A Cleaning Editor Tries “Safely,” Chrissy Teigen and Kris Jenner’s New Line of Cleaning Products

When a celebrity gets into the consumer retail game, it’s bound to draw attention (welcome to the era of celebrity creative directors). When two mega-celebrities join up to launch their own line of cleaning products, it’s like a billion-watt spotlight.

Until Chrissy Teigen and Kris Jenner — they need no introduction, right? — announced the launch of Safely at the end of March, I’d never before gotten so many messages about a cleaning product. As a cleaning editor, I love trying new products on the market and sharing the pros and cons with readers here on Apartment Therapy and on Instagram. People wanted to know: Is it really “safer”? Is it sustainable? Does it smell nice? Should I try it? And how does it compare to what’s already on the market?

I got the Clean Freak Kit ($52) into my hands to test it out for myself. It’s the full product line as it stands today: universal cleaner, glass cleaner, everyday laundry detergent, hand soap, hand cream, and hand sanitizer. Here’s how it went, and my answers to your burning questions about Safely.

Definitely. The active ingredients in Safely’s cleaners are similar to what you might find in other cleaners: mainly surfactants (which bind to dirt, grease, and oils to wash them away), plus common extras like citric acid, alcohol, and fragrances.

I put the cleaners to the test all around my home for a few weeks’ worth of my routine, and I found Safely’s cleaners perfectly effective. The universal cleaner did a great job on my dining table and dresser-top; any especially sticky spots just required a second of extra attention with my rag — pretty typical. And I was impressed with the glass cleaner on my mirrors and windows (I actually think it works better than what I’m using now). I didn’t have any particularly-soiled clothes to judge the laundry detergent by, but my laundry came out looking — and smelling — excellent.

My first impression of Safely bottles was that they felt really lovely in your hand — they’re made of that matte, sturdy plastic and feel like a premium product. The design is really cute, too; I’d be happy to have the hand soap, cream, and sanitizer out on my counters.

But when I began to actually use the products, I ran into two problems with the packaging: One, the universal cleaner and glass cleaner are in almost-identical teal-colored bottles — one more bluish and one more greenish. I found myself having to read the label each time I picked one up. Even with great vision, I’m not able to quickly parse the color difference in the middle of cleaning, so I doubt anyone with any sort of vision impairment would be able to. This could be fixed by adding your own label, or a sticker or rubber band to one of the bottles.

My second problem was that I found the laundry bottle messy. There are two lids — a dosing cap and a twist-off cap — requiring a little finesse (and a flat surface near the washer) when you want to use it. And the dosing cap is missing a modern marvel: that lip that keeps detergent from dripping down the outside. My Safely detergent bottle was constantly covered in drips for the two weeks I used it. I’ve heard you can toss detergent caps into the wash with your clothes to clean and rinse it off, but I didn’t try that with Safely.

So so good. If you’re someone who shops for cleaners based on fragrance alone, you might really enjoy Safely. The cleaners are available in one of two scents, depending on the product: The surface cleaners and hand products come in Rise, a bright and slightly-citrusy floral scent, and the laundry detergent comes in Spring, which is also decidedly floral but airy.

Each scent smelled more like a scented candle than a cleaner, and the fragrances are super prominent and long-lasting. I cleaned a few surfaces in the afternoon one day, and when my husband came home from work, he asked what smelled so good, thinking it was a scented candle or room spray. And the first night I had freshly-washed sheets, the bedroom smelled so good all night and most of the next day.

This answer depends on what you’re using now, and on your unique individual and family needs. What you should know: Safely positions its “plant-powered” formula as a safer alternative to “harsh chemicals,” and discloses all of its ingredients, so you can do your own research.

Because they’re not something you eat or put on your skin, manufacturers of cleaning products aren’t required to disclose ingredients, but Safely does just that in a section on every product page. (I’d hesitate to recommend any cleaner that marketed itself on the promise of wellness and sustainability, then didn’t disclose its ingredients — take that lesson with you.) So you can see what’s in the bottle, and more importantly what’s not in the bottle: sulfates, stabilizers, parabens, phthalates, dyes, and animal byproducts. They’re not the only cleaning brand staying away from these types of ingredients, though. Safely is a cute name, yet I find it on par with other similar brands with commitments to reducing similarly harsh additives.

Also worth mentioning: You can still experience adverse reactions from plant-based ingredients. For instance, Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a natural cleaning ingredient derived from coconuts, but some people can experience an allergic reaction on their skin after coming into contact with it. The safest thing you can do when using any cleaner is wearing gloves and look out for any reactions — such as changes in your skin or breathing — in the minutes and hours after using it.

It’s important to remember that sustainability isn’t a binary. Safely’s formula and packaging could be more or less sustainable than what you’re using now. The products come shipped to your door in a plastic bottle, but the bottles are refillable. When you first order online, you can enroll in a subscription to have Safely send you refill packs. A representative for Safely told me that it’s currently using its refill packs to refill those subscription orders, but customers who prefer to buy as they need can expect to see refill packs available for individual purchase on the Safely website towards the end of May.

This was a question many people asked about Safely, and it’s a tough one to answer, since the category of cleaning products is so vast. So here’s who I would recommend should try Safely, and who shouldn’t.

Try Safely if: You really love great-smelling cleaners and sheets that smell like a bed of roses. For scent-minded people, I can’t recommend Safely enough. I might also recommend Safely to someone using grocery store cleaners in single-use plastic bottles and want to shift to refillable cleaners with gentler ingredients, but nothing else on the cleaning concentrate market catches your eye.

Don’t try Safely if: You think you might get frustrated at the near-identical bottles or messy laundry detergent. Or if you’re sustainably-minded and already have a refill-based cleaning system you know and love, stick with it; I’d only say you should make the switch to Safely if the nice, lasting fragrance is a big bonus for you.