, there is a slight possibility that particular store may not carry the item after the discontinued product is gone.

Great news as far as I'm concerned (minus Target randomly discontinuing and not carrying!) Yay! Thanks Fritz for the udpate! In the meantime, run out and pick up some cheap cubes!

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Ok, what is going on here? method lust reader and ever vigilant Netta sent me an email today letting me know the new method smarty dish cubes were on clearance at Target.

Yes, you read right, clearance! So, having no life, er, I mean wanting to stay up on all things method, I ran out to Target to check the damage myself. And there they were, still on the end caps proudly displaying their dish cleaning debut, only with giant Target clearance stickers on them. (Ok, they weren't really giant stickers, but they felt like it!)

This is exactly what happened with the first dish cubes! (Well, even THEY lasted longer than the smarty dish!) They were at Target for a while, then poof, gone. No more cubes. I just can't believe Target didn't even give them a chance. I'm hoping my local grocery stores will/are carrying them, as they tend to carry the dish soap, and laundry items. Otherwise, like many other method products, we'll only have method's site to make our further smarty dish purchases.

I'm seriously thinking up a Target mass email challenge. I'll post more on it later. It's time we were heard! In the meantime, I'd run out and pick up your cubes before they're so long, goodbye. Netta's Target already has them on second clearance, while mine is only on first.

PS - I really think method needs to plow forward with getting their products into more stores. Target used to really rock, and while they still sorta do, they seem very "eh" towards method's stuff for the most part (well, that's my own personal opinion, at least.) I guess as time goes by, and people become more green, they'll be able to get more of a foot hold in other stores; but for now it's just sad to see a product get discontinued at Target, because many times that means it's not long for this world (at least from past experiences.) Let's hope that's not the case with the smarty dish cubes, for sure!

But I'm just hoping other stores start carrying more of a full line, instead of the "this and thats" many of them currently do. I have to laugh sometimes, at how many options for shopping and stores we have available today, and yet how watered down, and "everyone sells the same stuff they know everyone else will buy" we get faced with each time we go shopping. If I want my frickin' Dawn dish soap, guess what Target, I can get it in about nine zillion other stores. This is the freakin' land oh plenty and giant buildings full of "buy me, buy me's" (sadly!) Variety should be the spice of life, not the occasional exception to the rule. (freakin' AND frickin', all in one post! Yes! Am I a little bitter? I can't tell...)

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In slightly positive Target news, they currently have the hand washes, and moisture body wash line (olive leaf, almond flower, and white tea) on sale! As well as the baby + kids squeaky green body line. The hand wash varies (refills and regular bottles) between a quarter to fifty cents savings; but the body wash line gets a big sale! They currently have the $7.49 body line down to the same price as the new marine naturals line. All baby + kids, body wash, and bar soap is currently priced at $5.99 for the sale! Run out and pick some up!

method's feelin'

method home's updated their "feeling" statement at the top left side of their site. It now says:

"method is in the Windy City. we're detoxing Chicago. - come and check us out!"

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Also on their method home site, the smarty dish cubes have been added to their store, and are a focus on their home page!

why so smart?

Did you get your email recently from method? It was chock full of goody information, including their new smarty dish cubes! In case you missed out on the email, you can also read up on it on their people against dirty blog!

"Here at Method there’s a bunch of stuff we like: happy hours, pretty colors and smells, innovative ideas … the list goes on. And as you know, there’s also stuff we don’t like. Phosphates and chlorine bleach are two of those things. They are also two ingredients – especially phosphates – that a lot of other companies include in their dishwasher detergents.

When we introduced you to Lil’ Bowl Blu, our toilet bowl cleaner, back in February, we told you a little bit about phosphates. Phosphates in our water supply contribute to algal blooms, which deprive fish and other water dwellers of needed oxygen. That’s dirty. Two counties in Washington banned the use of phosphates this year, with the rest to follow in 2010, and many other states are looking into the issue as well.

So to answer our own question, Smarty Dish is smart – no, brilliant! – because it gets the job done in your dishwasher without anything nasty you don’t want dirtying up our water supply. It comes in pre-measured tablet doses that fit neatly in your dishwasher’s detergent compartment, so no more worrying about the dreaded “overpour.”

And speaking of smart, Smarty Dish passed quite a few tests before we decided that it made the grade..."

Head on over to read the rest!

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And speaking of smarty dish, the go naked ones FINALLY made it to my Target! (They've had the pink grapefruit for a while, now!) Yay! (I say yay a lot, don't I? Yay!)

you're so smarty

HSN has premiered another new method smarty dish video for your viewing pleasure! Apparently the smarty dish cubes will be exclusively available on HSN for a period of time, before becoming available in retail stores. I hope it's not too long, I want some smarty dish! (And I'm too cheap to order it from HSN, though it's a great deal! Actually... hold up? Is it a great deal at $19.95? Aren't they supposed to be $6. in stores? So that would make them $12. for the two containers. I guess you're actually paying for the bag, also. Hmm, didn't realize that.)

Ya know, don't these HSN videos crack you up, though? IT always feels like Adam and Eric know more about what's going on in these things than the hosts do. Actually, the hosts usually seem so out of it, like the producer just threw them out on stage, didn't tell them a thing about what they were selling, and said "ANNND you're on!" and away they went! I just laugh and laugh. OH you HSN, you.

smarty dish debut

HSN has your smarty dish! For $19.95 (comes with a tote bag!) Check out the video for more details:

dishin'

Some reviews are coming in for method's new smarty dish cubes! Check'em:

"A Cleaner Clean For Dishes
Method's new Smarty Dish dishwasher detergent will be available in August at Target, sells for $6 for 20 one-load tablets and comes in both "pink grapefruit" and fragrance-free "go naked."

Those pre-measured dishwasher detergent tablets always seem to perform less than perfectly, leaving a bit of gritty residue behind.

But Method's new Smarty Dish dishwasher detergent "doses" completely washed away any doubts. The dishes sparkled.

Better yet, this new detergent contains no bleach or phosphates, which can spur algae growth, depriving fish and water plants of oxygen and contributing to water pollution. Smarty Dish is made from naturally derived biodegradable ingredients — and it works.
- courant.com"

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"We tried it: Smarty Dish
Leslie Crutchfield / The Detroit News

Method will soon add a new dishwasher detergent to its roster of eco-friendly products called Smarty Dish. The tablets look like an oval-shaped version of SweeTarts candy, so you must keep the dish detergent away from toddlers.

We liked how well Smarty Dish thoroughly cleaned the most stubborn stains from dishes and pots and pans. Method says the tablets are made with naturally derived, biodegradable ingredients that clean without putting phosphates and bleach down the drain, which harms the environment

Method will put Smarty Dish tablets in stores this fall.
- detnews.com"

in the pink

OH, look! A real image (not a drawing) of the new method smarty dish detergent packaging! Cool! Coming this fall!