clean sweeps

UPDATED

+ Be sure to check out your newspaper this Sunday, as method has a nice and nifty $1. off coupon for their new anti-bacterial cleaning line inside!

+ method lust reader Jason let us know he's recently found all-surface cleaning spray in lavender and pink grapefruit, at his local Big Lots! For a mere $1.50! Other readers have also found squeaky green laundry detergent (64 load bottle!) in sweet water and free + clear for $5.00; and almond flower creamy body wash for $3.00! So head on out this weekend and see if your Big Lots has some new method goodies! And let method lust know what you find!

HOLIDAY UPDATEI took a stroll into Target today, and discovered some of the "competition" aircare lines are hitting shelves now. method's holiday hand wash line hasn't shown up yet (it should hit early-November) but the Glade line is out in around five scents, including candles and aroma spray. I gotta say though, I think Glade is pretty much bottom of the barrel when it comes to quality (and it's definitely not green) so I'd have to take a pass on their holiday line. But they do have a peppermint crush candle that smells a lot like method's peppermint vanilla scent.

Febreze also has a holiday line of candles and spray out, including cranberries and frost, which reminds me of method's frosted cranberry scent. And finally, Target has gotten in two of Mrs. Meyer's candles from their holiday line (orange clove and Iowa pine.) Now they have four in the line, as well as dish soap, spray cleaner and hand wash. So I'm not sure if Target will be getting the remainder in later, or if this is all we get. - Which would be a huge disappointment. Except, the candles are already a disappointment (as far as I'm concerned.) They're tiny, I'm talking 4.9 oz. tiny! method's candle line was 6.5 oz at $7.99, and people complained about that price. Mrs. Meyer's holiday candles are 4.9 for $6.99! Once you see them, you might understand. I simply can't justify the price, so I won't be buying these. And the orange clove scent, totally not what I was hoping for. A couple years ago Old Navy put out an amazing orange clove candle that smelled 200% better than the Mrs. Meyer's candle. So I'll be passing on these as well.

I'm curious what everyone else thinks once they've had a chance to check out these lines, so drop method lust a comment or email! Here's to wishing yet again, method would give us our great holiday line back! Cause the other brands don't seem to be cutting it.

new, new, new!

So I got a little confession to make. I adore Christmas. Oh that festive holiday season (hopefully) full of snow, brightly wrapped presents, and gleeful music! In fact, I have an obsession with Christmas music. Christmas records, to be exact. (Psst, I'll let you in on a little secret. I own one hundred and twenty seven Christmas records. Yes, I realize at this point I need an intervention. Feel free to stop by my house anytime, and start one. No, but really.) They're mainly from the 50's thru late 60's/early 70's. I love, love, lust, and lick them! (Ok, I don't really lick them, cause that would be real dirty like. So dirty in fact, I'm not even sure method could clean my tongue properly after that. So no, no licking. More imaginary licking. Ok?) And this week we've had our yearly Hospice Flea Market in town, and I've been stocking up on ho ho ho, Christmas records! And of course, when I get them, I have to play them to see what they sound like. So... it's sorta been Christmas in August for me. Actually, you could take that back to the last few weeks in July as well, cause I bought some at Goodwill, and those had to be played too. Just ask my dad, he was loving it (and no, not in the loving lusting licking way I was, trust me. More in the sarcastic not loving lusting or licking at all way.)

So walking into (here's the point! Whew!) Target today, it was like Christmas came early, what with all the music I've been listening to, and on top of that, when what to my wondering eyes should appear, but all new method products! They've arrived! Yay!

No, really, Nathan. You did that entire Christmas intro just to bring in the idea of finding method products like Christmas presents? You did all that, for this? My word, you need help... but you digress, third person voice, you digress...

Here's what you'll be finding (hopefully this week!) at your nearest Target! All the knowns - the new antibac line in spearmint, lemon verbana, and lemon verbana wipes (see photo above!) As well as the new dish soap in those laundry shaped bottles, in clementine, sea minerals and cucumber! And what's this, some surprises! A brand spankin' (Christmas colored! So there, ha, third person voice! I got you back!) new limited edition gel hand wash in fresh currant! (It's sorta a really light berry/cherry-ish scent, or at least that's what I got from sniffing the bottle.) And method luster Bradley was right, they've put out a 25 load laundry detergent in lavender cedar! And it smells really nice! Earthy, but with a little floral, I can't explain it, but I'm liking it! Not sure if this is a Target exclusive, or limited edition, or what, as it had no labeling as such.

I'm gonna hold off on any reviews of course, until I've had a chance to try out the products properly for myself. So the only thing I can give you right now is my first impressions/bottle sniff tests. The antibac line smells really... how do I say this properly? - Medicinal. It's just, it's made with thyme oil (which I think is a big part of what makes it antibacterial) and I think that's what is giving it this scent. I could barely smell lemon verbena or spearmint over that heavy medicinal smell. But, I haven't tried it, so perhaps it will come off differently when you actually spray and use the product! I will be picking up a bottle of the spearmint to give a try, even though I have my concerns over the use of antibacterial products, and see what I think.

The clementine scent is nice. I wish it were a bit stronger, and more fresh. It sorta reminds me of a generic orange scent at the moment. But again, I didn't like the scent of mandarin mango when it first came out, and I gave it a sniff test in the store. Then I purchased a bottle, and tried it out, and really liked the smell! So who knows, that's why I want to wait and give these all tries before I really get into any nitty-gritty.

So that's that! I'm so excited! And we can also expect to see the new fabric softeners showing up this month, very soon (in similar scents to the current laundry line.) And, if that wasn't enough, the new kitchen hand wash line comes out in September, along with the naturals dish soap line. And since Bradley got the lavender cedar perfect, I'm going to bet he's right on these two lines as well, scent wise. He says the hand wash line will carry basil and lemongrass (yum! yum! yum! Lemongrass!) and the naturals dish soap line will carry basil and ginger yuzu.

Let method lust know when you've seen these new items on your store shelves, and what you think of them! Initially, and after you give them a big ole' method try!

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While we're at it, method has released a press release on their new antibac line, to give everyone some more information into what makes it, well, do it's antibac thing! Via csrwire.com:

"Method, the leading innovator in premium, eco-friendly household and personal care products, introduces its first line of botanical household disinfectant sprays and wipes. The Method Antibac assortment of antibacterial, antiviral and antimicrobial products is registered by the Environmental Protection Agency and consists of two cleaning sprays, one formulated especially for the bathroom and the other for the kitchen, and all purpose cleaning and disinfecting wipes.

Method has partnered with CleanWell Company, makers of the thyme-based disinfecting technology, to create a patented botanical formula that kills 99.99 percent of household bacteria including E.coli, salmonella enterica, influenza A and H1N1 virus on hard, non-porous surfaces.

"In the past, we were unwilling to develop or promote antibacterial cleaners because we had not yet found a technology that met our strict ingredient standards and aligned with our principles," says Adam Lowry, Method co-founder and chief greenskeeper. "We recognize that some people prefer to use antibacterial cleaners for high-contact surfaces like toilets and sinks, and we're excited to offer a line of disinfecting cleaners that utilizes CleanWell's botanical technology."

The bathroom spray is optimized to target soap scum and hard water stains while the kitchen cleaner is designed to cut through grease and grime. Both of these products are effective at killing 99.99 percent of household germs on hard, non-porous surfaces throughout any room in the home.

With vibrantly colored bottles and nature-inspired scents of lemon verbena and spearmint, Method stays true to its unique design + fragrance differentiation with its antibac line, which starts appearing on U.S. store shelves this week at Target and other retailers across the country.

About CleanWell Company
CleanWell Company's mission was born over a decade ago from a family's need to find cleaning and disinfecting products that could be used around the founder’s severely immune compromised son. The CleanWell scientific team was the first to discover how to blend thyme oil to kill 99.99% of germs naturally. CleanWell is passionately committed to developing innovative solutions that offer consumers a way to clean and disinfect without compromise."

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PS - (Are you still with me?) I have a feeling this is why the tub + tile cleaner has been discontinued, as the new antibac line is formulated for bathroom (and kitchen). I would have preferred they just left them antibac without specifying an in-home area, but alas. I really liked the eucalyptus mint tub + tile cleaner, so I'm surprised it's gone (or at least gone from Target.)

And again, let me know what you think about all the new products! I can't wait to give them all a try! Ho, ho, ho, merry method (in August!) Yeah, I had to tie up the ending with the beginning. I realize it was a stretch, but come one, give me a little credit here, ok? Ok, well, maybe next time...

dishing the dirt!

method has recently announced their new dish soap and anti-bac line, and the news is BIG! So big in fact, the products will start hitting Target shelves today/this week! First, the new dish soap scents will be clementine, sea minerals, cucumber, and two "natural exclusive fragrances" (what that may mean exactly, I'm not sure. I think these will match up with their new upcoming kitchen hand wash line) in basil (yum!) and ginger yuzu.

In the anti-bacterial line (which states "Kills 99.9% of household germs botanically",) two all purpose spray cleaners in lemon verbena and spearmint (both, wow! Yum!) and all purpose wipes in lemon verbana. The dish soap will stay at $2.99 at Target locations, and the spray cleaner and wipes will also be $2.99. Look for the naturals (basil and ginger yuzu) dish soap to hit stores in September, when I would also place a big bet on the new kitchen hand wash line showing up.

Now for some mixed news. All the old dish soap has been discontinued. No more lavender or pink grapefruit. (I love the lavender, so I'm really disappointed; and I'm totally shocked they canned the pink grapefruit, since people seem to pee their pants over that scent. No really, someone told me once they peed their pants over that scent. You think I'd just make this stuff up? Never!)

The biggest, and possibly controversial news comes in the wipes area. All of their multi-purpose wipes (in go naked, lavender, and pink grapefruit - uhm, I think that's all the scents they come in) are being discontinued, and the new anti-bac wipes will replace these. So, if you want to use all purpose method wipes, you have to use the anti-bacterial variety now. I really, really want everyone's thoughts on this, since even though it's by method (and naturally derived) many people still have big concerns about anti-bacterial products.

So there you go! Now it's your turn! Thoughts, opinions? Rants, raves?

soap dish!

The New York Times has just ran a (very to the point) article both in print and online touting some of method's awesome new products (appearing soon at a store near you!):

"Method’s Single-Handed Soap Dispenser | By Tim McKeough

The cleaning-products company Method is updating its range, aiming to keep every corner of the home spotless — and equipped with sculptural bottles. The new line of dishwashing soap ($3) is notable. “We had been trying to crack dish soap for years,” said Eric Ryan, one of the company’s founders.

Method’s new pump bottle is designed to appeal to people who apply soap directly to a dish or sponge as well as to those who fill up the sink with suds. It has a beefy base and a pump with a wide top so it can be used with one hand, without being picked up.

Method is also introducing its first antibacterial products, with cleaning sprays and wipes ($3 per container) that the company said kill household germs with a patented botanical formula; another addition is kitchen soap that removes food odors from hands ($3)."

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look for the new products to start hitting Target shelves (hopefully) this weekend!

u review! + contest!

method lust wants YOU! - To review, that is! Well, and to bring me chocolate chip cookies and a large glass of milk, too! MMM, cookies. I think I might need to go to the grocery store here in a bit, now. No no, don't you realize you already can't fit into half the pants you own? But we're talking about chocolate chip cookies here! Oh yes we are. Pants come in bigger sizes, you know. Bring on the cookies...

So while I'm getting the cookies (see how you got out of that one? Sneaky, sneaky you!) you can write a review! I want you great method lusters to write a review on the new sea minerals spray cleaner! Have you given it a try, what do you think? Let everyone know!

All you have to do is post your review in the comments section of this post, quick and easy! How did you use your sea minerals all-surface spray cleaner? And did it work (as in clean!), how'd you like the smell, etc.? And how many stars do you give it (out of five?) In true one man review style, you can be a guest reviewer here on method lust!

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AND just by submitting your review, I'll select one person to win a snazzy little method advocacy kit (see post below for details on what's inside!) So get reviewing, ok? Great! I can't wait to see what everyone thinks of the new sea minerals spray cleaner!(Haven't purchased your very own sea minerals spray cleaner yet, to review? Never fear, check the next post to see how you can win a method advocacy kit another way!)

grease + grime = gone!

Looks like we're getting some SLIGHTLY updated labels for the all-surface spray cleaners (layout changes, new "grease + grime" circle, different background patterns.) And an updated name in "multi-surface" from their current "all-surface" (which was originally "all-purpose". Whew!) Thoughts?

brand new at big lots!

OH my! method luster Melane is on a roll! She just sent in a few photos of method products she's spotted about town (including the wet dryer sheets that have shown up at Whole Foods! Man, I wish I had one of those closer to home!) But check out this pic, method's original dish cubes! I know many of you differ on your lust for these (Karin, I'm talking to you... Ha ha!) but personally, I loved them! Oh, lavender! Lavender! That's what I want, method! Dish cubes in lavender. I drool over the new smarty dish! Really, I do... but no lavender. Sniff sniff. So, I about fell out of my chair when I saw this pic! And immediately ran to three different Big Lots, all... with no luck. I'm hoping these are just now making their way to Big Lots the country over, and I'll be seeing them soon, cause really, I need my lavender dish cube fix! Ahh! (Oh yeah, and them came in pink grapefruit and cucumber, too! Sorry, I was "one-scent" distracted there...)

...And here is a photo of the lavender (do you see a theme here?) all-surface spray! But it's a two pack, with a giant refill (in the same style as the shower spray refill bottle) all for only $7! Yowza! Again, awesome! And again, didn't find it at my local store. And again again, praying it makes it's way sooner rather than later. I think this all-surface spray refill idea is great! Though it looks like method only did this as a one time thing, for this special purchase package. These have been mentioned as having been spotted previously (is that even English?), by other method lusters, along with the two bottle pack and refill (the whole package in a similar style to this lavender set up here) of sweet water hand wash (which I DID find! Of course, since I have no personal interest in sweet water. What pain, what punishment, what suffering is this, to find the one item you don't want, and never find the zillion you do?! Oh, woe is me, woe is me!)

So be on the lookout for these new items popping up at your local Big Lots! And let me know if you see them! (And also let my English teacher know I need a brush up, ok? Whew...)

clean sweeps

+ method's got a great deal going on right now! You get a free reusable "Plastic Rehab" tote with any all-surface cleaner purchase! Can you believe that deal!? These regularly run for $15. Grab the deal while you can! (This was mentioned in method's twitter, methodtweet! I'm not sure how it works on their site... anyone from method care to give more details? Thanks!)

+ While (again) roaming the Harris Teeter aisles this past weekend, I stumbled upon the lustfully wonderful method hand wash cardboard stand, and my eyes bulged out! It's as if that sucker had been wiped out! Apparently last year's scents are still a big deal, as there was only one cinnamon bark left (all beat up, too. Poor cinnamon bark bottle), one hollyberry, and surprisingly (as I always think this is everyone's favorite scent, though not mine. - Too vanilla-y, not enough peppermint for me) four peppermint vanilla's were sitting there. I'm curious to see if these get restocked, but either way, I'd do a run and grab before they're gone!

+ Where is everyone? It's like the day after Christmas and you're all in a sugar coma! I haven't heard barely a peep out of anyone for quite a while! Peep, peep!

silver and gold (well, really, just silver)

I've been hearing some comments from fellow method lusters that they've been chosen to take part in some special advocate testing of a new stainless steel cleaning/polish product. Apparently method is working on improving their current cleaner, steel for real.

Chosen advocates received two bottles of cleaner, each marked with a different colored sticker, and they are to use each for ten days, write down their thoughts, notes, etc. in a daily dairy they were also given; then send it all back to method! Sounds great, I lust that method chooses advocates to give their new products a test try! I can't wait to hear more about this updated (or new?) product!

Poor Nathan wonders why he wasn't chosen to be a test subject, though? Uhm, he runs this little blog thing called method lust, and would LOVE to do this kind of thing! Yowza. Yes, this is me pandering to method. Ok? I'm not above it. In fact, I'm really way below it. WAY below. Willing to do anything? Ok, well, I'm not sure ANYTHING. You'd have to tell me what it was, then I'd let you know.

(PS - method, please choose me next testing! Oh, purty please!) I'll keep you posted when I hear more.

is the bark back?

UPDATE AND, the bark is back! - Sorta. I did indeed stop in Office Max today, and low and behold, they had a small holiday section in the store (like, small. And not in the green section, like Netta's. In fact, my store's green section was a tiny endcap. Seriously, I asked. Sad, I know.) But it appears (at least at my store) these are leftovers from last year. As the aroma sticks I found were last years short, round bottom glazed ceramic vases. (Not the inverted ones Netta mentioned. So I'm not sure what's up?) And I found the hand wash in all three scents (only three bottles of each.) No all surface cleaner. (They also had some method hand sanitizer in the general cleaning section, for those that lusted it! It's been gone for a while from method's product line.) So I picked me up some Cinnamon Bark hand wash! I'm so excited! Thanks Netta, you are the best! (PS - it's all a bit pricier than Target, $3.99 for hand wash, $14.99 for the aroma sticks. But I expected that, unforunately, at a store like this.)

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...and the peppermint vanilla, and the hollyberry? method lust reader Netta mentioned to me that on a recent trip to Office Max, she discovered the green products section of the store! And that wasn't the only thing she discovered:

"...to my surprise they had Method products in this area as well. They had gel hand wash in hollyberry, cinnamon bark, and peppermint vanilla! Aroma sticks in hollyberry, cinnamon bark, and peppermint vanilla and they were in the new inverted ceramic containers. They also had the surface spray in all three scents. Now I remember reading your blog and you mentioned that these scents were from last year, so as I stood there staring at them wondering where in the world did they come from? Are these leftovers from last year and if so how did the aroma sticks make it into the new inverted ceramic containers? Are these scents making an appearance this holiday season or only at certain retailers?"

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Wow! Could this be the "only in limited availability" caveat that was mentioned for peppermint vanilla's holiday return (as well as luster Quill being told earlier this year that cinnamon bark hand wash would be back!) I sure don't know, Netta! But I'll be making an Office Max run real quick like, you can be sure of that! If anyone else takes note of these items at Office Max, let method lust know! Also, Costco has been known to carry fall edition, and holiday versions of method products. So if anyone has a membership to Costco, go check out the method section, and let me know if you see anything unique! Thanks!

one crazy mother

Over on One Crazy Mother: You Made Me This Way (love that title!), they recently did a Cleaning Green Challenge with method products!

"From Monday, May 9th to Monday May, 16th we’re trying four Method Home products.
+ method Tub + Tile eucalyptus mint scent
+ method Lil’ Bowl Blue toilet bowl cleaner in eucalyptus mint
+ method All Surface in pink grapefruit
+ method Best in Glass in mint"

Check out their results!

"Tub and Tile Cleaner: Everyone loved the smell (it’s not too overpowering for pregnant noses either). Didn’t tackle soap scum as some would have hoped, but did make the tile shine. Our moms liked the snazzy bottle design and shape. Overall: not earth shattering, but pleasing to the senses.

Lil' Bowl Blu Toilet Cleaner: This product worked wonders in the bowl. Toilets around America will never be the same. The shape of the bottle made for easy application. Overall: A+, move to the front of the class.

Glass Cleaner: Our moms appreciated the lack of streaks and the minty scent that can rarely be found in glass cleaners. This product did the job, all while being cute and simple to use. Overall: Average performance, but the scent left an overachiever’s impression.

All Purpose Cleaner: Our panel was divided on this topic. Some of the nozzles dripped all over hands creating not-so-happy mothers. Everyone agreed that the scent is delicious, but not when it’s worn as perfume. The product seems to get the job done, but some wondered if pink grapefruit smell was being spread all over their countertops in lieu of actual cleaning power. Overall: Pretty, but a bit of a slacker."

Sounds like they loved them (for the most part!) And their love of mint makes me want to hug them all! Does anyone else have a problem with the method spray cleaner nozzles dripping all over their hands? Because I have to say, I have that issue a lot, myself; and I was just curious!

birthday suit

Those folks over on smartplanet.com have a review of method's go naked all-surface spray cleaner (just FYI, this is a UK review!)

"This is not one of those all-purpose surface cleaners you spray onto an infested worktop, leave for a second and "Voila!" it all sparkles. It's more one of those sprays you have to leave on the surface for a couple of seconds and scrub with a sponge to get the grime off.

We actually don't mind scrubbing, though, since it reassures us that the product isn't packed with toxic chemicals. We like that it leaves the surface degreased and feeling clean as if we had just cleaned it with water and a bit of non-foaming washing up liquid. No nasty, synthetic or chlorine-infused smells hang over us after a good clean around the house -- just a slightly sweet smell, which comes from the surfactant and which we don't mind.

The ingredients look fine -- especially considering this is a cleaning product: corn and coconut derived surfactants, soda ash, potassium hydrate and purified water. The potassium hydrate could potentially be a baddy and harm aquatic life, but it only represents 0.1 per cent of the product and reacts with the other ingredients in a harmless way (method disclosed the recipe to us, but we've promised not to publish it).

Method makes a big deal out of the 'cradle to cradle' design -- originator Michael Braungart checks every single product before they go into circulation. The company also works with its factories in the US and UK to be energy, water and material efficient and to make sure its labour standards are up to scratch.

Although there are no vegan or vegetarian labels on method's products, it does operate a no animal testing policy and it is investing in alternative, animal-friendly testing methods. This earned co-founders Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan the joint award of PETA's Person of the Year in 2006.

At £3 for 828ml (£3.63 per litre) it's marginally less than Ecover's Squirteco all purpose cleaner, which is £3.98 per litre from Ocado. But whereas Ecover's Squirteco can be refilled, to the benefit of environment and wallet, the Go Naked bottle can just be recycled (the pump cannot). However, as a major milestone, this particular method product comes in a bottle made from recycled plastic and according to Lowry, method plans on introducing recycled bottles for the whole range, which we like the sound of.

Despite the fact we really, really like method and everything the company stands for, we tested the Go Naked surface cleaner against baking powder mixed with water and the resemblance was uncanny, which is obviously not a good incentive to spend £3 on a cleaning product. But the bottle makes cleaning way more convenient than spreading baking soda all over the house, so we would still recommend it.

Rating: 7.5 (out of 10)
+ 7.1 Quality
+ 7.0 Value
+ 7.5 Ethics
+ 8.2 Green"

honey, i shrunk the method

Yes, my photography skills REALLY sincerely suck. A lot. Like, a whole bunch, and then some. Ok? (PS - is anyone out there? Not a peep yesterday! I think people were still out for the 4th! Lucky you! Unlucky me.) So check out these little babies! Don't they rock? I've had them for AGES (the method folks are probably like "geesh, does he hold onto everything?!") But I always thought the packaging was so cool, I could never bring myself to use them (well, MOST of them.)

These are samples that method sent out (a zillion years ago. You can tell, as they use the pawn bottle dish soap photo on one sample.) They consist of: sweet water hand wash, pink grapefruit all purpose cleaner, and french lavender dish soap. I believe there was a laundry detergent as well, but I uh, used that one once when I had ran out of laundry detergent! Duh. I forget what that scent was. They're so freakin' adorable, and they fit right in the palm of your hand. I just love the packaging so much, I've held on to them all this time. I always wondered how the all purpose cleaner was supposed to work? Do I just tear it open and sort of pour it on the counter, and wipe? Wouldn't it have been cute to have the tiniest little spray nozzle on the sample. Ok, YES YES I realize that's insane and impossible, but I like to live in a world of possibilities, ok people! Don't kill my dreams! They're mostly dead already, anyway.

Wait, must end on happy note... YAY, method samples! Yay!