yang ylang

Daniel Yang, over on Danielyang.com lusts his shower spray, but has an idea for method's refill bottle:

"I use Method cleaning products from Target for my day to day maintenance cleaning since it’s supposed to be non-toxic and better for the environment. I applaud the guys who started the company for their success in bringing green cleaning products at affordable prices to the masses. They even encourage less waste by selling bulk refills for their spray bottle products. Since I’ve used their stuff for a couple of years, I know they’ve also experimented a lot with their packaging design. (That’s gotta be pricey when it comes to experimenting with different bottles.) That’s why I was a little surprised that this two bottle system wasn’t designed better.

The goal is to decant liquid from the larger bottle into the spray bottle. The problem is that you either need a funnel or a steady hand to carefully pour from the wide spout into the narrow one on the spray bottle. Inevitably, some of the liquid will probably spill if you opt for the latter method (no pun intended). In all cases, the bottleneck (man they just keep coming) is the smaller of the two.

One idea is to stick something like a dish soap spout on top of the larger bottle. This would probably be the cheapest option since it’s not a custom spout. The downside would be the rate at which it would dispense the replacement liquid. Another idea would be to use a bottle with a spout that is just slightly narrower than that of the spray bottle. My third idea would be some sort of retractable pouring/funneling mechanism built into the cap of the larger bottle. Something like those pour cups built into the caps of liquid detergent except it would flip over and screw on reversibly and allow liquid to pass through.

Maybe this is over-complicating the matter and everybody else has a clean funnel even though I don’t."

Thoughts? Experiences? Did you get ylang-ylang all over your hands? My, my.

shower power

method luster Karin had a question for me:

"this is off topic...sorry nate, but i wasn't sure where i should ask this question. so i've seen several mentions of the 'daily shower spray'...is this stuff truly spectacular? i have purchased other ds sprays and felt they didn't have much impact on my shower cleaning. but it's been mentioned so many times on here that it caught my eye."

To which I replied, quite honestly:

"Hey! Well, honestly, I don't know. I LOVE it, but I think it's more because of the scent than anything else. I haven't really seen it clean my bathtub like crazy or anything; but then I bet I probably don't use it as often (I forget at times) as I should. Luster Steve says he hasn't cleaned his tub in 4 years! since using the spray, so it's working for him! I think it's best if you start with a really great clean shower/tub; and go from there. That way you're maintaining, and not trying to get the tub clean by using the daily shower. I WISH I could find an honest to goodness natural way to get rid of mildew and mold in the bathroom! Any ideas, people?"

Ok, with me so far? Here's where it gets interesting. Here's the thing, I shower twice a day (once in the morning, once at night. Hey hey, I'm normal! Leave me alone!) So you know, I tend to run out of the daily shower spray pretty fast. So at times, I tend not to use it as regularly as I should (read, once in the morning, once at night.) Hence, perhaps my lackluster results with the spray actually cleaning my shower over time. Don't use regularly = lackluster results.

BUT, get this. Right after I send this response to method lust land, for Kristin. This very morning I hop into the shower, and what do I see? Why a few small flakes of mildew/mold, that have fallen off the caulking between the tub and the wall (I know it all sounds gross! But everyone has this problem, ok, it's not just me. It's that annoying mold/mildew on the caulking, that's what that stuff's called, right? problem.) And I go, HUH! Wait a minute. I've been (finally!) attempting to use my spray perfectly regularly lately, and just see how things go long term. And already, are these results? Am I eating my previous words? Is it just a coincidence?

Or is it perhaps the method Gods, letting me know they work hard for their money, and I bett'ah! treat them right!

Hmm... time will tell! What's your experience with method's daily shower spray been like? Tell us!

to ylang-ylang, with love

One of my favorite method products is the shower cleaner! I just love that ylang-ylang scent! I'm really surprised it's stuck around (especially since I like it! Oh no, I've said it out loud, now it's doomed!) But actually method says that scent is extremely popular, so yay! And this reviewer loves it too (the shower spray, that is!)

"My sister has been using Method products for a while, so when I saw the Daily Shower Cleaner on sale at Target, I thought I'd give it a shot.

Before I got married, I don't remember ever having to clean the shower and tub. I think I did a quick clean every week or so. With two of us, and particularly with his oilier skin and stubborn soap, the shower and tub were almost instantly filthy. It seemed like I would clean and a day later the tub was lined with dirt and grime. And don't let me get started on the glass shower doors. I tried Lime-A-Way and CLR and the hard water spotting and soap scum was back on the glass in no time (and I was gassed out of my bathroom for days).

Needless to say, I was ready to try something different. I got home from Target and immediately sprayed the shower and tub and walked away. About 20 minutes later I walked into the bathroom and was pleasantly surprised by the scent of the cleaner. I took a scrub brush to the tub and gave a couple strokes, and the grime was gone. I know I didn't follow the directions on this, but I was impatient. I also noticed the chrome knobs were shiny and didn't have any spots on them. Unbelievable!

I was in shock. As great as it worked on the tub, I had to spray the doors. I decided to spray just one to be able to compare how well it worked. Clean! And, again, just a light brushing with my scrub brush. My husband came home and commented on the cleanliness of the tub and the door. I told him about this product and he was impressed. The geek in him wanted to know how it worked, but I was convinced it was magic.

We've had a squeegee in the shower for months, and he's never touched it. After his shower today, I could hear him spraying the shower down with this cleaner. Later, when I showered, I could see out of the shower doors. At one point, it looked like the doors weren't even there (kind of freaky after months of scum).

After three uses, my husband and I are thoroughly sold on the Daily Shower Cleaner, and can't wait to use other Method products. I really liked that I was not passing out from fumes and loved how quickly it worked. I saw larger refill bottles at Target too.

I didn't know much about the company until checking out the website, and I was happy to learn that all Method products are environmentally safe and not tested on animals. What a great product!
- lesmanco"