Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day as what is inside each container. Concentrated formulas reduce the total amount of necessary packaging and all packaging is made from materials that have been or can be recycled. The look of the packaging, designed by Werner Design Works in neighboring St. Paul, reflects the “no-fuss, nofrills, hardworking products with the added bonus of smelling fabulous,” said a company spokesperson. “The brand and packaging is designed to represent this work ethic and be informative, with a dash of fun.”
Just as there really was a Nellie, there really is a Mrs. Meyer of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day. Thelma Meyer is the mother of nine children, including former Caldrea CEO, Monica Nassif, who saw a need for simple, efficient cleaning products. In 2001, she launched Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day, an affordable line of green cleaning products, named in honor of her mother and her straightforward Midwestern values. “A clean house is a happier house,” said Thelma Meyer, 79, in a company statement. “The faster you can do away with the messes, the more time you have for what really matters — children, relatives, friends and neighbors.” The Minneapolis-based Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day products use garden-inspired fragrances in their Basil Collection (basil, apricot leaves, parsley, and eucalyptus) and their two best selling fragrances — Lavender (lavender and orange), and Lemon Verbena (lemon, lemongrass, peppermint, clover, geranium and fir needle). There is also a scent-free line. All Mrs. Meyer’s products are made with natural essential oils, and use naturally-derived ingredients such as corn, sugar cane, coconut and palm, whenever possible. And the outsides of Mrs. Meyer’s products are as environmentally-conscious
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day is a collection of about 16 home cleaners and five laundry products, made up of more than 100 different products, from baby detergent to dishwashing soap — and the real Mrs. Meyer also is an author. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Home (Hachette Book Group, 2009) is a 240-page book that features well-practiced advice (“serve the kids ‘Musko’ [must go] for dinner, using the items that are fast approaching expiration”) and helpful household hints (“Never use vinegar and water on wood floors – one part dish soap and four parts water is the only way to truly get them clean.”) It all adds up to Mrs. Meyer’s recipe for a clean, happy home. “I don’t understand why people think they have to be a perfect housecleaner. I don’t think anybody can accomplish that,” says a practical Mrs. Meyer on her website. “You need to have a happy medium about perfectionism and a happy home.”
mrsmeyers.com
fall 2010
delishmag.com
27