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Seventh Generation vs. Mrs. Meyer’s: Which Eco-Friendly Products Are Better?

Are you looking for the best eco-friendly cleaning solution for your home?

Both Seventh Generation and Mrs. Meyer’s are popular brands that offer a range of cleaning products, from laundry detergents to dish soaps.

In this comparison of Seventh Generation vs. Mrs. Meyer’s, I’ll break down the main differences between each brand’s household cleaning products.

You’ll learn how they compare in terms of product offerings, cleaning power, ingredients, price, and much more.


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Product Offerings

Mrs. Meyer’s and Seventh Generation are both eco-friendly companies focusing on creating a safer cleaning routine with better household and personal care products.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the products each brand offers.

Seventh Generation Products:

Seventh Generation Cleaning Products

Laundry: Seventh Generation offers multiple laundry products designed to tackle 60 tough types of stains. They use essential oils to create natural scents and offer a Free & Clean detergent for sensitive skin that doesn’t contain any dyes or fragrances.

Personal care: This category includes 100% biodegradable body wash and deodorant. The formulas are water-friendly and safe for you and the environment.

Dishwashing: You’ll find both dish soap and automatic dish detergents. Get your dishes extra clean with a more eco-friendly formula.

Hand wash: Available in five unique scents, this hand soap is plant-based. It’s formulated without nasty ingredients like dyes or artificial fragrances.

Disinfecting cleaners: Whether you want a spray, wipe, or cleaner, you’ll find CleanWell powered disinfecting technology in these products.

Household cleaners: This includes glass cleaners, all-purpose cleaners, granite and stone cleaners, wood cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, and toilet cleaners. There is a cleaner for every corner of your home.

Baby care: There are many baby care products. For example, you’ll find baby laundry detergent as well as Free & Clear diapers and wipes. They’re made without fragrances and are 30% biobased.

Period care: Here, you’ll find organic cotton tampons, chlorine-free pads, and pantiliners. Take care of yourself on your period with no added fragrances or deodorants. These products are kinder on your skin and the environment.

Household paper: 100% recycled paper towels, napkins, tissues, and toilet paper. Eco-friendly and there when you need it most.

Trash bags: Seventh Generation makes trash bags from recycled materials. They’re strong, durable, and eco-friendly.

When it comes to the scents, there are plenty of options, including:

  •  Fresh citrus
  • Alpine falls
  • Fresh lavender
  • Lemon
  • Citrus and sandalwood
  • Blossom and vanilla
  • Citrus and cedar
  • Fresh morning meadow
  • Eucalyptus, spearmint, and thyme
  • Lavender flower and mint
  • Summer orchard

View Seventh Generation’s entire product lineup on Amazon.

Mrs. Meyer’s Products:

Mrs. Meyers Cleaning Products

Let’s take a look at what Mrs. Meyer’s has to offer. They don’t have as many product lines as Seventh Generation. Specifically, the company doesn’t provide disinfecting cleaners, feminine care products, or a baby care line. Instead, Mrs. Meyer’s offer:

Household cleaners: You’ll find multi-surface cleaners, glass cleaners, kitchen cleaners, and bathroom cleaners available in various scents. You can also buy products in bundles or in concentrated versions to dilute yourself.

Dish: For clean dishes, Mrs. Meyer’s offers dish soap and dishwasher detergent pacs. The pacs are easy and convenient to use. When it comes to the dish soap, you can easily buy a refill when you run out — this cuts down on plastic waste.

Hand care: You’ll find hand soap (foaming and non-foaming), hand lotion, and hand sanitizer. When you run out, you can buy refills. These products are also available in a wide variety of scents, so you can find something you love!

Body care: Mrs. Meyer’s body lotions, body scrubs, and body washes are available in multiple scents.

Laundry: Mrs. Meyer’s offers laundry detergents, fabric softeners, dryer sheets, and scent boosters. You can use Mrs. Meyer’s for your whole laundry routine. The detergent is available as a liquid or a pac — so no powder.

Air fresheners: Spruce up a room with air fresheners or candles. The room fresheners are easy-to-use sprays that you can spritz around your room. Both products are available in many scents.

Mrs. Meyer’s products come in various scents, including:

  • Acorn spice
  • Apple cider
  • Basil
  • Geranium
  • Honeysuckle
  • Lavender
  • Lemon verbena
  • Oat blossom
  • Peony
  • And there are many more (see all)

View Mrs. Meyer’s entire product lineup on Amazon.

Some Mrs. Meyer’s products are scented with synthetic ingredients rather than essential oils.

So if you’re sensitive to scents, even though they’re mostly naturally scented, you may be better off with Seventh Generation since they offer Free & Clear products. Plus, all of their scented products are made with essential oils.

Ingredients

Both brands are faithful to ingredient transparency. All ingredients are on the product packaging as well as each company’s website. Check out the ingredients for Seventh Generation here and Mrs. Meyer’s here.

It’s important to note that while both brands use plant-derived ingredients, this doesn’t mean the products are necessarily all-natural. Some products contain synthetic ingredients and preservatives.

Preservatives, for example, are essential for ensuring the products don’t go bad. Seventh Generation claims it hasn’t found an effective plant-derived preservative alternative and therefore uses synthetic preservatives.

Mrs. Meyer’s has over 140 synthetic ingredients on its list and is just as transparent as Seventh Generation.

Seventh Generation Ingredients:

Seventh Generation Ingredients
Seventh Generation Dish Soap Ingredients

Let’s look at each brand’s ingredient list in a bit more detail, starting with Seventh Generation. You can find the ingredient list on its website. One notable thing about Seventh Generation is that the company doesn’t use any synthetic dyes or fragrances.

All of the scents are made from essential oils, and the products are transparent or naturally colored. This is a key advantage for Seventh Generation since synthetic fragrances and dyes are a huge concern for people with allergies and sensitive skin.

All of Seventh Generation’s laundry and dish products include at least 95% biobased ingredients. Furthermore, the company is continuously researching and experimenting with incorporating even more bio-based ingredients.

Seventh Generation products are also cruelty-free and never tested on animals.

The product packaging is made from recycled materials, as well as being recyclable. Overall, Seventh Generation’s mission is to create products that can care for the next generations.

Mrs. Meyer’s Ingredients:

Mrs. Meyers Ingredients
Mrs. Meyers Dish Soap Ingredients

Mrs. Meyer’s focuses on plant-based ingredients. But while essential oils are used in most products, the company features synthetic fragrances in others. You can view the full ingredient list on MrsMeyers.com.

That said, customers love Mrs. Meyer’s fragrances and 26 different scents. Even the ones that are synthetically made still smell fresh and natural.

If you’re worried about the synthetic ingredients, keep in mind that all Mrs. Meyer’s products are without ammonia, chlorine, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, artificial colorants, phosphates, or petroleum distillates.

Mrs. Meyer’s products are not tested on animals. The formulas are cruelty-free and never derived from animal products.

And like with Seventh Generation, the product packaging is recyclable. All the products (less so from the pumps and caps) are recyclable and made with at least 25% post-consumer plastic.

Cleaning Power

Mrs. Meyer’s and Seventh Generation are favorites among people who prefer a greener alternative to household cleaning products with harsh chemicals.

Both appear on top lists for plant-based all-purpose cleaners, laundry detergent, and dishwashing soap. Let’s look at some of the accolades for each, so you can see what the experts say.

Multi-Surface Cleaners:

Seventh Generation Disinfecting Spray
Seventh Generation Disinfecting Spray

On The Spruce’s list of The 8 Best All-Purpose Cleaners of 2020, the reviewers ranked Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner as the best green option. It does an excellent job on nonporous surfaces like bathroom walls, kitchen countertops, and wood furniture. It’s biodegradable, but that doesn’t limit its cleaning power.

Seventh Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner was listed as the best budget option, praised for being safe on children’s toys and food-contact surfaces. It’s inexpensive and compares well against non-green cleaners since it kills 99.9 percent of all bacteria.

Laundry Detergents:

Seventh Generation Free and Clear Laundry Detergent
Seventh Generation Free and Clear Laundry Detergent

Reviewed awarded Seventh Generation Free & Clear as the second-best eco-friendly laundry detergent, praising it for its green practices. 97% of the ingredients plant-based, the product packaging is 80% recycled plastic with the option to buy in a cardboard bottle, too. Compared to other detergents, it only removes 5% fewer stains than Tide with far fewer harsh chemicals.

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Laundry Detergent came in eighth place. Overall, it’s a great budget-friendly option since it costs less per wash. However, some customers weren’t fans of the lemon verbena scent, saying that it was too strong or citrusy. There are other options, but there aren’t any unscented options.

In The Spruce’s roundup of The 8 Best Green Laundry Detergents, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Laundry Detergent was the best overall. It’s a liquid detergent that’s safe for your family, free of phthalates, chlorine, dyes, and other unnecessary ingredients. It’s also available in a wide variety of scents and budget-friendly.

Seventh Generation Free & Clear was awarded the best for being unscented, making it great for people with allergies or sensitive skin. Though it’s eco-friendly, it’s still tough on stains like grass, blood, and chocolate.

Dishwashing Liquid:

Seventh Generation versus Mrs. Meyers dish soap

The Strategist did a wrap up of The Best Natural Dish Soaps. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Lemon Verbena Dish Soap came first as the highest-rated dish soap.

Seventh Generation dish soap was awarded the best fragrance and dye-free soap. If you’re looking for one without unnecessary additives, this is a fantastic choice.

Hand Soap:

In The Strategist’s The Best Hand Soap on Amazon, According to Hyperenthusiastic Reviewers, they awarded Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Hand Soap Lemon Verbena the best natural option. It was praised for being exceptionally soft with incredible cleaning power. 

In Bob Vila’s post, The Best Hand Soaps for a Healthy Home, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Liquid Hand Soap was awarded the best overall spot. While it’s not organic, it was praised for its 98% plant-derived ingredients.

Seventh Generation was not mentioned in either of these wrap-ups.

Price

In general, both brands cost more than traditional cleaning brands, but they’re still relatively inexpensive. When you compare prices, make sure to look at the cost per fluid ounce.

Remember that concentrated formulas — found in detergents and multi-purpose cleaners cost more per ounce, but they last a lot longer.

In general, Seventh Generation products tend to be slightly more expensive than Mrs. Meyer’s.

The table below shows the current prices on Amazon of both brands’ most popular products. Click each product to learn more. 

Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:

FAQs About Seventh Generation and Mrs. Meyer’s

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about both brands. Let’s dive right in!

Are Mrs. Meyer’s and Seventh Generation Organic?

No, but both brands are plant-based. However, they aren’t organic because they use some synthetic ingredients such as preservatives and fragrances.

What Are the Benefits of Using Plant-Based Household Products?

There are many benefits to switching to plant-based household products.
First, it’s better for the environment. Traditional household cleaning products are chemical-heavy, with lots of polluting ingredients.

Not only do they harm the waterways and environment, but they can end up hurting plants and wild animals. 

Once they’re in the waterways, it can be impossible to remove them. Eventually, they contaminate the ecosystem. So when you switch to eco-friendly products, you are prioritizing your community’s health.

Traditional household products can contaminate the air indoors as well, leading to skin and respiratory irritation. 

Natural ingredients are less of a risk to your family and pets. But keep in mind that some essential oils are toxic to pets, so be sure to do your research depending on what animals you have in the home. 

Does Mrs. Meyer’s and Seventh Generation Concentrated Laundry Detergents Need To Be Diluted?

You don’t need to dilute Mrs. Meyer’s laundry detergent. It will dilute itself during the laundry fill cycle. The company recommends ½ a capful for a regular load or ¾ a cupful for a larger or particularly dirty load.

The same applies to Seventh Generation. The company recommends one squeeze for a medium load or two squeezes for a larger load.

Are Mrs. Meyer’s and Seventh Generation Multi-Surface Cleaners Disinfectants?

Mrs. Meyer’s multi-surface cleaners are not disinfectants. They don’t kill germs and bacteria.

On the other hand, Seventh Generation does offer disinfecting sprays that kill 99.99% of viruses and bacteria. To use it correctly, you need to wet the surface and leave it for 10 minutes. Let it air dry and do not rinse or wipe.

Are Mrs. Meyer’s and Seventh Generation’s Hand Soaps Antibacterial?

Mrs. Meyer’s hand soaps don’t include antibacterial ingredients, but according to the FDA, traditional soap and water are as good at preventing illnesses and removing germs from the hands.

Seventh Generation’s soaps are also not antibacterial. However, studies show that if you wash your hands properly, it will remove germs.

Who Owns Mrs. Meyer’s and Seventh Generation?

S. C. Johnson & Son owns Mrs. Meyer’s. Unilever owns Seventh Generation.

Bottom Line: Is Seventh Generation or Mrs. Meyer’s the Better Choice?

Both brands produce eco-friendly, plant-based products that get the job done. 

Mrs. Meyer’s products focus on beautiful scents, although some are synthetically fragranced. 

Seventh Generation has scented and unscented products, and all of their scents are derived from essential oils.

Fragrances are a huge selling point from Mrs. Meyer’s. Whereas, Seventh Generation’s main focus is on the environment and health.

Seventh Generation has a wider range of products, including feminine care, baby care, and disinfectants. Mrs. Meyer’s product lineup is less extensive, and they don’t offer any disinfectants.

When it comes to price, they’re both relatively inexpensive, but Mrs. Meyer’s is slightly cheaper, depending on what and where you buy.

The bottom line: Seventh Generation is an excellent option if you’re looking for an expansive product line that includes items without dyes or fragrances.

Choose Mrs. Meyer’s if you want plant-based cleaning and laundry products with unique scents that leave your home feeling fresh.

Both brands are available on Amazon at the links below:

Andrew Palermo Founder of Prudent Reviews

Andrew Palermo - About the Author

Andrew is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Prudent Reviews. He began his career in marketing, managing campaigns for dozens of Fortune 500 brands. In 2018, Andrew founded Prudent Reviews and has since reviewed 600+ products. When he’s not testing the latest cookware, kitchen knives, and appliances, he’s spending time with his family, cooking, and doing house projects. Connect with Andrew via emailLinkedIn, or the Prudent Reviews YouTube channel.

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