Mr Muscle is a popular brand of household cleaning products with a range that includes kitchen cleaners, bathroom cleaners, oven cleaners, glass cleaners and drain unblockers. But are Mr Muscle products cruelty-free? Can you use Mr Muscle if you’re vegan? Read on to find out…
Who is Mr Muscle?
Mr Muscle is a brand under the SC Johnson company. The company owns many brands, some of which are cruelty-free (like Method, Ecover and Babyganics) and some of which are certainly not (like pest control sprays Raid, Baygon and OFF).
Is Mr Muscle vegan?
For Mr Muscle products to be certified vegan by Vegan.org, they would need to meet the following criteria:
- Not contain animals or animal by-products
- Not have ingredients which have been tested on animals
Some vegans believe that products that contain chemicals that harm the environment (like bleach) are not suitable for vegans because of the harm that they can cause to ecosystems when these chemicals enter the water. However, Vegan.org does not include this criterion in its certification.
Suggested read: Is bleach vegan?
Is Mr Muscle tested on animals?
Mr Muscle products are tested on animals. According to SC Johnson, the company which owns the Mr Muscle brand, animal testing is required for new products. The company continues to introduce new products to the market and it tests the ingredients on animals.
What animal tests are carried out on household cleaning products?
The rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, rats and fish involved in animal experiments have chemicals dripped into their eyes, forced down their throats or rubbed into their skin. This could cause them to suffer symptoms such as blindness, skin lesions, vomiting, organ failure and death.
In 2015, animal testing of household products was banned by the UK government. However, the ban only applies to finished products and so the ingredients which make up the products can still be legally tested on animals.
Is Mr Muscle toxic?
A toxic chemical is one which can cause death, temporary incapacitation or permanent harm to humans or animals.
Mr Muscle household products are toxic because they contain toxic ingredients such as sodium hydroxide, isobutane and ammonium chlorides.
As well as toxic chemicals which can cause neurological symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, breathing difficulties, skin irritation, paralysis and death, Mr Muscle products also contain known allergens which can produce hay-fever like symptoms.
What is Mr Muscle made of?
The Mr Muscle brand contains many different products including several bathroom cleaners, drain unblockers, toilet cleaners, kitchen sprays, oven cleaners, glass cleaners, floor wipes and stain remover sprays.
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Is Mr Muscle cruelty-free?
Mr Muscle products can not be said to be cruelty-free because they are tested on animals. Mr Muscle products and also contain chemicals that can affect wildlife when these products are released into the ecosystem via the wastewater systems.
What are the vegan alternatives to Mr Muscle?
There are so many cruelty-free household cleaning products available that there’s no need to buy products like Mr Muscle.
Brands that have been confirmed as cruelty-free by www.crueltyfreeinternational.org include:
- Aldi own brand
- Astonish
- Co-op own brand
- Ecover
- Ecozone
- Method
- M&S own brand
- Sainsbury’s own brand
- Waitrose own brand
Look out for the ‘leaping bunny’ logo which is the globally recognisable gold standard for cosmetics, personal care and household products.
Although these products are cruelty-free and have not been tested on animals, they may not be vegan, depending on your definition of veganism. Many cruelty-free cleaning products contain toxic chemicals which can be harmful to wildlife and the environment.
Check out these recipes to make your own cleaning products from natural ingredients.