The Secret Behind The Magic Eraser Product - How It Works

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On the market since 2003, the magic eraser products have marveled many. This eraser like sponge like cleaning device seems to lift cool-aid like magic, even a permanent marker that's been deeply embedded in a wall or table comes off with almost no effort.

You don't have to scrape the eraser over the area hard, the power is actually in using softer strokes- this is due to the molecular design of the magic eraser material. 

We'll get to that in a moment. Suffice it to say, the eraser product came out first by the Mr. Clean brand and it marveled us so completely, it wouldn't be long before the "clones" came.

Any product that works is bound to have imitators, although often the imitation brands don't always come through do they?!

In this case, however, you'll be happy to know that the imitators are using the exact same ingredients- or should I say ingredient, and what you may be surprised to find out, is that there is no chemical cleaners in this eraser "sponge".

It's entire magic is derived by it's very construct- it's very molecular design. Imitators only difference is that they are often attached to a regular sponge in a thin strip (like the scratch pad on most sponges), where by the name brand magic eraser is 100% melamine foam.

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Melamine Foam

The real secret behind the magic eraser and all the "copies" (technically it's not a generic or fake eraser, it's just a lot less actual eraser on it) is Melamine resin/foam. On the generic or dollar store brands you get a 3/4 inch sponge and about a 1/8th inch melamine foam piece.

They do this because perception is that thin isn't useful and the sponge can be used anyway to wipe up stuff you don't want to waste the magic eraser on (because it gets used up pretty fast if your using it a lot). It's also a necessity because to effectively use the Magic Eraser you need to get a grip on it. The sponge also makes it easier not to press so hard- acting like a shock.

Soaking the eraser in cold to warm water expands the melamine foam fibers much like those toys 

you soak in water and they grow, only this is more like a sponge.

The expansion is powerful because it creates spaces between the fibers of the melamine resin foam (the magic eraser part). Like a sponge, the water also tends to dissolve or loosen up the dirt or what you want to remove from the surface, but the Melamine foam can dig into the pores a much deeper clean.

With normal sponges dirt can often be dissolved and "absorbed" up by the sponge, but if the dirt or other ingredient can't easily be dissolved the magic eraser comes to the rescue with a longer, harder, more efficient scratcher that can dig deeper into the pores of your counter top (or any surface).

Dirt and other things get caught between the pores in the surface area and tend to fall too deep for a normal sponge to get to and extract.

This is what is known as either a hard to remove "stain" or just a 'stain' meaning we've given up trying to remove it.

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If you want to let your youngster crayon on the wall (a specific wall) you can add 3-4 coats of paint to that wall and let it dry.

The reason for this is that cleaning the crayon off once is easy, twice or 3 times too- but after a while it will take it's toll on the paint being removed over time.

Adding more coats helps to preserve the "canvas". 

Melamine isn't a recent discovery, in fact it's history dates back over 20 years. The company that actually invented the core material is BASF (the company in the above video). It's not completely clear how Mr. Clean figured this out as a cleaning material but since the actual ingredient that makes it all work wasn't invented by Mr. Clean, other companies can readily get it and cut it into squares too (all they did really!) then market it as an eraser too!

It's been used in a variety of different applications including sound insulation, sound proofing a room, studio, booth, and home, and even temperature insulation for hot and cold temperatures respectively.

Although this has been a phenomenal insulation and sound proofing product for 20 years (being used in cars, homes, etc...), it wasn't until 2003 that developers came to realize, likely by accident, that this material was "magical" at stain removal as well!

Several years back, there were rumors spreading on the web that Melamine foam/resin products had the potential to cause serious health problems. This was based on the misunderstanding about the listed ingredients of the foam eraser. One ingredient: "formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfite copolymer" was thought to contain "formaldehyde" a serious health risk, but the reality is this just contains "formaldehyde" in it's chemical name- but no formaldehyde exists in the product.

The Magic Eraser's core ingredient Melamine foam/resin is formed a bit different from most other cleaning products, sponges specifically, something it seems to mimic- but is nothing like at the molecular level.

This product only needs water to activate it. (grow the fibers to create spaces and help "scoop" up the dirt the fibers scrape off). Unlike sponges with scratchers, the melamine foam can get into the tightest pores in the surface and can pull it out, with very minimal pressure on the eraser itself.

In fact if you put too much pressure it may not work, and worse, this just wears it out like using a pencil too hard can dull the tip and make it less effective less surgical.

Clearing the dirt from the eraser's spaces (rinsing it off in warm water) helps make it last longer because with trapped dirt the  fibers are worn out faster and picking up dirt becomes less effective. Conversely over 'squeezing' the eraser can also break down it's integrity so be gentle when you ring it out. No hard fist ringing!

On the outside, the melamine foam products look and feel, even act, like a sponge.  This is due to the open cell foam structure.  The 'cured melamine resin' material cures into a strong foam.

The fibers are long giving it more pliability but as soft as this cleaning tool feels, it's incredibly strong due to it's fiber structure design. It's micro-structure becomes incredibly hard giving it that fine sandpaper effect that can only be witnessed by the incredibly fast removal of stains.