Are Mrs. Meyer’s Cleaning Products Safe?

60 Comments
Written by Irina Webb
Health-related claims have been reviewed by Myrto Ashe, MD, MPH, IFMCP
I Read Labels For You opinion on Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products review

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Quite a few of my friends who are into organic food and healthy lifestyles use Mrs. Meyer’s products, available at grocery stores and also widely advertised on the Internet.  What surprises me most is that my health-oriented friends refer to them as “natural” and even “organic.”  So in this special review of Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning products’ ingredients, we will see if what people say about them is true.  In addition, we will answer the question whether Mrs. Meyer’s is safe for babies, and what alternatives to their products there are on the market.  For tips on how to clean your house without chemicals, hop here.

Mrs. Meyer’s Cleaning Products Ingredients

We will look at the ingredients of four Mrs. Meyer’s products as posted on Mrs. Meyer’s website in June 2023.  The ingredients in bold are concerning ingredients, in my opinion, that we’ll discuss in the next section.  (Note: Manufacturers may change their ingredients, so please always read product labels.)

ProductIngredients
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Lemon Verbena Multi-Surface ConcentrateWater, Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate, Polysorbate 20, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Citrate, Fragrance, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Abies Alba (Fir) Leaf Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass) Oil, Lauryl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Sulfate, Sodium Hydroxide, Methylisothiazolinone, Benzisothiazolinone. Contains Fragrance Allergens
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Lemon Verbena Dish SoapWater, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Lauryl Glucoside, Lauramine Oxide, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Fragrance (Geraniol), Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Abies Alba (Fir) Leaf Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Methylisothiazolinone, Benzisothiazolinone, Sodium Chloride. Contains Fragrance Allergens
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Lemon Verbena Hand SoapWater, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate, Glycerin, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Abies Alba (Fir) Leaf Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass) Oil, Fragrance, Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate.
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Lemon Verbena Laundry DetergentWater, Laureth-7, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate, Fatty Acid, C8 – C18 and C18 unsatd., Fragrance (Geraniol), Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Abies Alba (Fir) Leaf Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass) Oil, Sodium Citrate, Subtilisin (Protease) Enzyme Blend, Amylase Enzyme Blend, Mannanase Enzyme Blend, Lipase Enzyme Blend, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Glycerin, Calcium Chloride, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Sulfate, Potassium Hydroxide,  Methylisothiazolinone, Benzisothiazolinone. Contains Fragrance Allergens
I Read Labels For You opinion on Mrs. Meyers cleaning products safety.

Mrs. Meyer’s Cleaning Products Reviews

To begin, it is great that Mrs. Meyer’s products are Leaping Bunny certified.  It also means that they are made with cruelty-free formulas and there was no animal testing involved in the development of the products (source).  However, while they are made with plant-based ingredients, including essential oils, I wouldn’t call them “natural” or “organic.” 

First, the term “natural” has no legal definition, and, thus, its meaning may differ depending on the context.  In addition, the presence of several plant-based ingredients doesn’t automatically make the entire product “natural.”  Additionally, the term “naturally derived” can also be misleading because often, by the end of a multi-step derivation process, little is left of the original “natural” ingredient used to make the chemical.

Second, a product is truly “organic” if it is made with at least 95% organic agricultural ingredients and has a USDA-organic certification.  Since Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning products contain more than 5% of ingredients such as preservatives and surfactants (to handle dirt and grime), they cannot be certified organic. 

Below are the ingredients in Mrs. Meyer’s products that I consider potentially concerning.

IngredientConcern
Benzisothiazolinone– preservative
– potential allergen and skin sensitizer (learn more in my post about benzisothiazolinone)
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine– surfactant
– potential allergen due to possible DMAPA residues (learn more in my post about cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine)
Fragrance ingredients (e.g., Geraniol)potential allergens and sensitizers (learn more in my post about natural fragrance)
Laureth-7, Polysorbate 20 (ethoxylated ingredients)– emulsifiers
– made with carcinogenic ethylene oxide, hence may contain residues of carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane (learn more in my post about hidden ingredients)
Methylisothiazolinone– preservative
– potential allergen and neurotoxin (learn more in my post about methylisothiazolinone)
Sodium Methyl 2-SulfolaurateVery little safety data
I Read Labels For You opinion on whether Mrs. Meyer's clean day products are safe for babies.

Is Mrs. Meyer’s Safe For Babies?

First off, Mrs. Meyer’s does not position itself as a baby products company, which is fair.  Personally, I wouldn’t use Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning products on my baby or my baby’s clothes and dishes due to the ingredient concerns described above.  But what about other Mrs. Meyer’s products?  So let’s look at the ingredients of their body wash and body lotion. (Note: Manufacturers may change ingredients, so always check the labels.)

ProductIngredients
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Lavender Body WashWater, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate, Glycerin, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Fragrance, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate.
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Lavender Body LotionWater, Cetyl Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Potassium Stearate, Glycerin, Betaine, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Vegetable Oil, Stearic Acid, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Fragrance, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol.

As you can see, there are also some ingredients of concern here, too:

Plus, just like Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning products, they contain essential oils, which I recommend avoiding in babies’ products because they may cause an allergic reaction.  Therefore, in my opinion, Mrs. Meyer’s products are not safe for babies.

I Read Labels For You opinion on non-toxic surface cleaners, laundry detergents, hand soap, dish soap.

Non-Toxic Alternatives To Mrs. Meyer’s

Branch Basics

Branch Basics uses glucoside surfactants, just as Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day surface cleaner, dish soap, hand soap, laundry detergent, and body wash do.  These surfactants are considered mild and, hence, are common in baby shampoos and washes. 

Also, as for other ingredients in Branch Basics, they are the safest I have found in a household cleaner.  In fact, Branch Basics Concentrate (IREAD15 for 15% on starter kits) can be used as a body wash, pet wash, dish soap, surface cleaner (including wood floors), laundry detergent and so on!  In the Branch Basics Safe Cleaning Products review, you can also learn more about this great company.

Pure Haven

There are several reasons I trust Pure Haven and also value their products, all described in my Pure Haven Review.  In addition to being made with non-toxic ingredients (as well as using glucoside surfactants), their cleaning products perform well, too, and should work even in hard water:

On top of that, Pure Haven also carries products safe for babies and mothers:

Conclusion About Mrs. Meyer’s Products

Mrs. Meyer’s Cleaning Products Contain Some Potentially Concerning Ingredients. It Is A Good Idea To Use Products Without Concerning Ingredients.

To sum up, in my opinion, Mrs. Meyer’s products contain ingredients of potential concern related to health, namely:

  • benzisothiazolinone
  • cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine
  • ethoxylated ingredients (laureth-7, polysorbate 20)
  • fragrance ingredients (geraniol)
  • methylisothiazolinone
  • phenoxyethanol.

Although Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day products are Leaping Bunny certified and contain plant-based ingredients, I don’t consider them to be “natural” or “organic.”  True, they handle dirt and grime well (or so I’ve heard), but so do other cleaning products that have no concerning ingredients (in my opinion).  Personally, I have used and liked Pure Haven and Branch Basics Concentrate (use the IREAD15 code for 15% on starter kits).

As always, I emphasize the importance of looking at the ingredients.  Use my Savvy Consumer Superpower e-book to help you estimate a product’s safety in a matter of seconds.  Also, feel free to visit the IRLFY Shop to check out products I approve of and recommend. 

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    60 Comments

    1. I just found this blog by accident and boy it is an eye opener! I have had issues with eczema on my hands, or I am still trying to figure out what I actually have… dry fingertips, cracked skin… etc. Now that I am reading this post and the comments it all makes more sense. I tried many different soaps but was using Mrs. Meyer’s for a long time. I thought it’s safe, but my hands were always a mess, and I’ve used every hand lotion under the sun… long story short: I just switched back to Mrs. Meyer’s soap after having used Dr. Bronner’s…. (I like Dr. Bronner’s but I think it may have clogged my sink/drain). After only a few days of using Mrs. Meyer’s again I can tell my hands are getting worse. Thank you so much for this post, I have to take more time to read in detail, but right now I am going to change my soap IMMEDIATELY!!!

      Reply

      1. Hi, Yvonne! Thank you for sharing this with us! Your comment will definitely help someone else. Thank you for your feedback and kind words, too! We are glad we can help!

        Reply

    2. Hello again,
      Another year has gone by and just today someone showed me the dry scaly fingertips and cuts on their fingers from dish washing without wearing gloves. I couldn’t resist asking what brand of dish soap she was using, knowing full well what the answer would be. Of course it was Mrs. Meyers.
      It’s still the same issue with this brand of dish soap and products. I make sure I’m not using any of those products wherever I go. Not sure what’s in the hand soap at the library/store bathrooms .

      Reply

    3. Hey Irina,
      Your blog is great! I am the owner of a small cleaning service in TN, and we are wanting to be more intentional about using healthy and friendly products in the homes of our clients. Wondering if you have any recommendations on the following:
      Multipurpose cleaner
      Kitchen cleaner
      Bathroom cleaner
      Toilet bowl cleaner
      Dusting spray
      Stainless steel appliance polish
      Floor cleaner (for mopping, we typically use Swiffer, not sure if they have healthy, friendly options)
      Thanks!

      Reply

    5. The Meyers hand soap, dish detergent and all purpose spray has ruined my skin on my hands. My skin has wrinkled, and knuckles and joints on hand have turned very dark.
      Since 2018 while at my childcare job those were the products used in the household. Apart from wearing gloves in the kitchen-when working with the dish soap and all purpose spray cleaner, my bare skin was in contact with the bathroom hand soap. Through the past 2 years the skin between my thumb and first finger got really wrinkled and very dark, and I thought maybe I was very sick, and was aging prematurely, very rapidly.
      Well, then the pandemic came and I was not using those products and I had to use Lanolin Oil to see if it would work. Well, it did a great miracle and my skin was healing.
      Then about 2 months ago I was given those products , and I had a feeling that my skin deteriorated due to those products. I gave it a try and within 2 days my skin deteriorated again. I wear the disposable gloves and somehow it still leaks in. On occasion I will use my bare hands and that’s when I see how it has “burned” my skin. It is more noticeable on brown skin. The damage is not really visible on lighter skin types, but I bet the damage is still done.
      So, I think the Olive Oil ingredient does nothing, and you need to decrease the quantity of the concenrate chemicals/ingredients. Just because it’s so called all natural and maybe organic, does not mean it is safe for the skin. I also used the spray in a shower stall and it affected my eyes, head, and lungs. It took about 2 days to clear my lungs from it.
      I prefer the basic Palmolive dish detergent. It was safe on bare skin, without gloves, and even Lysol disinfecting spray did not ruin my skin. We should always wear gloves nonetheless.
      I’ve used Lysol and from time to time did not wear gloves, and my skin was fine…..don’t try this out. I bet repeated use would cause some damage if you didn’t wear gloves, but in 2 days, using the dish soap and the all purpose spray in the bathroom did some major damage.
      I have so many of these bottles now, I don’t know what to do with them.

      Reply

    6. Hi there.
      I came across your post when Googling about ‘naturally derived’ house cleaners. I switched to
      Lemongrass Spa products years ago. Mostly bodycare and make up. They do offer some essential oils and a few types of soaps: bar soaps, foaming hand wash, and pre-biotic hand soaps. I love all the products I have tried from them, but the hand soaps have been a daily game-changer for me. I am currently looking for a multi-surface household cleaner. Oh, and some kind of natural dryer sheets. I am using Molly’s Dryer balls but feel like I need more oomph. I do like the scents of Mrs. Meyers products but it is debatable as to their safety. Thank you so much for your blog!
      🙂
      CP

      Reply

    7. I’ve recently discovered Raw Sugar at Target, they have hand soap, body wash, shampoo, lotion, chapstick…have you heard of them? If so, what are your thoughts? Thanks 🙂

      Reply

      1. Hi, Sara: It looks like they use phenoxyethanol, fragrance as a mixture of undisclosed ingredients, and Cocamidopropyl betaine so they won’t be qualified to be promoted on my blog. ~Irina

        Reply

    8. Would you recommend using Dr. Bronner’s body wash or bar soap and would any scent be okay to use in the shower.

      Reply

    9. Hi Irina, thank you for your work.

      A big use of hand soaps are at restaurants – where often there is no choice but to use their product. Most restaurants use what seem to be bargain basement soaps – obviously – can’t blame them. But from a ‘green’ perspective are they really that bad? After a bit of digging i found that a lot of restaurants used NOBLE CHEMICAL INC. products. Here are the ingredients listed for one of their hand soaps. Would love to hear your perspective on these ingredients – how do they compare to brands like Mrs. Meyers, Method, etc:

      https://cdnimg.webstaurantstore.com/documents/pdf/147pearl_1g_999pearl.pdf

      Reply

    10. Hi!
      Can you please tell me if you know anything about “Branch Basics” and what you
      Think?! Seems too good to be true 🤔 hehehe

      Thanks!
      Larissa 🙃

      Reply

    12. I I used the rosemary handsoap I believe it was .. yesterday and had a instant severe allergic reaction to it. I was itchy red breaking out all over itchy throat coughing started choking had a hard time breathing I took benadryl and it helped before any swelling happened but worst allergic reaction I’ve experienced so far to anything

      Reply

    14. I recently switched my family to using Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap for bathing and hand soap. They hate the scummy feeling while bathing and we can’t get the soap to lather enough to bathe. I was looking at Mrs. Meyers soaps and I’m grateful for your review. I really don’t know what to do now. Can you suggest how to create more lather in Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap? And what is the scrum feeling while we bathing? Thanks for you help.

      Reply

      1. Hi, Patsy: it sounds like you have hard water. It is true saponified soap does not work well with it. I’d go with EO or Seventh Generation. Thank you for asking. Let me know if you need more help. ~Irina

        Reply

        1. Thanks, Irina, for the info. I checked out the 7th Generation ingredients. Lots of long chemical words. Do you feel the ingredients are safe to shower with? Just read that South Texas (where I live) has hard water so confirms your suspicions. Thanks again for your help. 🙂

          Reply

          1. Hi, Patsy! It depends… If you can’t use regular soap because of hard water, you’re looking for an option that you can find in most stores or Amazon, and you don’t have individual sensitivity to chemicals in the 7th Generation hand liquid, this is a good option for you. It does not have known carcinogens, endocrine disruptors or allergens. Please know that I provide paid services, consultations and membership, with which you can get more help and attention. Thank you! ~Irina

            Reply

    15. Have you ever done any reviews on Amway or Shaklee cleaning products? I find it strange that other reviewer’s never include these two companies in their reviews. They say they are very healthy, but I would like to have an independent review of these products.

      Reply

      2. I used to buy Shaklee products and then I found out that they have been sold several times. Look at the ingredients! I now use basic baking soda for cleaning and Bob’s Red Mill for personal care, and Vinegar for cleaning. So much less expensive! And Bob’s Red Mill is processed differently, at least the article I read a long time ago said so. And Bob’s Red Mill doesn’t have a chemical smell. I also use their oatmeal, which I love! I only use Dawn dish detergent on my dishes and I use it for cleaning, but not hand washing. I found it to drying to my skin. You can also look products up at ewg.org They did not rate Shaklee very high.

        Reply

    16. Hello and thank you for the very important work you are doing. Do you have a preference for an essential oil company ?

      Reply

    18. Hi Irina,

      I recently watched a documentary on the chemicals that are not disclosed on the products we use everyday. It freaked me out and now I want to ditch all my cleaners, body products and even my kids clothing! I have been looking into young living essential oils and their cleaning products. Any thoughts on whether these essential oils are safe? Thank you!

      Reply

    19. I used Mrs Meyers body wash one time and my skin has never been the same ever since. I’ve never had dry skin before the day I used it… I’ve always had very fair skin, but also very soft. Every area of my skin, where I used the body wash, became dry, irritated and tight. Like a burning feeling. Very very dry. It’s never recovered since I tried it the one time. At least I didn’t use it on my face, so its still soft and not painfully dry and damaged like the rest… Maybe it burned my skin? Idk… My skin has never been in this condition before I tried this product. I thought I’d try a different type of body cleanser after seeing all the ads and positive reviews for this brand. …Foolish blind trust… 🙁 Hope this coment helps someone at least…

      Reply

    20. I have chemical reactions to lots soaps, cleaning supplies etc. I usually buy free of all dyes, chemicals and perfumes. Is ur products free of these

      Reply

    21. I don’t know what you guys are looking at But my bottle of meyers hand soap says it has formaldehyde in it,, since when it that natural?

      Reply

    22. I am so happy that I found You! I have a small boy with many allergies and sensitivities. Along with that he has autism so it can be difficult to know if something is bothering him so I chose to know what I’m using before hand just in case. Label reading is very hard to understand. Thank you!

      Reply

    23. On my quest to find completely honest natural products in store has been hard .I turn to the back and find a list of unnatural ingredients one that pops up on almost all us sls it is also understand a list indifferent names but same thing basically .so I have been using 1/4 Dr.bonners Castile soap peppermint mixed with distilled water and 5 drops tea tree oil for killing terms as a hand soap in a old foaming hand pump.kids and I love it but my dad hates it 😂.you can add any of your fav essential oils I suppose .so far this works great for us but that’s just for hand soap .I sure would love to find honest natural products !!!!!

      Reply

    24. Please think also of all the extra energy requirements of liquid soaps – you are essentially moving water around just so you can use a dispenser and perhaps save a little ‘mess’. Definitely on the ‘unnecessary’ list of products for a sustainable planet. This was pointed out to me many years ago and I went straight back to good old-fashioned bars of soap (easy to find without any nasties) and unquestionably environmentally superior too. WIN WIN 🙂

      Reply

    25. I’m so glad I found your blog…thanks for making sense of these crazy labels. So regarding the article I read about Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day hand soap…I too am using cute liquid soap dispensers in my home and want to find large refills of a safe soap. Did you ever end up finding one? I don’t even know where to begin with this one…
      Thanks,
      Joan Miller

      Reply

      1. Thank you for the nice comment, Joan. It is funny that you asked because I knew that I have not completed my hand soap series but I thought since nobody asked for it I can work on something else. Anyway, all the liquid soaps I’ve looked at have synthetic surfactants and preservatives and I am not a big fan of either. My all time favorite is Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap. But you have to use foaming dispensers with it; otherwise, it is too thin. I hope it helps. Let me know if you have more questions.

        Reply

      2. I got this hand soap thinking it was only scented with essential oils. I am here looking it up from Google. Because the scent of the soap makes my nose burn. It’s very similar to what an air freshener or perfume does to me. If they make this product unscented that may be the only way I could use it.

        Reply

        1. Have you tried doTERRA Essential Oils products made from PURE essential oils? Other products claiming to contain essential oils are just the “scent” of oils which always includes synthetic ingredients that can cause irritation like you mentioned. Along with our oils, doTERRA has personal care products, home products, skin care products that are all “clean” and infused with PURE essential oils with health benefits instead of harmful side effects. I would love to help you!

          Reply

      1. Alina, you are the third person who asked me about Honest company. I got their product samples and reviewing them right now. Thank you for your comment!

        Reply

        1. Hi! I just read your article. I use Mrs Meyers dish soap, hand soap, surface cleaner and bathroom cleaner. I recently had a friend (who sells essential oils) send me an article really bashing the brand and it’s ingredients. I appreciate your article because it points out some questionable ingredients but also says that it’s one of the better ones out there considering there are very harmful products in the shelves. Have you visited the mrsmeyers.com/ingredients-glossary ? I went there after reading your article and looked up the ingredients you wrote about. If you have looked at it, or decide to, please share your thoughts on the definitions they supply. Hard to know what to believe these days. Even harder to understand why products are being sold when they are so clearly harmful.
          Thanks for your research!

          Reply

          1. Hi, Kim: Yes, I visited their glossary. I looked at the safety of the ingredients by reading CIR reports and medical studies. I do not take companies’ safety claims at face value. ~Irina

            Reply

        2. Hi Irina – what do you use for detergent and fabric softener products then? Any recommendations, as I have been using Mrs. Meyers for years and appreciate what you wrote.

          Thanks!

          Reply