After working for a high-end furniture company for about a year, I was able to come away with a couple of small pieces that I had been coveting for quite some time (thank you, sample sale!) Bringing home my Eames Molded Plastic chair with an Eiffel base was a big day for me! And I was sent home with some fantastic cleaning advice.
I'm not expecting this to be much of a surprise to our savvy readers, but I was told to keep my pristine white chair spotless using the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser! I know, I know, there have been gobs of posts about this product, but it really does work like a dream to instantly remove all manner of scuffs and marks.
Here's the part that truly surprised me. I recently learned from my favorite local Austin jewelry shop, Schatzelein, that I can also use the Magic Eraser to clean silver jewelry! A polishing cloth works just fine for polished silver, but I have a few pieces with more of a brushed finish like the ring below.
Just a few swipes with a small bit of the Magic Eraser shined my ring up amazingly! This works for other items around the house, as well, but I would recommend washing anything that you serve food from after using the Magic Eraser. Every so often I remember to give my brushed silver a quick cleaning, and my jewelry stays looking like new. Then I go sit in my spotless Eames chair!
Image 1: Molded plastic chair with Eiffel base, from Herman Miller , Image 2: Carrie Bilbo Cone Ring from Schatzelein.
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Thank you... especially when there is a precious stone on your silver pieces, I'm always struggling with how to get it clean without damaging the stone!
I use my mr clean eraser on walls with high gloss paint, bentwood chairs and on my white kitchen cabinets also. Have also cleaned white leather (but sparingly just on muddy fingerprints, its a long story....).
Watch out with lacquer type of pieces though, it cast a yellow spot on my white west elm parsons desk.
sounds great...
on cleaning silver, good old fashioned toothpaste also works brilliantly.
Both magic erasers and toothpaste are abrasive. They can ruin the finish on your jewelry and are especially dangerous for soft stones such as opals, pearls, turquoise, coral. I strongly advise against using them if you care about your jewelry.
The biggest issue with Magic Eraser is that it is composed of toxic and carcinogenic substances. So each time you use it in your bare hands, you are absorbing them.
Meh, my "magic cleaner of choice" is Bar Keepers Friend, which is non-toxic. There is a liquid version which is particularly effective; that is what I would try using on the Eames chair.
exactly what toxic and carcinogenic substances are you talking about? I'm not trying to call you out but it even says on the box they are in fact, non-toxic. Also the MSDS for magic erasers says the only potential health risk is swallowing it, which is due to it being a sponge, not due to it being toxic.
Acute Health Effects: From MSDS: HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION
Health Hazards (Acute and Chronic): This product is considered to be non-toxic
Ingestion: Blockage of the gastrointestinal tract may occur if swallowed.
Eye Contact: N/A
Skin: N/A
Inhalation: N/A
Signs and Symptoms of Exposure:
Ingestion: May cause irritation and/or blockage of the gastrointestinal track.
Eye Contact: Dust from foam may cause mechanical irritation.
Skin: Dust from foam may cause mechanical irritation.
Inhalation: Dust from foam may cause irritation of the respiratory track.
Chronic Health Effects: MSDS: HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION
Health Hazards (Acute and Chronic): This product is considered to be non-toxic
Ingestion: Blockage of the gastrointestinal tract may occur if swallowed.
Eye Contact: N/A
Skin: N/A
Inhalation: N/A
Signs and Symptoms of Exposure:
Ingestion: May cause irritation and/or blockage of the gastrointestinal track.
Eye Contact: Dust from foam may cause mechanical irritation.
Skin: Dust from foam may cause mechanical irritation.
Inhalation: Dust from foam may cause irritation of the respiratory track.
Carcinogenicity: MSDS: Hazardous Ingredients as defined by OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.1200., and/or WHMIS under the HPA:
First Aid: FIRST AID
Emergency and First Aid Procedures:
Ingestion: If the sponge is ingested, contact a physician or veterinarian immediately. Intestinal blockage may be life threatening to some household pets.
Eye Contact: In case of eye irritation, flush thoroughly with water for 15 minutes. If irritation persists, seek medical advice.
Skin: In case of skin irritation, flush affected area thoroughly with water and apply a cold compress. If irritation persists, seek medical advice.
Inhalation: If respiratory irritation occurs, move from the site of exposure to an area with fresh air. If irritation persists, seek medical advice.
Other: Consumer product packages have a caution statement: Keep out of reach of toddlers and pets to avoid accidental ingestion.
Health Rating: 0
Flammability Rating: 1
Reactivity Rating: 0
HMIS Rating Scale: 0 = Minimal; 1 = Slight; 2 = Moderate; 3 = Serious; 4 = Severe;
N = No information provided by manufacturer; * = Chronic Health Hazard
MSDS Date: 2003-03-05
...not to beat a dead horse but BKF has a similar MSDS health rating.. so you may just want to lock yourself in a bubble to avoid all the toxic and carcinogens youre afraid of.
I also advise against MCMEs. They take years old paint off of walls very easily, if that's any indication of their abrasiveness. I have been able to get many scuffs off of my molded plastic chairs with Dawn on a wash cloth and a little elbow grease.
For cleaning jewelery- either bring it to your jeweler or to your optician, both a optician and jeweler use ultrasonic to clean your glasses or jewelery.
Great post - I also recommend Huggies baby wipes on pretty much everything. A godsend for leather furniture also. Keep the moisture levels up though, long term.
In truth I hadn't thought of the magic-eraser.... I thinks the pros outweigh the cons..... Walking out on the street probably comes with more risks than a brief interaction with a cleaning product....
love magic erasers, they work great to get crayon marks off of plastic furniture and walls. my toddler started to color and it gets messy because she can't keep the crayons on the paper yet. how do you keep the polished chrome on the eames chair shiny and polished? also i have some polished silver (not real silver) picture frames and don't know how to keep them polished looking.
Ultrasonic cleaners work well with jewelry unless the settings are fragile. With a ring from the 1800s set with many tiny diamonds, I was later advised that it would eventually dislodge the diamonds, which did in fact happen on the second ultrasonic cleaning. Now I wash it gently with water and an old toothbrush, a jewelry cloth for the white gold metal parts.
Ultrasonic cleaners work wonders on jewelry, I have used them many times for rings and necklaces that have been handed down from generation to generation - no problems. Branson Ultrasonics Online recently announced some new Ultrasonic Cleaners - http://bit.ly/RC06gl - these look awesome! Check it out!