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about her age as a teen to secure her first-ever job. When her mother, Thelma Meyer, remarked one day that she loved using Caldrea but couldn’t afford it as an average consumer, Nassif realized it was time to create a variant that appealed to her family roots. This led to the 2001 debut of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day. This wholesome-branded, budget-friendly alternative line appealed to Midwestern
sensibilities and quickly became a hit that rivaled Caldrea’s success. In 2008, Nassif sold both brands to SC Johnson for an undisclosed amount. Accolades Abound Nearly a quarter-century after its creation, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day remains a cultural favorite among the cleaning contingent. A May 2025 New York magazine article on budget hand soaps praised the brand’s “vast range of garden-inspired scents, non-drying formula, affordability, and refill options,” adding that its all-natural ingredients “clean effectively while leaving hands soft.” In 2020, Nassif was inducted into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame. By following her instincts of what she didn’t like in traditional household products, Nassif created the brands she wanted to see — and became one of the most celebrated soap specialists in the nation. Although her days of overseeing Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day are over, her keen sense of what works and what doesn’t on store shelves remains in full effect. She told Twin Cities Business, “When I walk into Target and Whole Foods, I’m still straightening out the bottles.”
HAVE A Laugh
SMOG, SOOT, AND STUBBLE How Bountiful Beards Became Victorian Air Purifiers
Step aside, antibiotics! In the smog- choked streets of 1850s London, where chimney smoke clung to every surface and a “fog” could linger for months, doctors championed a fuzzy solution. As London’s population surged past the one million mark in the mid-1800s, so did
its coal consumption. Residents warmed their homes and powered the city with coal, releasing dense plumes of smoke that clung to the damp air. In 1873, a thick smog blanketed the city, contributing to hundreds of bronchitis-related deaths. To combat this, Victorian doctors claimed thick, woolly beards were a frontline defense against disease. But these physicians were caught between outdated theories and the dawn of germ science, believing thick beards could filter the noxious air swirling through the city. Instead of acting as a mask, these beards could act as a breeding ground for different bacteria and parasites. So, while the beard boom of the 1800s was well-intentioned, it might be best remembered as a moment when style, “ science ,” and smog collided.
3 CraigHansonCPA.com
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