How Does Magic Eraser Work

Magic erasers can do more than remove stains from your countertop. They are ideal for removing grease, food stains and some types of glue because of their structure. You can use them in many other ways around the house. As well as nail polish, crayons and hairspray, magic erasers can remove dirt and stains from surfaces.

Apartment Therapy says that these sponge-like cleaning products cost just a penny each. Keep one in your bag for emergencies, to remove tarnish from silver and to clean tile floors. You might be surprised to find out that they can be used in unexpected places.

Magic Erasers can be made from a particular type of foam
Although they look like sponges, Magic Erasers can be used to dampen sound and insulation. Although melamine can still be used in many ways, its sponge-like texture and small, hard surfaces with excellent scrubbing powers made it an excellent cleaning agent.

Family Handyman says Magic Erasers absorb dirt and grime into the porous surfaces and act as an abrasive scrub to remove any particles. The structure of the foam is delicate and will eventually break down. This makes cleaning pads less effective. If you see the foam becoming compacted, it is time to replace it. You should try to do several jobs before you are done with a large job.

Magic Erasers can be abrasive

Although magic erasers may look similar to regular sponges, they are more complex. Magic Erasers can be compared to about a 3,000-6,000-grit sandpaper. They are abrasive but not as much as a nail file. It is recommended that you use them on shiny surfaces as they can scratch the shine.

Magic Erasers also contain melamine. However, formaldehyde is bonded to the foam material by a chemical reaction. This hard resin adds to the foam’s scrubbing ability. Each cell of melamine foam contains a small bubble of hardened material. This is due to forced air and the chemical reactions between the formaldehyde and melamine crystals. The foam is both porous and abrasive. This is where the cleaning power comes in. Melamine foam pads are not chemically reactive, but they use friction and absorption to accomplish their job.

Grease splatters from the kitchen, crayon streaks on freshly painted walls, and scummy rings inside the bathtub are all ineffective against Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. The erasers have been in the market for more than 10 years and have gained a loyal following. It takes less magic and simpler chemistry to make the scrubbers’ melamine foam, which is used to insulate recording studios.

Melamine

Melamine, by itself, is a white crystal-like organic base. When melamine is combined with other compounds it can turn into a soft foam, the Magic Eraser. It has a microscopic texture similar to sandpaper. It can be used to remove sticky dirt and scum on all surfaces. However, it should not be used on shiny or delicate exteriors. Melamine’s high level of nitrogen makes it an effective flame retardant as well as a fertilizer. Chinese fraudsters used Melamine in 2008 to disguise milk and infant formula as having a higher protein level. This resulted in six deaths and nearly 300,000 more being sickened. Two of the perpetrators were killed.

Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is most well-known as the odorless liquid used to preserve dead animals for many decades, if not forever. Formaldehyde by itself can cause skin irritations, cancerous tissue corrosion, and even death. The toxic effects of formaldehyde can be neutralized if it is mixed with melamine. The resin’s high tensile strength makes it a good material for countertops and dinnerware. You get Mr. Clean’s Melamine Foam when you force gas bubbles into the resin during manufacturing.

Sodium Bisulfite

This stuff is excellent for winemaking preservatives. Under certain conditions, sulfite-modified foams can emit formaldehyde, so they should be used sparingly here.

Magic Erasers should only be used with Water

Magic Erasers perform better when they are wet because of the material they are made from. Mr. Clean claims that the melamine foam can be “activated” by moisture. However, the cleaning process is more physics-based than chemistry and it is therefore more effective to use it when it is wet. Martha Stewart and Morgan Brashear are senior scientists at Mr. Clean. They explain that crystalized melamine becomes harder when wet even though it feels soft.

This is how a Magic Eraser works: It’s softer than the surface it’s cleaning but more powerful than the dirt you are removing. Dry melamine foam can bind to surfaces and also break down faster. A melamine foam pad can be dampened to allow it to move and absorb liquids. It can also contour to the shape of the surface to which it is being cleaned. Dry Magic Erasers can clean surfaces, but damp ones won’t.