Overview
- Probably the best, most ‘natural’ disinfectant multi-surface spray widely available in the USA.
- The spray smells like thyme (not lemongrass) because it contains thymol, the substance which makes thyme smell like thyme. This disinfecting spray uses thymol as a disinfectant.
- For cleaning, just spray and wipe/scrub. If something is especially tough let it sit a few minutes and then wipe/rub it down.
- For disinfecting, spray, wait 10 minutes and then wipe.
- To deodorize, spray, let it sit 10 minutes, and then you’re done. According to 7th Generation, you don’t need to do anything else.
- Most reviewers like the spray. It seems to clean well. Some people dislike the smell. And some have trouble with the smell lingering on there hands.
- If you’re cool with the smell of thyme, then you’ll probably be cool with this spray
- You don’t need a disinfectant for everything, you can just use a cleaning spray.
- Always remember, you can make your own cleaning products, including sprays.
- If you want a disinfecting spray from 7th, but don’t like the smell of thyme, check out some of their other options. Or you could mix it with another essential oil, like maybe a citrus or two (maybe lemon and lime). It might cut the smell for you.
Seventh Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner – Amazon Link
Specifications
- Claims to kill over 99.9% of certain bacteria
- Kills over 99.99% of household germs, specifically: Influenza A virus, H1N1, Rhinovirus type 37, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli
- Manufactured in the USA from both USA- and Globally-sourced substances
- 26 oz (1.62 lb)
- 10.5 x 4.5 x 3 inches
Table of Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Cleans very well, for a ‘natural’ cleaner | I haven’t done a comparison yet between this product and other similar products. Come back soon. But at the same time, I’m happy with this product, so why change? |
| Smells like thyme | Some people dislike the scent of thyme. The label implies that it smells like lemongrass (it contains lemongrass oil). But it smells like thyme. |
| Removes grit and grease fairly well | Not a considered commercial grade de-greaser. |
| Probably fairly healthy to use (my non-scientific opinion – see disclaimer) | In many cases, you could use a multipurpose cleaner, or make your own cleaner with vinegar and essential oils. |
| Seems like a great alternative to harsher disinfectant products | It’s still a disinfectant and should be treated with caution. Consider a vinegar-based alternative or just cleaning instead of disinfecting. |
| Best ranking disinfectant according EWG | You may only need to use cleaner. You can make you own, too! |
Pros of 7th Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner
- Works well for cleaning, disinfecting and deodorizing.
- Probably the best, most ‘natural’ multi-purpose cleaner/disinfectant/deodorizer spray that I’ve come across. There aren’t many options that are ‘less toxic’.
- The smell of thyme – I like the smell of thyme (thymol is derived from thyme oil)
- Decently priced.
Cons of 7th Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner
- Some people dislike the smell of thyme. Those people won’t like the smell of this cleaning product.
- It seems to imply that main smell is lemongrass, but actually the main smell is thyme.
- Thymol is considered a fairly ‘safe’ ingredient. It’s definitely way less toxic (in my non-scientific opinion) than bleach. But you still probably wouldn’t want to drink thymol or get it in your eyes. While the Environmental Working Group gives this product an ‘A’ (though their ingredient list is a bit out of date, there’s no oregano oil as of August 2018), some of the ingredients have reason for some concern. (Please keep in mind that there may be some give and take with toxicity with any product that acts as disinfectant)
Please read the section below about using a disinfectant versus just a ‘plain-old’ cleaner. This is a disinfectant, so the ingredients will probably be stronger than a multi-cleaner. Based on personal experience, I’ve never had any problems with it (like headaches or itchy skin)
One of the main drawbacks seems to be that some people dislike the smell. Furthermore, people are expecting it to smell like lemongrass when it actually smells like thyme. While there is technically lemongrass oil in the mix, the major smell (at least to me) probably comes from the Thymol.
Thymol is derived (in this case) from thyme essential oil. Thyme sort of smells like rosemary.
Some People Dislike the Smell
Some people dislike the smell (I’m guessing of the thymol).
Almost all the negative reviews on Amazon and 7th Generation state something along the lines of:
“This product CLEANS WELL but the SMELL IS HORRIBLE and it LINGERS” – review from 7th Generation website
To me that’s a fairly good negative review. But, seriously, if you don’t like the smell of thyme (a bit like rosemary), you won’t probably like the smell of this cleaner. On the other hand, if you like the smell of thyme, you’ll probably love it!
On top of that, certain people couldn’t get rid of the smell from their hands (for an unspecified length of time – make sure you read the comments section for the full scoop)
When Do You Need to Clean versus Disinfect?
I’ve been using this product for at least a year according to my order history on Amazon. I actually thought I had been using it longer, but can’t say for certain. I’ve also been using the wipes, which are very similar, for at least 2 years.
Now that I’ve started writing the review, I’m realizing that I didn’t need to be using a disinfecting spray so much of the time. Probably only in the bathroom near the toilet. And perhaps in certain parts of the kitchen. It really depends on the person. For most other places, a good multi-purpose cleaner (or a homemade cleaner) would be fine.
But this cleaner does work well for most household uses, so it’s easy to have it as a go-to cleaning spray. I personally like the scent. And my hands do feel clean afterwards (if I happen to get some on my hands). I’ll still wash them, but I don’t feel like they’re too plasticy like I sometimes do with other cleaners.
When to Use
Like I mentioned in the previous section, this multi-purpose spray/disinfectant provides a great alternative to bleach and chlorine based products. While bleach and chlorine may kill more germs, they may also have a higher health risk. (I’m not an expert though)
There are one main disinfecting ingredients and one antifungal
Thymol is the main disinfecting agent. While nothing is perfect, this provides a much better ratio of disinfection to toxicity. Of course, if you’re in a commercial setting like a hospital, this may not cut it. But for most uses at home, I think, Thymol would be fine. (Again I’m not an expert).
The other main disinfecting agent is copper sulfate pentahydrate, called bluestone due to its dramatic blue crystalline structure. 7th generation says that they use bluestone for . But Wikipedia lists bluestone as a anti-fungal.
What Surfaces can be Cleaned?
According to the 7th Generation FAQ:
Hard, non-porous surfaces
For exampe:
- Children’s toys
- Highchairs
- Changing tables
- Appliances
- Countertops
- Garbage cans
- Doorknobs
Personal Experience
Like I mentioned before, I just use this for everything, not because I’m trying to disinfect things, but because it works well as an all-purpose cleaner and don’t want to be switching bottles all the time. But, if you wanted, this could only be used in certain settings.
I like the smell. I would prefer a good citrus cleaner, but I couldn’t find a good one at one point so I switched to this.
Another great option to consider – make your own cleaners. Vinegar disinfects as well. (Nothing disinfects perfectly) And vinegar would be probably considered even more ‘natural’ and ‘safe’.
Please read the section below on the ‘Appeal to Nature Fallacy’. Basically it says that just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s good. Or vice versa. Moreover, any substance used incorrectly can be dangerous. For example, you can drink too much water, and the ocean is very dangerous.
Seventh Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner – Amazon Link
How to Use
Basically like an any other cleaning spray. If something seems particularly dirty, or might be moldy or bacteria-prone, I’ll wait 10-30 seconds before wiping it up.
Obviously, this isn’t designed to used with dishware or anything else you’d prepare or eat food with. If I spray the oven top and it gets on a pot, I’ll rinse the pot. Again, this is personal preference and not an expert advice about cleaning.
What Are the Ingredients?
According to the product page:
Thymol (present as component of thyme oil). Read more about Thymol at 7th Generation.
Other ingredients: Aqua (water), sodium lauryl sulfate (palm kernel or coconut-derived cleaning agent), copper sulfate pentahydrate (bluestone) (mineral derived water mineralizer), citric acid and sodium citrate (cornstarch derived water softeners), essential oil fragrance† cymbopogon nardus (citronella) oil, cymbopogon schoenanthus (lemongrass) oil).
What do the Ingredients Mean?
| Ingredient | Meaning/Use (You can check up on ingredients at EWG – the ingredient list is slightly out of date August 2018) |
| thymol | The main active component of thyme oil. Thymol is the primary disinfect and also the primary smell of the cleaner |
| Aqua (water) | So you can spray the cleaner |
| sodium lauryl sulfate (palm kernel or coconut-derived cleaning agent) | SLS helps to get rid of dirt and grease, also it creates foam and generally acts like soap, though is a cheaper than true soap. There’s some controversy surrounding this ingredient. But, basically, there’s currently no evidence linking SLS to cancer. But it may cause some irritations in some people. |
| copper sulfate pentahydrate (bluestone) (mineral derived water mineralizer) | This is probably used as fungicide. It’s not something you should drink. And it can cause skin and eye irritation. Please keep in mind that this is a disinfectant. You may only need a cleaner, depending on your cleaning philosophy. |
| citric acid and sodium citrate | Labeled as cornstarch derived water softeners.Citric Acid is the acid found in citrus fruits. It can be used as a cleaner. It’s acidic nature helps to breakdown and remove certain substances. Read this article to learn more. Sodium citrate, a chelating agent, helps soften the water. |
| essential oil fragrance† cymbopogon nardus (citronella) oil | Presumably mostly for smell, though the predominant smell is thyme |
| cymbopogon schoenanthus (lemongrass) oil) | Presumably mostly for smell, though the predominant smell is thyme |
What is Thymol?
Thymol is basically the substance that makes thyme smell like thyme. It’s been extracted and used in cleaning products b/c of its antiseptic properties (and strong smell).
Found in oil of thyme, and extracted from Thymus vulgaris (common thyme) and various other kinds of plants as a white crystalline substance of a pleasant aromatic odor and strong antiseptic properties. Thymol also provides the distinctive, strong flavor of the culinary herb thyme. – Wikipedia
Seventh Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner – Amazon Link
Understanding the “Appeal To Nature Fallacy”
Thymol seems like a great substance to use as a disinfectant.
But it’s important to remember that just because something is labeled as natural doesn’t necessarily mean it’s either good or bad for you. Some companies use the word “nature” as a marketing strategy, so I always try to investigate a little more thoroughly. That being said, I tend to think if something is more natural (as opposed to petroleum-based), it probably has a higher chance of being more healthy, or at least not as unhealthy!
Basically:
X is natural.
Y is not natural.
Therefore, X is better than Y.
This obviously doesn’t always hold true.
Logical Fallacies – Appeal to Nature
Some consumers may fall trap to the ‘Nature Fallacy’. While sometimes true, it doesn’t mean someone should give carte blanche to anything ‘natural’ without looking deeper into the specifics. Many substance, like essential oils, have many great properties, but they should be used correctly because other uses might not be optimal.
Conclusion
I like Seventh Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner (Amazon Link) and would recommend it to anyone looking for a more ‘natural’ alternative to chlorox, bleach, and other more chemical-smelling disinfectant products for normal day-to-day cleaning, disinfecting and deodorizing.
Some people don’t like the smell of thyme, but many others do (myself included). If you don’t like the smell of thyme, you probably won’t like the smell of this spray.
In general, I think it works well. If you’re looking for a multi-purpose, disinfecting spray using more natural ingredients, this one is worth trying out.