This post may contain affiliate links. These help support this website.

Today we are going to share everything you need to know about magic erasers plus super cool things you can clean with them!

After we published our eBook in 2016, we had many readers email us about how much they enjoyed our magic eraser hack. The DIY version we have in the eBook is super easy to make (more on that later). For now, I wanted to share some more details on the magic eraser.

It is always important to learn the science behind how something works because this will help you understand why the cleaning hacks are possible.

Our cleaning tips on Chemistry Cachet work because of science!

Let’s check it out!

Everything You Need To Know About Magic Erasers

I like to get details on history straight from the brands of products. I spoke with Morgan Brashear, Senior Scientist with P&G Home Care brands, which includes Mr. Clean and the Magic Eraser to learn about the history a little bit. When it comes to everything you need to know about Magic Erasers, you need to understand the history too!

Here are some cool facts.

Why are Magic Erasers So Good At Cleaning?

Morgan gave me some great physical and scientific details on how this Magic Eraser performs. Magic Erasers provide powerful cleaning with water alone and give you a mechanical clean, rather than chemical. The Magic Eraser is blown into a foam, creating tiny air pockets, which are visible if you take a very close look at a Magic Eraser. At a microscopic level, the web of material surrounding the air pockets look like tiny upside-down triangles. When activated with water, the individual triangles become about as hard as glass, but the way they all flex together makes the overall Eraser still soft to the touch and flexible itself.

The struts, or the bottom points of the triangles, catch on the soil – whether it’s a scuff mark, soap scum, or buildup of grease and grime – and drag across the surface, like a windshield wiper. That’s what gives the Magic Eraser it’s “micro-scrubber” action. The Magic Eraser is harder than the soil it’s cleaning but softer than the surface it’s on.

It is the perfect balance!

Magic Erasers Get There Magic From Melamine Foam:

The secret and science behind the Magic Eraser is the melamine foam, which has undergone heat compression to make them more durable.

Morgan also told me many people might not realize that there are no other added chemicals in the Magic Eraser Original, Magic Eraser Extra Durable, or Magic Eraser Sheets. They provide a mechanical clean only, rather than a chemical clean, which gives you powerful cleaning performance with water alone.

For the Mr. Clean Bath and Kitchen Erasers, they do inject the foam with additional chemistry to help clean the extra stubborn messes, like soap scum and grease buildup, that you typically come into contact with in those spaces.

This unique substance works to magically remove stains on surfaces while still being gentle enough not to ruin finishes! In the eBook, I mentioned my favorite thing to use these on was soot around the fireplace area that had stained the painted wood on the mantle. It completely removed the soot, but didn’t mess up the paint!

Here are some other cool things to clean with magic erasers:

Remember to ALWAYS test a small surface of a large area before using a magic eraser. I have never had an issue using them, but I always recommend being cautious if this is your first time using it on a particular surface. The manufacturer mentioned they do not recommend using Magic Eraser on surfaces with high gloss, stainless steel appliances, non-stick coating, or on the body of a vehicle.

Magic Eraser is specifically designed to be used with only water and not in conjunction with any other household cleaning products.

Water Deposits on Shower Doors

We have a post about this from many years ago! Read more about it here, but Magic Erasers work wonders on hard water deposits on glass shower doors. Don’t use it on a coated glass door though, just the regular kind. My old shower door had so much hard water stuck on it from the previous owners, but I used a Magic Eraser, and it removed almost all of the hard water!

Shower Tile

Magic Erasers are also great for stone shower tile! In fact, when I had a full natural stone shower, this was one of the only things that worked to actually clean soap scum. Get the full post details here. This also works for regular tile like subway tile. They don’t recommend using on a granite or marble surface though.

Outdoor Plastic

The melamine sponge’s unique composition makes it work so well on outdoor plastic that is stained from dirt or rust! I had some white outdoor chairs that looked really dingy. I tried different cleaners, but the Magic Eraser restored them to new! It works so well on plastic!

White Shoes Or Tennis Shoes

I got this tip from the manufacturer too, and it works so great! I used this on my white sandals a few weeks ago, and on Amelia’s white crocs!

Kitchen Sinks

If you have an enamel sink or stone, Magic Erasers work fantastic!

Walls and Baseboards

Magic Erasers are one of the best options for painted walls and baseboards. It is magical how well it works 😉 A slightly damp sponge gently removes marks or dirt gently on those surfaces. I love using it on the wall where my bulldog is because it gets off dirt and dog slobber too.

Remove Sticky Residue

I also love using these Magic Erasers for sticky residue on just about anything! Counter tops, jars, folders, binders, toys, or anything where a sticky tag has been. It quickly removes the residue without much scrubbing.

Another cool physical science question the brand answered for us, is why was that shape and design chosen for the Magic Eraser? When it comes to everything you need to know about Magic Erasers, the design matters too!

The size and shape of the Magic Eraser have been intended to fit in the palm of your hand, with ease of use in mind. To take it a step further, the grooves on the sides of the Magic Eraser Extra Durable and the Bath and Kitchen variants have been specifically designed to match your finger placement as you hold it, so it makes the Eraser more ergonomic to hold and easier to use.

For those particularly hard-to-reach and hard-to-clean areas, we created Magic Eraser Sheets, which give you the cleaning power of Magic Eraser in a thin, flexible sheet. Like the original Magic Eraser, they work with water alone, but allow you the flexibility to get into nooks and crannies and around faucets and knobs and the disposability to tackle gross, highly-colored or unsanitary messes where you want to throw it away after use.

Can You Make a DIY Magic Eraser?

Yes you can! We have a DIY version in the Ebook. We use a melamine foam and have an added cleaning agent so it works well for bathroom or kitchen messes! Keep in mind, the original Magic Eraser brand we are talking about in this post does not have anything added to it as the manufacturer said. It is simply their melamine foam. The Mr. Clean Bath and Kitchen Erasers are their products with an added cleaning agent in it. Just keep that mind if you decide to make your own!

Many ask if the DIY version is cheaper? It depends on what price you get the melamine foam at. Sometimes it is cheaper, sometimes it is not! It was impossible to purchase Magic Erasers last year during the pandemic anywhere around here, so the DIY option was a great thing to keep in mind!

This is why I love sharing DIY cleaning products mainly because they are super handy to know when you are having trouble finding store-bought.

Follow on Facebook | Bloglovin | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Hometalk