sneak peek - wood for good

method's wood for good polish in old (left) and new (right) bottles

Check out wood for good's spiffy new bottle redesign! I noticed these the other day during my usual obsessive run to Target (really, I want to know if they have a file on me at this point. Cause they should. No, but seriously. - They should...) The new bottle is taller, thinner and flat-ish. It has squared sides, which I think is awfully cute! You can view the old, rounded bottle in the above photo (left) for comparison! I also found these at Lowes Hardware (which is where this photo was taken. Hence the woodland shelves!)

sneak peek - spring 2012!

The sneak peeks for next year keep on comin'! And after method gave editors and bloggers a special presentation of these new spring 2012 product assortments, online site Core77 revealed the following products and information. And excerpt from the article:

"The company has also continued to increase their use of the shrink-wrapped labels that first appeared on the detergent bottle. Shrink-wrapping enables graphic flexibility while keeping the plastic eminently recyclable. Method "Product Czar" Don Frey told us that coloring the plastic bottle itself would mean downcycling when it reached a recycling facility: it would become a lower grade plastic bench instead of being reconverted into a higher use plastic bottle. But if the graphic treatment is shrink-wrapped rather than integrated into the form, the bottle's plastic can be recycled at a higher grade and the materials used longer.

Using the shrink-wrap tactic also means that method can visually differentiate clear liquid soaps without resorting to the use of artificial dyes.

But in spite of all this awesomeness, method isn't getting lazy or relying on greenwashing, either. On their website, co-founder Adam Lowry writes:

At method, we want to be a sustainable business, but we recognize that no business is sustainable yet. That's why we've geared our company to be the best at getting better. Our sustainability philosophy starts with our mission to Inspire a Happy, Healthy Home Revolution, and centers around using innovation to create positive change. But mere sustainability is not our goal. We want to go much farther than that. We want to become restorative and enriching in everything we do so that the bigger we get, the more good we create. We are striving for sustainable abundance.

Amen. Lookout for method's new packaging for their toilet bowl cleaner set to come out this Spring!"

You can read the entire article here!

Awesome! I have to say, while I haven't seen any of the new hand washes in person (so far nothing has hit store shelves), I will say at first I wasn't too keen on the idea of shrinkwrap packaging. It can simply look sloppy. But if they can get away with making them look as amazing as the (hopefully soon to hit stores) Designed for Good line, and this new spring hand wash line look, I'm all for it. The designs on these bottles are absolutely gorgeous!

Starting at the top we have, in new spring scents: (first photo) watermelon patch, daffodil bouqet, and (second photo) coconut grove.) Below you see the updated wood for good polish bottle (left), and new wood for good oil soap! And of course, as the article states, they're also working on new packaging for their toilet bowl cleaner set. Notice the word set, there. Hmm... (I have to say, I like the toilet bowl bottle, so I'll be sad to see it go.) 

sneak peek - white rosemary, and more!

Why not take a quick moment to welcome method's newest scent to the family, white rosemary! OMG. Does that not sound amazing! And you'll soon be able to pick up white rosemary in all-purpose cleaning spray and dilutable floor + surface cleaner!

And that's not all! Coming to the kitchen hand wash line will be clementine! A lot of people lust this scent, so it should be a perfect fit right next to the lemongrass scent (still my fuh-av-orite ever!) Now I'm just making an educated guess here, but I'd say basil might be on its way out, as lemongrass has received a new bottle (yellow, instead of it's current stainless steel look) and they've added clementine, while basil has not gotten a new look. So I'd stock up on basil while I could, just in case. I've been noticing the kitchen hand wash has not been restocked for a while at Target stores, so I bet this update is the reason!

Along with all of those, method has been, and is continuing to roll out lots and lots more!

Just recently we got red currant limited edition dish soap, wood for good daily clean spray, lavender and clementine floor + surface cleaner, and coming this month we'll also see:

method's new designed for good hand wash line in botanical garden and mimosa sun, and their updated fabric softeners in fresh air, water lily + aloe, and lavender lilac scents!

What will you be picking up? What excites you? Have you seen these new products out on store shelves yet? Let method lust know! You're all so quiet anymore! But I know you're reading, I check my stats, advocates! So speak up! Remember, method is also listening, so your thoughts and comments are appreciated by not only me, but method, too! 

new suprises!

Photo: (left to right) Fresh currant limited edition dish soap, wood for good daily clean spray, and floor + surface dilutable cleaner in clementine and french lavender

UPDATE Just found the pink grapefruit limited edition dish soap at my local Target! It was not in the method section, but rather in the Target dish soap aisle section. Just an FYI for all you lusters!

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Oh, child! Have I got nifty news for you! While roaming into my nearby Target today, and of course stalking the method aisles (what else would I do at Target?) What did I stumble upon but some shiny new method friends sitting up on the shelves!

We've gotten ourselves some new wood for good daily clean spray cleaner! It comes in the exact same size spray bottle as method's other surface cleaners! It's a bit pricy at $5.99 right now, and I'm not really sure where it fits product wise in the wood for good scheme of things (as they still have their wood for good cleaner polish, and this spray is not a polish, but more so just a daily cleaner. Hey, I bet that's why method named it daily clean! (Sarcasm, people, sarcasm.) I'll let you know more as I get info. on this new family member!

Next up, apparently along with the just announced return of pink grapefruit (limited edition) comes red fresh currant dish soap, also limited edition (and apparently replacing out the limited edition lemon mint dish soap (should I say limited edition just one more time? Ok!I just did!) Lemon mint dish soap seems to have now gone to method Heaven. So if you lust that scent, you might wanna stock up on some of the dish soap before it's gone! The fresh currant dish soap is $2.99.

And lastly, but not leastly, we have two new floor + surface dilutable cleaners! I believe these will replace out the previous citrus leaf dilutable cleaner (but don't take my word for that. I just know Target has clearanced that product out, so that's where my guess is coming from) and they've replaced it with new french lavender (Yes! They used to have lavender floor cleaner oh so long ago, and I'm so very excited it's back!) and clementine dilutable cleaners! How awesome is that! (And the bottles are cute, too!) These dilutable cleaners are $4.99 for a whole lotta ounces! And remember it's dilutable, so that makes it an even greater deal!)

So to wrap it up, new method products just hitting Target store shelves include:

+ wood for good daily clean surface spray
+ fresh currant (and pink grapefruit, which will be hitting in August) limited edition dish soap
+ and new dilutable floor + surface cleaner in french lavender and clementine

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Also something to keep in mind, Target appears to be sprinkling method products more than they've done in the past, into specific areas of the store. You of course still have your usual method section, but for example, mine only contains the pink grapefruit dish cubes, but Target still carries the free + clear dish cubes, only now they're in the dish cube section with other brands. Same goes for the dish soap, some in the method section, and now some in the dish soap section of the store (same with hand wash, laundry detergent, etc.) So if you think something you lust is missing from the method area of your local Target, be sure to check that particular area of the cleaning aisles to see if it's been moved there, before you get frustrated!

So, who's gonna be picking up all the new goodies? What will you be buying?

new (old) finds!

Well, well! Check out my latest finds on today's road trip to Big Lots! I wasn't really expecting anything to pop up (other than the old packaging wipes reader Jamison had mentioned earlier last week.) But there was a slew of new stuff!

I picked up some method free + clear laundry detergent (they've had the sweet water for a while now, but I'm so excited they got the free + clear!) $3.00 people! Crazy! And I snatched up a refill bag of ginger yuzu hand wash (can you believe this is my FIRST ever bag hand wash refill purchase?! I know, I know... well, wait, I did purchase some of the hard bottle refills a zillion years ago, so does that count? Eh. Who knows!) $2.50 (for about three bottles worth of hand wash refill!) And they had, oh my I squealed like a pig (but in a good way!) when I saw them, nectarine blossom wet dryer sheets! OH YES! I grabbed up some of those, as well! $2.50! I also decided to buy up the last remaining fig candles they had sitting around, since those suckers are about gone (they've been at my Big Lots forever, and I'll buy a couple at a time, but I'm not rich, so I couldn't just pick up every last one. But there were a few remaining today, and I knew that was going to be it for my fig lust, so I caved!)

BUT, they have a ton more stuff I didn't get. Sweet water hand wash bottles ($2.00), peppermint vanilla plug-in double pack refills ($4.00), hollyberry aroma sticks ($6.00), hollyberry aroma rings ($4.00), beach sage plug-in refills ($2.50), cut grass plug-in + refill pack ($4.00), steel for real wipes ($2.50), and pink grapefruit wipes (and Jamison said his has wood for good, and granite wipes. I didn't see them at the three (yes, YES, three! LOL) stores I went to. They ALL had exactly the same thing.) And they had a ZILLION peppermint vanilla plug-in refills. I mean, a ZILLION.

One day I'm gonna have to sit down with those method folks and get the lowdown on how this stuff gets divided out? I'm just really curious. I was DYING to find some lavender + lemongrass wet dryer sheets, but NO one had anything but about five boxes at each store of the nectarine blossom. What's up with that? Cause the whole line was discontinued. OH, my lavender + lemongrass dryer sheets, I LUST you so! And I'm down to my last box. Sniff. I guess it'll just be nectarine blossom from here on out. AND, why a zillion peppermint vanilla refills, but no hollyberry or cinnamon bark ones? (Cause these were from that year's line.) Isn't that odd?

Let me know if you find anything different at your local Big Lots! And happy hunting!

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PS - LOL, and method luster Brit just posted this in the comments (I hadn't noticed! She beat me to it!) "I just got a nice Method find at a Big Lots is Mass. Everything from soap, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, dish soap, candles, aroma pills, wipes and stuff like that. Does Method make, or use to make, Nectarine Blossom laundry soap? I found the dryer sheets, now I want the soap lol."

Cool! What scent dish soap and candles did you find? The old ceramic candles? I'm curious! We didn't get any new candles in at my store, as the two I picked up have been there forever. And sadly, no, method never made nectarine blossom laundry soap. Just dryer sheets! But don't they rock! Mmm...

clean sweeps!

A couple items of quick interest for all you lusters!

+ Melissa let me know that drugstore.com is having a sale on method's squeaky green baby line!

"Thought you might be interested to know that drugstore.com is currently having a sale on Method baby products - buy one get one free! I picked up two of the Rice Milk & Mallow washes, I've been waiting for them to go on sale but they never seem to, so I jumped on this." (FYI - It appears the sale is only good on the rice milk + mallow scent.)

PS - She's also started a green blog, so I thought I'd give it a quick shout out! You can check it out at Thrifty In Green!

+ method lust reader Jamison found some new goodies at his local Big Lots recently!

"...It appears that Big Lots has a plethora of the Wood For Good, Go Naked and Granite wipes in the old containers for $2.50. THAT'S A STEAL!"

to dull, or not to dull?

Wonderful friend Sam was really excited recently when I got him a brand spanking new method omop! He has like, a zillion miles of wood flooring in his house, so I knew it would be perfect for him! Plus that almond scent is just Heavenly! (Well, I think so. And if I think so, then so should everyone else. OH oh, I'm just joking. A little...)

So I visited his home yesterday, and noticed the omop, and wood for good cleaner sitting out. I said "OHH! So have you used it yet?" and he said he had, but didn't think it would work for his floors. "Why?" I asked. And he told me he thought the cleaner had actually dulled his wood floors.

Now, me, I LUST the stuff! I use it on my hardwood floors (and I realize wood flooring differs from home to home) but I've never had a problem with it. To my knowledge, the wood for good is moreso a floor CLEANER, and not a floor polisher, anyway. My floors don't shine and sparkle after I clean them, but they're all clean, spotless and dust free!

So I'm curious what other people's experiences have been with their wood for good cleaner, and their wonderful wood floors? Did you have a dull experience? Or was everything spic and span?

(PS - And don't go giving up on the omop (if you decide not to use it on your wood flooring), Sam! Don't forget, it's amazing for dusting the floors! Slap a cleaning pad on it (dry) and run around that house! I don't even use the compostable cloths anymore, just the cleaning pads; which I then wash, and reuse!)

(Thanks to happy mundane for the photo)

clean sweeps

Off on one my multiple Target trips this weekend (looking for the ever elusive new method aircare items. I know, I know. Patience. Here's the thing, when they say things are debuting in August, I'm like YAY August 1st is here! Not realizing that it will usually be more like mid to late August, you know, I'm just so impatient. Plus what's up with Steve having found the new aroma sprays like, two weeks ago? Huh? Not fair! Anyway...) still no luck, but I did discover three interesting method items of note:

+ Apparently Target is clearancing the water lily + aloe fabric softener. I'm not sure if this means method is discontinuing it, or not. But given the latest shake-up with their laundry line, I'd run out and grab some bottles while you still can. (Just in case.) Targets look to continue carrying the fresh air scent, as that was not priced for clearance.

+ A fellow luster wrote in recently mentioning that Target was clearancing the omops! I mentioned they were probably clearancing out the original packaging versions, replacing them with the new bamboo packaging. But on closer look today, I believe they are actually clearancing out the general purpose floor care omops, and will only be carrying the wood floor care omops from now on. Probably to save shelf space. Of course you'll still be able to purchase the ginger-lemon floor cleaner and cleaning cloth; you'll just have to purchase it separately now, instead of in the intro kit. (Unless you purchase it from method home.)

+ Target is also clearancing the wood for good microfiber cloths. I'm not sure what's going on here. Perhaps method is trying out a new packaging style on the cloths, and is starting with the wood for good? Not sure. Seems to me the granite and steel cloths would be purchased less than wood; so I can't imagine it's a sales thing for Target (as those cloths were not clearanced.) Time will tell. I'll see if I can found out.

+ And OH, for those that want reed/oil diffuser refills. (NO, wait, don't get excited.) But Target has this new line of aroma plug-ins, and diffusers, etc. in their candle section. It's only at one of my Targets, so perhaps they're testing the concept; but today I noticed they are carrying a package of reed refills (10 reeds!) (With their oil refills, as well. But you have to purchase them separately for some reason.) But I was so excited, as I didn't know where you could even go to get new reeds. I pondered weird ideas like tearing out the wick of an aroma pill refill and pouring that into one of my diffuser vases and using the reed refills; and such. But decided to wait. But I was excited to see this offer from the Target brand. Perhaps it'll give method some inspiration for their product. We want refills! ($12.99 is just WAY too much to pay every time you want some more reed diffusers!)

wiped out

Target is currently clearancing out their leather, stainless steel and wood wipes. They're getting ready to stock the new flat pack packaging mentioned here earlier; so run and pick up some great wipes deals while the getting is good! (How many people do you think actually RUN to their nearest Target when I tell them to? Hmm? I might have to do a poll. Run, people, run!)

go flat

Have a quick look at the new steel for real, wood for good, and leather love flat pack wipes packaging! These should be showing up at your local stores very soon (if they're not already there.)

vs! - orange glo vs. method floor cleaner

Ding, Ding! In this corner we have Orange Glo! And in this corner, method floor cleaner! Make it a clean fight, boys!

From Mummy's Product Review site comes this product comparison:

"In this corner we have the tried and true Orange Glo floor cleaner. Guaranteed to polish your floors and make them shine for more than five minutes! In this next corner stands Method's Wood for Good non-toxic floor cleaner! In a battle royale of floor polishing feats who will come out the clear winner? Let's break it down shall we?

Orange Glo Hardwood Cleaner & Polish - It claims to clean your hardwood floor in one easy step. First it cleans, then shines and finally protects your floors all while revitalizing the hardwood. Using a dry mop I squirted the milky, orange-scented cleaner onto my floor and spread it out evenly. I follow the grain of the wood and I really do see a difference. It takes some scrubbing on some of the sticky parts of the kitchen floor but my floor really does shine and the orange scent thankfully isn't too strong. A day later my floor is still shiny even in the high traffic areas. The rooms I clean that barely see any foot traffic, like my dining room, stay shiny for up to a week. Fabulous! I was looking for a cleaner that was a bit more green though. Plus the solution does not squirt out of the bottle well. The spray goes wayward and hit a few walls despite pointing it nowhere near a wall. This left an oily stain on my wall which thankfully is being repainted soon. I also noticed that after a few uses my floor did not look shiny anymore but dull in fact and in a room with new hardwood this should not be the case... I am now throwing away my Orange Glo...

Method's Good for Wood Almond Floor Cleaner - I used this product first and found that while it takes some scrubbing to actually clean my floors it does work. It is not a fantastic floor cleaner like Murphy's Oil soap but the wood seems to drink it in and remain shiny and polished for a few days even in the high traffic areas. I love the light almond scent that lingers for a day leaving my home smelling clean and fresh. Just like the other cleaner, this one is a squirt and mop job. The oval shaped bottle doesn't drip cleaner out and it dries faster than the Orange Glo, which is great as my child constantly walks on the floor even as I clean it. Still, I didn't feel that it really cleaned the floors deeply, it simply takes a bit of the surface dirt off and maintains a pleasant shine. When I combine this product with Murphy's Oil soap hardwood cleaner it works beautifully, however that is a long process with me on my hands and knees for a while. I do not have time for this each week. The added bonus and the clincher for Method in my opinion, is that this is a non-toxic cleaner that will "put the hurt on the dirt and not on my home or family."

So which one did I go with? Method's Good for Wood floor cleaner wins out. There is no nasty build-up or residue left behind. My floors shine and really absorb this cleaner. It is good enough for those quick dry mop jobs and works fabulously when combined with a deep floor scrubbing. I'll stick with the Method and know that my floors will look great longer. The Orange Glo is already in the trash."

pop that top!

Check out the new packaging for the method cleaning wipes! Complete with a pop open top! How cute, and functional!

Their site lists lavender, pink grapefruit and go naked cleaning wipes. (go naked wasn't available for the above photo. He had a prior engagement and wasn't able to make the photo shoot, but sends his apologies. Oh ok! So I was just too lazy to include him in the photo, ok? Happy now? Of course you are.) Missing are (cucumber?), as well as the leather, wood for good, steel and granite wipes. (I hope those were all still current, man I'm losing it today, I tell you! But I also must admit I don't really buy the wipes; I'm more of a microfiber and spray kind of guy!) so I'm wondering if those have been discontinued, or the new packaging for those products simply wasn't available to include on the site as of yet. I'll let you know, when I find out.

odanny

Danny Seo's got a short post on his experiences with the omop, and it's new packaging!

"I heart Method. And I love their new OMOP wood floor care kit. Originally, Method's eco-answer to the Swiffer was packaged in a clear, plastic box. Great green product on the inside, not so green plastic on the outside. Now, they've gone back to the eco drawing board and repackaged it in eco-friendly bamboo fiber..."

Read the rest here!

omop de' bop bop

This review is so cute, via oh my that's awesome! And while at first it may start negative, the omop wins the day in the end! (This review is based on the original omop plastic clamshell packaging. And it's a perfect chance to let everyone know the new omop packaging is in stores now, and is so much easier to open! Which is a winner all the way around. In fact, after reading some of the new packaging reviews, I want a new one, just to see this great packaging on the inside! Then I could be dual mopping at one time! Two hands, armed with omops! Uh, but not going to be doing that.) Check out the review:

"I picked up this Method OMOP starter kit the other day in the hopes that it will replace my lousy Swiffer and actually clean the 900,000 sq feet of hard wood floors in my house. Here's the results of my test run:

CONS
The packaging? What. The #$%?!?. It took me 20 minutes to open.

How do you put it together! #$%?!? Oh, ok, I see.

It takes a while to get use to how it actually works since the oil causes the mop itself to drag a bit. Once you get the rhythm, you're golden.

PROS
Method products are ecological and safe for all living beings.

Sleek, ergonomic design makes applying pressure to the floor a cinch and it's pretty comfortable to use.

Almond scented cleaning oil makes your whole house smell amazing!

Cleaned my floor thoroughly and dried quickly, and my floors are literally sparkling now.

I finally get to throw away that stupid Swiffer!"

what's it all mean? (uh, I don't know)

My latest odds n' ends news on a recent trip to Target. Usually I'll try to make sense out of everything (such as hand soap refill pouches on clearance, perhaps because of the new design; but then not all of the pouches are on clearance, so perhaps some scents are being discontinued. But then the pouches of certain scents are priced down, but the regular hand wash bottles in the same scents aren't, so see, it all doesn't make much sense.) So for the time being, I'm going with these as being Target clearances, and not necessarily method discontinued products/scents, unless otherwise noted.

Whew, with that out of the way! (And I'm telling you what, I'm going to start bringing a camera to Target! method hasn't updated their online store site in a while (but I believe a big push isn't too far away, as they stated the new bathroom line would be up there at the beginning of April. (How many parentheses within parentheses can we do here? (As many as we want Nathan, as many as we want.) But I keep seeing things I want photos of on here, and never have a camera.) Anyway, on to the latest from Target.

The Green Tea + Aloe, and Ginger Yuzu (no, not Ginger Yuzu! You know I wasn't really into it that much, but it has really grown on me; and this is one scent I do think is being discontinued here) hand soap refill pouches are on clearance.

The Ginger Yuzu foaming hand wash is on clearance. And the regular hand wash has not been restocked in quite some time, so... sniff sniff!

The bloq line has hit it's second price reduction (Oh, something else to keep in mind. I learned this a while ago, and it's surprising to me. Each Target store is responsible for their own clearance prices. So that's why, take my stores for example, one store is already on it's second price reduction on the bloq line, while another store has yet to even clearance them out! Odd, isn't it! But that's how they roll with the punches over at Target, I guess.) BUT the shaving cream has still not been clearanced! I'm thinking (hoping, praying!) that they might stick it out, at least until the marine naturals line appears in August. Either way, I hope shaving cream stays on method's product line-up!

And the entire wood for good line looks like it might be getting a face lift! The wood for good almond spray has a brand new sticker label. It now has a new wood grain design, and says "NON TOXIC + CLEAN" like the new bathroom items. These might be call-outs method is beginning to use, to make consumers more aware.

There ya' be!

one man reviews

wood for good spray cleaner

One of the goals I wish to do on this blog is post reviews of various method products. These are simply my own personal reviews, and experiences with these products, so please make sure to give the item a try, no matter what my final thoughts are. You might end up feeling differently about the product!

First up is a product that has been around, man, for about as long as the line has been. It's method wood for good spray cleaner. The scent they've given this product is almond. Now, I'm simply speculating here, but when I first picked up wood for good oh so long ago, it contained the most Heavenly almond scent! I couldn't get enough of it. So I went through that entire bottle, and then ran out to purchase a new one. After using it I went "hmm, this doesn't smell exactly the same?" It reminded me more of an "almond baby powder" scent, rather than true almond. They state on the method home website: "The almond scent in the furniture and floor cleaners is derived from a synthetic fragrance." - No real almond oil. Now their reasonings are due to nut allergies, and I can understand that. But still, the scent has never really been as amazing as the first go-around.

Cleaning wise, it's great! I use it to clean all my wood items, from chairs to my dining room table, and it works wonders. Add in the microfiber wood for good cloth, and you've got cleaning down for the count! And the cloth is reusable, saving you a fortune on paper towels! (A review on the microfiber cloths will be upcoming.) So I've given the product four and a half (out of a possible five.) The product really deserves a five, but it loses a half due to the scent change.