Mrs. Meyer's Cleaning Products Were Inspired by Iowa Matriarch

The origins story of a litany of popular household cleaning products has recently hit bookstore shelves, and it's revealed that the inspiration behind the company's moniker is none other than an Iowa woman.

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products were created by Monica Nassif, who used her mother, Thelma Meyer, as the source of inspiration. Growing up in Granger, IA, Nassif told The Des Moines Register that her childhood was filled with "Midwestern spunk and sensibility," and it's chronicled in a new book she authored called I Bottled My Mother, which is now available.

How Thelma Meyer Inspired Domestically Popular Cleaning Supplies:

In Nassif's new book, she tells the story of how her Midwestern upbringing shaped her as an adult and led her to create Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products:

Thelma Meyer was the perfect fit. Midwestern, plucky, wholesome, and practical — and with a passion for gardening— we took inspiration for fragrances right out of her Iowa backyard - Monica Nassif, from her book, I Bottled My Mother, per The Des Moines Register

It was the confidence and work ethic that her mother, Thelma, instilled in her that made her company possible from the jump.

Some of Thelma's "quirks," as Monica calls them, includes playing cards, Scrabble, puzzles, and driving her maroon Chevy station wagon "like a bat out of hell." She is also passionate about housework, gardening, and cleaning, which made her the ideal face of Monica's brand.

Thelma's origins could've never envisioned something like this. As a kid, she grew up on a farm, helping chickens roost and milking cows. Pushing forward was the only way to continue to stay ahead. It's a work ethic she passed down to being Nassif.

One key piece of advice from her mother sticks out, according to Nassif. Whenever she'd lament about her problems or something that irritated her at work or in life, her mother would offer this pithy piece of contemplative advice:

Aren’t you glad you know? Aren’t you glad you know what you don’t like? This way, when you go into the world on your own, you can build whatever life you want for yourself - Monica Nassif relaying her mother's advice, per The Des Moines Register

And thus, The Caldrea Company was born, and its line of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products is one of the biggest brands in the cleaning industry. Read more about company founder Monica Nassif and her new book on The Des Moines Register's website.