spit n' polish?

I have a confession to make. Are you ready? Ok, here goes. I lust me some method aircare! Capital L. capital U. capital S. and oh yes, capital T. It's the greatest! And I feel a really important part of that whole cleaning process! (Plus it just makes the cleaning even more fun, as even though all our wonderful method cleaning products have amazing scents; they don't tend to linger very long once the cleaning is finished. But some spritzes around the house of aroma spray, or a slowly burning candle keeps their wonderful scents wafting throughout your home all day long!)

Personally (and I'd love to get your thoughts on this, as well!) I don't think of aircare as a "occasional/not necessary" cleaning item. As I just said, I can clean my house up all spic and span great, but uhm, cats (and kids if you've got them) and all that stuff, well, it can leave your house not so great smelling! And that's where aircare comes in! Once your house is looking all grand from some omop mopping, and some all-surface squeaky cleaning, it's really the aircare (in my humble opinion) that keeps the clean going! Like those awesome aroma pills and rings that make my house smell luscious, constantly! And then throw in some aroma spray for those quick scent disasters, and a candle to not only add atmosphere to your house, but great MMMs, and it all comes together perfectly!

And you know what else, I'm shocked that this line within the cleaning aisles is so limited to only a few companies. Glade, and to a degree Renuzit, pretty much OWN the aircare aisles! I've never really figured that one out, because really, most times their scents do not win me over. "Rain Covered Mountains", "Springtime Showers", "Fruit Feista" what kind of scents are thoses?! (Ok, well, ones I just made up, but usually their names are rather close!) I'll stick with my lavender lemongrass, or vanilla apple method aircare, thank you. At least you know what you're getting (lavender, and oh yeah, lemongrass!) and that it's also great for the environment, and you!

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But here's my question. Do you think it's time for some spit n' polish to the method aircare line? It seems to have been languishing for a bit, and I think it needs a slight shakeup! Honestly, within the last half year or so, the line has really slowly been restocked in my local Target stores for some reason; often times leaving big gaps in their aircare selections. And aircare used to feature four regular scents, along with (usually) a limited edition spring scent (and fall!) Now we've got three regular scents, and (at least this year) no limited edition spring.

Plus, and I can't believe I'm about to say this, as I LUST me some lavender lemongrass, but for the greater good of the line, I think it's time for a complete scent reinvention! Here's MY thoughts on improving the line:

+ Reduce. The aroma sticks have to go. I love them, don't get me wrong. But the price point is too high, we've all wanted method to provide sticks, oil, and a vase separately (which obviously they're never going to do. But OH, I saw that Target is now offering this in their candle aisle! Sticks, a little bottle of oil, and a vase; in different scents and shapes to choose from! Make your own aroma stick set! I love it! So it is possible, method! Ha ha!) Keep the aroma sticks as a holiday line item. That's where I think they work best.

+ The Trinity. I consider (and some of you lusters aren't going to like what I'm about to say) the Trinity of method aircare to be: candles, aroma spray, and pills. Like I mentioned above, the pills provide continuous scents to make your home smell great; the candles provide atmosphere and additional scent when you want it, and the aroma spray provides quick solutions to "disaster smells". LOL

+ But, I know lots of folks out there that love their aroma rings over pills, SO perhaps they should hold on to those as well (in bamboo? Better for the environment, and prettier!) Four items. Four scents.

+ Four new scents. I'm willing to sacrifice my favorite scents, if it means perhaps reinvigorating the aircare line by bringing in four new regular scents. These three they currently sell have been around forever! Ha ha! Time for something new! Imagine the possibilities!

+ Smooth sailing. The candles burn great once again! The aroma sprays work well (I'm still not completely sure about that o-ring; I lust that o-ring, and it's ease of carrying; but it just needs a small round notch cut out on the front bottom, because I'm always having to watch how I point the nozzle, or it'll hit that ring area attached to the bottle and run down the can; but whatevah...), and the pills have always rocked (especially the nightlite version!) And the aroma rings work way better than their original aroma capsules, so I think they've got a great line here. It's just time for some shimmy and shake!

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Whew! So, what do you think? Am I out of line here? Or could the aircare line use a little spit n' polish? Do you use the aircare line? Do you think it's an important part of your overall cleaning process/keeping the house feeling, and smelling fresh? Comment!

one man review - soy candles

Review time! Ding ding ding! Ok, so method has recently had some little ole' troubles with their candle line. Just a little background, for those of you that may be a tad confused (which is what I'm hearing from some comments here on method lust.)

Around August of last year method introduced a new and "improved" (and we all know why THAT'S in quotes, right?) soy candle for their aircare line. Gone was the ceramic container, in it's place was a new sleek (and 100% recyclable! Which was the reason they moved away from the non-recyclable ceramic) glass bowl! It was all held nice and tidy by a paper wrapper that said in big type "SOY". And it brought us new and returning scents in the form of gingerbread + spice, frosted fir, winterberry, spiced pear, and toasted hazelnut; and all our favorite mainstays! And we were so excited, and ran home to light them up, and watched them burn, and realized...

they sucked. (With honest apologies to poor Ryan Williams, and the rest of the wonderful green chef method team!)

(These, are actually burnt out.)

They burnt - poorly. Like, not a little poorly, but moreso, really, badly poorly. (Ok, ok, I know, enough salt in the wounds! Ha ha!)

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So, method has just released a new soy wax formula for their candles, and it debuted this month! Now, in order to make sure you're picking up the new soy candles, look for the paper wrap that says "BREATHE EASY" on it. I think there has been some slight confusion here. These are the new candles! Nothing else has changed about them, the glass container is still the same, etc. Though they do also have a sticker or two on them that says: "New Wax Formula, Now Burns Even Better."

Well, I picked myself up a new soy lavender + lemongrass candle (my favorite scent of the main three!) to test! Would it indeed burn better? Or would I be doomed?

I have to say, I'm impressed! Now, here's the thing. When you first light them, they do this burn tease that says "I'm just like the old soy candles!" and you're all like, no! This was evident when a fellow reader commented:

"I bought one when I saw my local target carrying them last week. Around the outer edge, there's a strange soft ring of wax. Actually it's kinda the consistancy of butter or old cold grease. It's still super soft some 24 hours after being blown out. I'm curious if I'm supposed to scoop that bit away or if it's actually going to burn because it doesn't seem like it."

And I saw this, too. It was just like the previous version, where the outer edge wasn't burning, and I was all like "Man!" But, I continued to burn the candle, because I was determined to give it a thorough testing. And it appears that the new consistency is a lot softer, so that as the candle continues to melt down through multiple burnings, the sides will start to melt down, also. (Which was the problem with the previous candles, as a hole would burn straight down, and you'd end up with all this wax on the sides that never burned.)

On these new candles I didn't push the wax down, or touch it in any way. The only thing I did do on occasion (but I do this with all my candles, method or not) is if I'd noticed the wax melting more on one side over another; I'll usually take the end of a pair of scissors, or a knife, or my burnt match, and just push the wick over a little, so it's centered better, etc. (Make sense? Sometime they can get a tad off center, which I think is just what happens when you burn a candle.)

In the end, it burnt all the way down! Barely any wax remained, save for a small puddle once the wick finally burnt out (which is normal for most candles.) And I was so excited! We finally got our great method candles back! I definitely recommend the new candles (remember, with the "Breathe Easy" paper wrap!) Run out and pick up your favorite scent today (or hold out, and pick up some beach sage, coming soon!)

I'm giving it a 4.5 out of five! I think the new soy wax formula works great (though personally, I still think it could use a slightly larger wick. But hey, that's just me!) I'd like to know how your experiences with the new soy candles are going! Leave your thoughts in the comments!

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Also, from the upcoming polls roundup, I'm shocked at how many method fans have yet to try out their candles (60% of method lust readers!) I'm curious why this is? Are you not a candle fan? Afraid you'll burn down your house? Simply prefer one of their other aircare products instead? I'd love to know! So tell me why you haven't tried their soy candles yet! Thanks!

new candle wax reviews

Hey guys, I'm setting this post up for anyone to leave comments concerning method's new candle wax formula that's just hit the stores! I'm curious to see how it's burning, and what you think! So as you get a chance to give these new candles a try, leave comments for your fellow lusters!

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Also, I've discovered through our latest polls that there are a lot of you out there that have yet to try method's candles! What gives? I'm curious why you haven't picked them up yet! Let me know! Worried candles will burn your house down, just "don't do candles", not a fan of the scents? Leave us your comments! Thanks!

burnin' bright!

UPDATE Thanks to everyone who's sent in pics of the new candle stickers/paper wrap! (Especially Brit and Jamison!) I've, of course, gone crazy and purchased up a lavender + lemongrass candle to give a try (I'll give you my new burning review when I've had enough time to try it out!) It's burnin' as I type this! Until then, here are some crisp pics of the updated package! Let me know if you give them a try, and how the new wax burns for you!

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OK all you lusters! News, news! New method candles (same glass jar, new wax formula!) The paper wrap says: "Burns Long, Burns Evenly" as well as "Breathe Easy". And there's even a side sticker that says: "New Wax Formula, Now Burns Even Better"! Yes! I knew it! I just hope they make it to stores BEFORE the big Target $4.99 sale is over on March 30th; because so far Brit seems to be the only one lucky enough to have found these! They've made it to Target stores, and I'm so curious to give them a try and see how they work!

I guess method received many more complaints than they let on about the bad burning of the soy candle wax. But I'm really excited to see they've made some changes, and I so hope they burn just as great as previous versions! Cause I lust me some method candles, can I tell you! (And thank you method green chef Ryan Williams, for new and improved! Yay!)

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On other news: You might wanna go check out your local Big Lots one more time! Because I headed over to a couple near my home tonight, only a mere week after an earlier trip (don't ask, I know. I need help.) and they've gotten some NEW stuff in! Some of the items people have mentioned having popped up at their local stores, but not mine. And some I haven't heard anyone finding yet. They now have, get this people, the ENTIRE wet dryer sheet line. - Except... lavender + juniper. My favorite. WHAT is method trying to do to me? I mean, really? I don't even get it. They have them ALL! Water aloe + lily, go naked, sweet water, and nectarine blossom. Lots of them. But not ONE tiny box of lavender + juniper. The one scent I freak over! WHAT in the world? I've also found the holiday candles (hollyberry, cinnamon bark, and peppermint vanilla) now showing up at multiple Big Lots stores; as well as gingerbread + spice aroma pill refills, and water aloe + lily laundry detergent! So I'd do a second run!

IF ANYONE finds some lavender + juniper wet dryer sheets, PLEASE I'll do a trade or heck, I'll just pay you to buy and ship me some, if you'd be so kind! Thanks!

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And finally, I just had to pass this one on, I got an email from reader Jamison tonight, and I'm sure he won't mind me sharing this bit, cause it's very true (and just happened to me, as well!) He says: "OMG! So normally I go with the Go Naked wipes, simply because I like the scandalous name and people ask about them when they see them in my "Method Basket" on my counter. So I was at Target the other day and sadly, they were out of the Go Naked wipes. I thought I would go out on a limb, take a huge chance and try the Lavender wipes instead. They've sat in waiting for me under the sink, until today, when I ran out of my Go Naked wipes. Of course, they clean just like my old faithful Go Naked wipes, but wow, they smell AMAZING! I am in love with this scent. Absolutely love it. So, the moral of this rave: Be daring. Try new scents!"

Jamison, you're so right! In fact, the candle sale at Target got me to FINALLY pick up a vanilla apple candle and give it a try. I've smelled the scent on and off FOREVER, but never bought it. And I took a chance, and you know what, I really like it! I was rather surprised! So I think this is a great idea! If there is a method scent out there you simply haven't given a try, go on and do it! You might be amazed! Thanks Jamison for sharing!

beach sage applause

Here's a review on the special edition Beach Sage candle from method:

"I'm a big fan of method's line of home cleaning and air freshening products. I don't usually buy their candles, though, because they are smaller and more expensive than those made by my favorite local candle shop. As I checked out the newest scent offerings in the line last week I found myself absolutely delighted with their beach sage fragrance. I decided to splurge and buy myself one of the method beach sage aroma soy candles.

These candles come in a simple and modern-looking white ceramic container that easily fits into any room. method's web site makes it a point to state that their candles are made from renewable, natural soy. They use cotton wicks rather than lead ones and produce 90% less soot than the average candle. method used to claim that their 6 ounce soy candles would burn for 40 hours but they have since removed that claim from the packaging and company site. This product shouldn't be burned for more than two hours at a time according to the label under the label on the bottom of the ceramic container.

The method beach sage fragrance is strong, herbal, and very true. I'm not really into herbal scents but I adore the aroma produced by freshly-chopped sage. This aroma soy candle smells exactly like that scent and I just love it. All of method's beach sage packaging states that this is a "special edition fragrance". I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this scent probably won't be available come September, October, etc.

I usually burn candles for a few hours each evening as cook, clean, etc. I decided to burn my method beach sage aroma soy candle in the kitchen because someone who will remain nameless (who is engaged to me and whose job it is to take out the garbage each night) had neglected to do so, which meant the kitchen smelled a little funky. In less than ten minutes, the entire kitchen was filled with a strong and lovely sage scent. Twenty minutes later, the fragrance had permeated into the front room, into the bathroom, and down the hallway. This candle is very strongly-scented.

The method beach sage aroma soy candle burned very cleanly and didn't produce any smoke or black soot buildup inside of the ceramic jar. I own three parrots who are very sensitive to fumes, smoke, and chemicals. I like the fact that these candles burn so cleanly because I can use them in the house without worrying about harming the birds.

The one disappointment that I had with this candle was short burn time. As I mentioned earlier, method used to claim that you could get 40 hours out of their aroma soy candles. I've been through two now and I think I've gotten about 10-15 hours out of each one. They just don't seem to last very long, despite the fact that I trim the wicks and keep the candles out of drafts.

I have been very happy with the method beach sage aroma soy candles that I've used. They have a wonderful, strong scent and they burn very cleanly. I initially bought just one as a little treat for myself, but I picked up two more several days later because I liked it so much! They aren't cheap and they don't last all that long, but I really like these candles and will probably buy a few more before this special edition scent disappears from the shelves.
- njchicaa"

Has anyone tried the special edition citrus cilantro? Would you like to submit a review?

beach sage is here!

Great news! I just stopped by my local Target (no surprise there!) and the new aircare lines are starting to show up on the shelves! Not only were the citrus cilantro special edition items out, but also the double packs of the aroma pill refills, cut grass aroma sticks; AND something I had not seen before, method has also released another special edition candle in Beach Sage scent!

So if you love the Beach Sage scent in the bloq body care line, well, this is the same exact scent; in a beautiful pale blue/grey candle! As soon as I can I'll get a photo up here. (I have yet to figure out how to take a photo with my cellphone, and get it to a computer. Aren't you now amazed I can actually post to a blog all by myself?) And I wanted to take in a digital camera and start flicking pics of the new shelves, but thought that might get the Target police on my rear, so I decided not to. But as soon as I get a photo, it will be here! MMM, go, get! Enjoy!