Mr. Clean and Mr. Muscle are two brands of household cleaning products that appear very similar. Many people assume Mr. Muscle is simply the British version of Mr. Clean, but there are actually several differences between these two cleaning brands.
Mr. Clean is owned by the P&G Company, while Mr. Muscle is owned by SC Johnson. These brands have slightly different products, different ingredients, and different characters.
If you’re debating between using Mr. Clean or Mr. Muscle products, then you’ve come to the right place! We’re going to discuss their differences in detail, including their products, ingredients, and histories, so that you can determine the best cleaner for your household!
What’s the Difference Between Mr. Clean and Mr. Muscle?
The most obvious difference between these two cleaning brands is the regional markets they serve. Mr. Clean is an American brand and sells most of its products in North America. Conversely, Mr. Muscle is a British brand, and that’s where most of its sales take place.
While these two brands offer many similar products, their ingredients have some big differences. We’ll get into more detail about this later in this guide, but the main reason for their differing ingredients is due to their parent companies.
Mr. Clean is owned by the P&G company, while Mr. Muscle is owned by SC Johnson. Both parent companies have their own rules and standards regarding the ingredients brands under them can use, so this leads to a difference in ingredients, product effectiveness, and price.
Mr. Clean
This brand originated in the 1950s when a marine ship cleaning businessman Linwood Burton and his friend Mathusan Chandramohan developed a powerful household cleaning agent. The mascot for Mr. Clean made his first television debut in 1958, and there was debate over whether the mascot was supposed to be a genie or a sailor.
P&G has given the mascot an entire backstory for his origins, saying he was a baby adopted by farmers. This brand became one of the most popular household cleaners in North America by the 1990s and continues to be a trusted cleaning brand to this day.
What Types of Products Does Mr. Clean Offer?
Along with the extensive line of household cleaners, Mr. Clean is most well-known for its line of magic erasers. Mr. Clean has a product for nearly every room in your home, and their magic erasers can be used in a wide variety of ways.
Here’s a list of the products offered by this brand:
Magic Erasers: Mr. Clean is probably best known for its line of magic erasers. These sponge-like products are excellent at removing grease, stains, soap scum, and more! All you need to do is wet it, squeeze out the excess water, and scrub a surface to remove caked-on debris. You can find magic erasers with lavender, Original Gain scent, and Dawn. This brand also released magic eraser sheets, which are single-use and perfect for small messes.
Multi-Surface Liquids: You can find a variety of multi-surface liquids by Mr. Clean. Here’s a brief list of the different cleaners they offer:
- Multi-Surface Pet Cleaner With Febreze Odor Defense
- Home Pro Antibacterial Cleaner With Summer Citrus
- Home Pro Cleaner With Febreze
- Multi-Surface Cleaner With Gain
Some of these multi-surface cleaners come with different scents like moonlight breeze or meadows and rain.
Multi-Purpose Spray: Labeled as Clean Freak Mist, Mr. Clean’s multi-purpose spray is perfect for cutting through dirt, grease, and grime on any surface in your home. You can get this product in lemon zest, Gain Original, and lavender scents.
Disinfecting Wipes: Mr. Clean Disinfectant Wipes kill 99.9% of all germs and viruses. These are great for when you’re on the go or have a small mess you want to eliminate quickly.
What Are The Ingredients In Mr. Clean?
The ingredients in Mr. Clean will vary slightly product-to-product. So, we’re going to focus on their disinfectant wipes.
Here’s a list of the ingredients in Mr. Clean Disinfectant Wipes:
- Octyl Decyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride
- Didecyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride
- Alkyl C14, C12, C16
- Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride
- Other ingredients
As you can see, this product uses mainly ammonium chloride variations as their main active ingredient.
Is Mr. Clean Toxic?
Toxic substances are classified as anything that can cause a person harm when ingested or when it comes into contact with them. Since ammonium chloride is Mr. Clean’s main active ingredient, their products are considered toxic. Ammonium chloride can cause an asthma-like reaction/allergy for some people, so it’s important to use caution when cleaning with Mr. Clean products.
Mr. Muscle
Mr. Muscle was originally owned by Drackett and released their product in 1986. Their first product was an aerosol oven cleaner, though their product line has expanded to include several household cleaners since then.
This brand was sold to SC Johnson in 1992, which has remained the parent company ever since. Mr. Muscle is mainly produced in Britain and throughout Europe, although this brand also sells other types of cleaners in the US, including the very popular Scrubbing Bubbles brand.
What Types of Products Does Mr. Muscle Offer?
You can find a wide range of cleaners by Mr. Muscle. They have cleaners specifically for your kitchen, bathroom, and drains, as well as multi-purpose cleaners. Here’s a brief overview of the products Mr. Muscle offers.
Kitchen Cleaners: There are four dedicated kitchen cleaners offered by Mr. Muscle. These products include Mr. Muscle Platinum Cleaner, Mr. Muscle Advanced Power Kitchen Cleaner, Mr. Muscle Oven Cleaner, and the original Mr. Muscle Kitchen Cleaner.
Bathroom Cleaners: There are a couple more bathroom cleaners offered by this brand than kitchen cleaners. Mr. Muscle has a Platinum, Platinum Shower Shine, Advanced Power, Advanced Power Shower Shine, and their original Bathroom Cleaner.
Products For The Whole House: If you need specific products for areas of your home, then Mr. Muscle has plenty of options for you. This brand has a Window & Glass cleaner, Multi-Surface Disinfectant Spray, Antibacterial Sanitizing Cleaner, and Orange Action Floor Wipes.
Drain: Mr. Muscle also has plenty of drain cleaning products available. This brand has a Probiotic Drain Cleaner, Drain Gel, Power Granules, and a Drain Foamer.
What Are The Ingredients In Mr. Muscle?
Just like with Mr. Clean, the ingredients in Mr. Muscles products will vary depending on their purpose. Let’s take a look at the ingredients in their original kitchen cleaner.
Here’s a list of the ingredients in Mr. Muscle Kitchen Cleaner:
- Water
- Diisopropanolamine
- Isotridecanol, Ethoxylated
- Alkyldimethyl amine oxide
- n-Alkyl Dimethyl Benzyl ammonium chlorides
- Fragrances
As you can see, Mr. Muscle has several different ingredients than Mr. Clean. However, they do still use ammonium chlorides as one of their main active ingredients.
Is Mr. Muscle Toxic?
Since Mr. Muscle also uses ammonium chlorides as one of their main active ingredients, their products are also considered toxic. Ammonium chloride can cause asthma-like symptoms if inhaled directly and can cause burning if it comes into contact with your skin. Make sure you’re using caution when cleaning with these products.
Comparison Questions (Mr. Clean vs Mr. Muscle):
Is Mr. Clean or Mr. Muscle More Effective?
Mr. Clean and Mr. Muscle have some very different products. However, when comparing their similar products like their antibacterial cleaners, you’ll notice that they have very similar ingredients.
Customers appear to be very satisfied with Mr. Clean’s products. Their magic erasers are very popular, and this brand receives consistently positive views across all platforms. Mr. Muscle also appears to be a very popular brand, however some customers have left reviews questioning the effectiveness of their products.
Going by public reaction, it appears that Mr. Clean’s products are more effective than Mr. Muscle.
Which Cleaning Brand Is More Environmentally Friendly?
Both cleaning brands contain some toxic ingredients, like ammonium chloride, which could cause toxicity in water systems if they reach groundwater. Additionally, Mr. Clean hasn’t made any obvious moves toward becoming eco-friendly, but Mr. Muscle has.
Mr. Muscle has joined other brands like Windex in using 100% recycled ocean-bound plastic for its trigger spray bottles. This is an excellent step toward environmental consciousness and sets Mr. Muscle ahead of Mr. Clean in this category.
Is Mr. Clean or Mr. Muscle More Affordable?
Since they use similar ingredients, you might expect Mr. Clean and Mr. Muscle to cost about the same. Their price points are actually pretty similar, but depending on where you live, you might have a hard time seeing the difference.
Mr. Muscle is a British brand, so the prices for its cleaning products are based on price per gram. Mr. Clean lists its products based on the price per fluid ounce, so comparing their prices can be challenging.
However, if you do the math, you’ll see that their prices are comparable. Each brand boils down to a range of $0.35-$0.59 per fluid ounce. This isn’t a huge discrepancy, and prices also vary based on product.
The Verdict– What’s the Difference?
Mr. Clean and Mr. Muscle seem like similar brands, but they actually have several major differences. Mr. Clean is an American brand owned by the P&G Company, and they focus more on multi-purpose cleaners. Mr. Muscle is a British brand owned by SC Johnson, and this brand focuses more on dedicated products for your bathroom, kitchen, and drains. With their range of varying products and similar price points, it seems like there’s room for both brands in most homes!
Jamie is the Founder of My Home Dwelling. He is a homeowner and enjoys sharing his homeowner tips with others. He has real estate experience working as a new home construction Realtor. Jamie has worked on numerous residential construction sites helping with interior and exterior renovations. He loves refinishing furniture, DIY home projects, and sharing his knowledge online.