Are Mrs. Meyers's Cleaning Products Safe For Pets?

As a pet owner, keeping your house clean and fresh-smelling is a constant struggle. In addition to scooping the litterbox, vacuuming, and mopping, you also have to be selective about choosing pet-safe cleaning products. Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, a company that makes plant-based cleaning products, is one many people enjoy for their variety of scents. Are Mrs. Meyer's products safe for use around pets?

inside-studio/iStock/GettyImages

Many household cleaning products contain ingredients that can be harmful to pets. Our cats and dogs are more likely to be exposed to chemicals by virtue of being lower to the ground, bare-pawed, and prone to licking up things they find on the floor. The cleaning products we use could be accidentally inhaled or ingested by our pets and could be harmful to them. Cats and dogs are much smaller and more sensitive than humans, and even small amounts of certain chemicals could make them sick.

Certain chemicals commonly found in household cleaning agents can cause irritation to pets. These include bleach, chlorine, ammonia, isopropyl alcohol, formaldehyde, and phenols. In addition, many products contain fragrances or dyes that can be unsafe for pets. Products with strong scents should be avoided by pet owners, particularly when choosing products that the pet will come into direct contact with ⁠— such as laundry detergent used to wash a pet's bedding or dish soap used to wash out food and water bowls. These strong chemicals can cause skin, respiratory, or gastrointestinal irritation if a pet comes into contact with them. Since our pets groom themselves frequently, cleaning products can easily get onto their paws or fur and thus into their mouths.

inside-studio/iStock/GettyImages

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products are listed as being made with plant-based ingredients, without artificial fragrances or dyes, and are not tested on animals. Their cleaning products ⁠— which include laundry detergent, all-purpose cleaner, surface cleaner, hand soap, dish soap, and more ⁠— are also biodegradable as they are packed in recycled and reusable containers. The company provides a helpful ingredient glossary that explains which ingredients are used in certain products, what they are used for and additional allergen information.

What's the verdict on Mrs. Meyer's products when it comes to pet safety? Good news: the ingredients for their lines of all-purpose and surface cleaners, laundry detergent, hand, and dish soap all come up free of any chemicals that are toxic to pets. The company also earned a spot on a number of lists of the best pet-safe cleaning products.

Mrs. Meyer's offers a number of lovely scents for each product, but there are no fragrance-free options. Their scented products are made with essential oils, not artificial fragrances, but not all essential oils are safe to use around pets. If you're choosing a Mrs. Meyer's product and you share your home with a pet, be sure to choose a scent that contains essential oils which are safe for use around pets. Some pets can be more sensitive to essential oils (even the pet-safe ones) than others, so keep an eye out for any signs of skin or respiratory irritation when using a new product.

Svetlana Sultanaeva/iStock/GettyImages

Household cleaning products which contain bleach, chlorine, ammonia, isopropyl alcohol, formaldehyde, and phenols can be harmful to pets. Pets can accidentally ingest or inhale these chemicals, which can lead to skin or respiratory irritation as well as stomach upset. If you share your home with a pet, it's best to use non-toxic, fragrance-free cleaning products. Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day cleaning products do not contain any ingredients which are harmful to pets, but since they do not offer unscented options. Be sure to choose a scent that is safe to use around your cat or dog. If you're looking for a pet-safe cleaning product, Mrs. Meyer's is a great option and is easy to find both in stores and online.