Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day products are not specifically formulated for infant safety, despite the brand’s natural-sounding image and even a “Baby Blossom” scented line. The products contain several ingredients that raise concerns for babies, including undisclosed fragrance components, preservatives linked to skin sensitization, and compounds that can irritate developing airways. They won’t poison your child on contact, but they’re not the gentle, baby-safe cleaners many parents assume them to be.
What’s Actually in Mrs. Meyer’s Products
Mrs. Meyer’s markets itself as a cleaner made with plant-derived ingredients and essential oils. The brand is free from some of the worst offenders in conventional cleaning: ammonia, chlorine, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, artificial colorants, and petroleum distillates. That puts it a step above many mainstream products.
But “better than the worst” isn’t the same as “safe for babies.” Every Mrs. Meyer’s product contains “fragrance” as an ingredient, and the company does not fully disclose what that fragrance is made of. Under U.S. law, manufacturers can bundle dozens of chemical compounds under the single word “fragrance” without listing them individually. This is a significant blind spot when you’re trying to evaluate what your baby is being exposed to. The products also contain isothiazolinone preservatives, which are known skin sensitizers, along with ethoxylated ingredients and other compounds that lack thorough safety data.
EWG Ratings Are Mixed at Best
The Environmental Working Group, which independently grades cleaning products for safety, gives Mrs. Meyer’s products ratings that range from B to F depending on the specific item. Some of the worst scores are surprising. The Baby Blossom scented laundry detergent, the one that sounds like it was designed for infant use, earns a D rating. The scent-free laundry detergent actually scores an F. Meanwhile, the lavender laundry pacs earn a B. The ratings vary because different products in the line use different formulations, so you can’t assume one Mrs. Meyer’s product is safe just because another scored well.
Every Mrs. Meyer’s product label carries a caution warning: “Eye irritant. Avoid eye contact. Keep out of reach of children and pets.” That language is standard for household cleaners, but it’s worth noting that the brand itself doesn’t claim its products are baby-safe.
Fragrance and Infant Airways
The biggest concern with using scented cleaners around babies isn’t skin contact. It’s what your baby breathes. A large Canadian birth cohort study published in CMAJ tracked cleaning product use in homes with infants and found a clear dose-response relationship: the more frequently scented cleaning products were used during a child’s first months of life, the higher the child’s risk of developing respiratory problems by age three.
Children in homes with frequent cleaner use had 35% higher odds of recurrent wheezing and 37% higher odds of receiving an asthma diagnosis compared to children in homes where these products were used less often. The risk was even greater for recurrent wheeze with allergic sensitization, at 49% higher odds. Spray products, air fresheners, and scented cleaners were specifically highlighted as the riskiest categories.
The mechanism appears to involve direct damage to the lining of the airways rather than an allergic reaction. Volatile compounds released by scented cleaners irritate the respiratory tissue, triggering inflammation and increased bronchial sensitivity over time. Babies are especially vulnerable because they breathe faster than adults, their airways are narrower, and their immune systems are still developing. A pleasant lavender or lemon verbena scent from Mrs. Meyer’s is still introducing volatile organic compounds into your baby’s breathing space.
Using Mrs. Meyer’s on Baby Items
Many parents specifically wonder about washing baby bottles, toys, or clothing with Mrs. Meyer’s products. For dishes and bottles, the main concern is residue. Any dish soap can leave trace amounts on surfaces, and babies mouth everything. Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap contains fragrance compounds and preservatives that you wouldn’t want your baby ingesting even in tiny amounts. A fragrance-free, dye-free dish soap designed for sensitive use is a safer bet for anything that goes in your baby’s mouth.
For laundry, the calculus is similar. Detergent residue sits against your baby’s skin for hours. Babies have thinner, more permeable skin than adults, so they absorb more of whatever touches them. The isothiazolinone preservatives in Mrs. Meyer’s detergents are particularly worth avoiding here, as they’re among the more common causes of contact dermatitis. If your baby develops unexplained rashes or irritated skin, switching to a fragrance-free, dye-free detergent is one of the first things to try.
If Your Baby Swallows a Cleaning Product
Accidental ingestion is a real concern once babies start crawling and grabbing. Multi-surface cleaning sprays like Mrs. Meyer’s contain ingredients that can irritate the mouth, throat, and stomach if swallowed. The typical symptoms are mouth irritation, stomachache, vomiting, and diarrhea. If your baby swallows any amount of a cleaning product, wipe out their mouth with a damp cloth, offer a small amount of water, and contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or use their online tool at webPOISONCONTROL. Store all cleaning products, including “natural” ones, well out of reach.
Safer Alternatives for Homes With Babies
If you want to minimize your baby’s chemical exposure, the most impactful change is switching to fragrance-free products for anything your baby touches, wears, or breathes near. That means unscented laundry detergent, fragrance-free dish soap for bottles and feeding supplies, and unscented surface cleaners for high chairs, play mats, and countertops.
For general household cleaning in rooms your baby uses, ventilation matters as much as product choice. Open windows during and after cleaning, and avoid spraying products directly onto surfaces when your baby is in the room. Wiping with a damp cloth reduces the amount of chemical vapor released compared to spraying. Simple solutions of white vinegar and water handle many everyday cleaning tasks without introducing any fragrance compounds or preservatives into your home.
Mrs. Meyer’s is a reasonable middle-ground product for adults or for areas of the home your baby doesn’t frequent. But for the spaces where your baby sleeps, plays, eats, and crawls, choosing truly fragrance-free, minimal-ingredient cleaners reduces both respiratory and skin irritation risks during the period when your child is most vulnerable.