Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day has become the default “natural” cleaning brand for a lot of households. The lavender and basil scents, the farmhouse-style labels, the plant illustrations. Everything about their branding says wholesome, safe, close to nature. They’re sold at Target, Whole Foods, and Amazon. They feel like the responsible choice.

But when you read the actual ingredient lists, the picture gets more complicated. We went through every ingredient in their most popular products to see how the reality matches the image.

The Fragrance Problem

Let’s start with the biggest issue, because it runs through everything Mrs. Meyer’s makes.

Fragrance is listed as an ingredient in nearly every Mrs. Meyer’s product. In the US, “fragrance” is a legal catch-all term that can represent dozens or even hundreds of individual chemical compounds. Under federal law, companies don’t have to disclose what’s in their fragrance blends because they’re considered trade secrets.

Mrs. Meyer’s does more than most brands on fragrance transparency. They partner with Smartlabel to provide detailed ingredient information, and they list fragrance components on their website. This is genuinely better than the industry standard. When you look at their disclosures, you’ll find their fragrances contain ingredients like linalool, limonene, citronellol, and geraniol, which are terpenes found naturally in plants but also known to be skin sensitizers and respiratory irritants.

Here’s the thing: the fact that a chemical is found naturally in plants doesn’t make it safe in concentrated, synthetic form. Limonene, for example, oxidizes when exposed to air and forms formaldehyde and other irritating compounds. This is well-documented in indoor air quality research.

Dr. Heather Patisaul, a neuroendocrinologist at NC State University who studies endocrine disruptors, writes that the health effects of fragrance chemicals depend on dose, exposure frequency, and individual sensitivity. For people who clean their homes weekly with fragranced products, the cumulative exposure to fragrance chemicals is worth considering, even when individual ingredients are below acute toxicity thresholds.

Mrs. Meyer’s also uses methylisothiazolinone (MIT) in some products, which is a preservative that the European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has flagged as a significant contact allergen. MIT has been restricted in leave-on cosmetics in the EU since 2016, though it’s still permitted in rinse-off products and household cleaners.

Mrs. Meyer’s Multi-Surface Cleaner (Lavender)

Key ingredients and what they do:

Water - Base solvent. No concerns.

Decyl glucoside - A plant-derived surfactant (cleaning agent). Generally well-tolerated and rated well by EWG. This is a good ingredient choice.

Sodium carbonate - Washing soda. A mineral-based cleaning agent. Non-toxic, effective, no concerns.

Lactic acid - A mild acid for cleaning power and pH adjustment. Generally safe, naturally derived.

Cocamidopropyl betaine - A surfactant derived from coconut oil. Widely used and generally considered safe, though it can cause skin irritation in some people. EWG rates it as low concern.

Fragrance - As discussed above. Contains a blend of terpenes and synthetic aroma chemicals. This is where the concerns live.

Methylisothiazolinone - Preservative. Known skin sensitizer. Restricted in EU cosmetics. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) gives it a poor rating.

Colorants - Added for aesthetic purposes. No cleaning function.

The base cleaning formula is actually quite good. Decyl glucoside and sodium carbonate are the kind of ingredients you’d find in products from genuinely clean brands. It’s the fragrance blend and methylisothiazolinone that bring down the safety profile.

Mrs. Meyer’s Dish Soap (Basil)

This one spends time on your hands, which changes the exposure calculus.

The surfactant base includes sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), which is an effective cleaner but a known skin irritant at the concentrations used in dish soaps. SLS strips natural oils from skin, which is why your hands feel dry after washing dishes without gloves.

SLS is not dangerous in the way that, say, a carcinogen is dangerous. But for people with eczema, sensitive skin, or dermatitis, it’s a significant irritant. Combined with fragrance chemicals and daily hand exposure, the dish soap is one of their more concerning products for skin sensitivity.

Mrs. Meyer’s Laundry Detergent (Lavender)

The laundry detergent contains fragrance that persists on your clothing and bedding after washing. This means you’re in prolonged skin contact with fragrance residues while you sleep and throughout the day.

The cleaning agents in the detergent (plant-derived surfactants, enzymes, sodium carbonate) are reasonable. It’s the scent persistence that’s the issue. If you’re going to use Mrs. Meyer’s laundry detergent, the unscented version (if available) would eliminate the primary concern.

How Mrs. Meyer’s Rates on EWG

The Environmental Working Group rates cleaning products on their Guide to Healthy Cleaning database. Mrs. Meyer’s products receive mixed scores.

Their multi-surface cleaner scores a C, with fragrance and methylisothiazolinone flagged as concerns. Their dish soap scores similarly. Their laundry detergent varies by formulation.

For comparison, brands like Branch Basics, Dr. Bronner’s, and ECOS score higher on EWG because they use simpler formulations without synthetic fragrances or problematic preservatives.

What Mrs. Meyer’s Gets Right

We don’t want to be entirely negative, because Mrs. Meyer’s does some things well.

Ingredient disclosure. They provide more ingredient detail than most mainstream cleaning brands. Their Smartlabel partnership gives consumers access to full ingredient lists including fragrance components. Most cleaning brands at Target don’t do this.

Plant-derived cleaning agents. Their base surfactants are generally plant-derived and well-chosen. Decyl glucoside, in particular, is one of the gentlest effective cleaning agents available.

Cruelty-free. Mrs. Meyer’s is Leaping Bunny certified, meaning no animal testing.

No phosphates, parabens, or phthalates. They’ve excluded some commonly flagged chemicals from their formulations.

Reasonable price point for the natural market. They’re more affordable than many specialty non-toxic cleaning brands, making cleaner products accessible to more households.

What Mrs. Meyer’s Gets Wrong

Fragrance in everything. Even their “cleaner” products are loaded with scent. The brand identity is built around fragrance (lavender, basil, lemon verbena, honeysuckle), which means the one ingredient that raises the most questions is also the one they’ll never remove.

Methylisothiazolinone in some products. This preservative is a recognized allergen that’s been restricted in EU cosmetics. Better alternatives exist.

Marketing that implies “natural” means “safe.” The botanical branding, plant illustrations, and garden-themed scents create an impression of safety that the ingredient lists don’t fully support. Mrs. Meyer’s never explicitly claims to be non-toxic, but their marketing strongly implies it.

The Verdict

Mrs. Meyer’s is a step up from conventional cleaning brands like Clorox, Lysol, or Pine-Sol. Their base cleaning agents are well-chosen, their ingredient transparency is above average, and they’ve excluded some of the worst chemicals in conventional cleaners.

But they’re not non-toxic. The fragrance blends contain respiratory and skin sensitizers. Some products include methylisothiazolinone. The “natural” branding oversells the actual safety profile.

For most healthy adults using Mrs. Meyer’s occasionally, the risk is modest. For people with chemical sensitivities, respiratory conditions, or skin issues, or for households with young children where you want to minimize unnecessary chemical exposures, there are better options.

If you’re looking for alternatives that deliver on the clean-ingredients promise that Mrs. Meyer’s implies, our guide to non-toxic cleaning products covers brands that use simpler, fragrance-free (or naturally scented with actual essential oils) formulations. Our DIY non-toxic cleaning recipes are also worth exploring if you want full control over what you’re using.

Your Questions Answered

Is Mrs. Meyer’s safe to use around babies?

Mrs. Meyer’s is safer than conventional cleaning brands, but the fragrance chemicals and methylisothiazolinone in some products are worth considering in households with infants. Babies have developing respiratory systems and are more sensitive to airborne chemicals. Fragrance-free cleaning products are a safer choice for nurseries and spaces where babies spend time.

Does Mrs. Meyer’s contain essential oils or synthetic fragrance?

Mrs. Meyer’s uses a blend of essential oils and synthetic fragrance compounds. Their scent profiles are created using both natural plant extracts and synthetic aroma chemicals. The full fragrance component lists are available through their Smartlabel disclosures.

Is Mrs. Meyer’s better than Method or Seventh Generation?

These brands are roughly in the same tier. Method and Seventh Generation also use fragranced formulations with plant-derived cleaning agents. Seventh Generation has an unscented line that’s a better choice for fragrance-sensitive individuals. All three are improvements over conventional cleaning brands. None are as clean as brands like Branch Basics or Dr. Bronner’s.

Why does Mrs. Meyer’s irritate my skin?

The most likely culprits are the fragrance blend (which contains known skin sensitizers like linalool and limonene), sodium lauryl sulfate in the dish soap (a common skin irritant), or methylisothiazolinone (a recognized contact allergen). If you’re experiencing skin reactions, switch to an unscented, SLS-free cleaning product.

Is Mrs. Meyer’s safe for septic systems?

Mrs. Meyer’s states their products are safe for septic systems. The plant-derived surfactants are biodegradable and should break down in septic treatment. This is one area where their formulation is genuinely appropriate.

This analysis was conducted independently by NonToxicLab. See our affiliate disclosure for details.

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