Its also an extremely toxic product....thats why it works so well...never EVER use with bare hands and always wash surface afterwards...especially if your kids use the area you just cleaned with it

the point that it is not bio degradable is enough of a reason to not use it..however bad a stain, its not worth adding to toxic land fills and the garbage patch :(

"Don't eat, lick or taste Magic Erasers."

No shit?

This article's whole point is that it's not toxic, just to be careful.

Upon moving into my aparment, I used it to scrub a layer of greasy grime from the outside of the refrigerator left by a previous tennant. It worked great, and I used my BARE hands with no ill effects whatsoever.

BARE HANDS?!?

Brave person, yo.

I use the magic erasers all the time, especially when my green cleaners cannot do the job. I wear gloves of course as I don't know what is in it.

My mother runs a school for historic preservation, and her instructors (professors, scientists, and professionals from around the world) told her that the magic erasers actually act as a very, very fine sandpaper. They work so well because they "sand" the top later off, which is usually the stain. It shouldn't be used on valuable items or surfaces.

"the point that it is not bio degradable is enough of a reason to not use it"

Bleach isn't biodegradable either - Neither are your tennis shoes, your refrigerator, your car and a great many other things...
...but nobody's suggesting not to use them.

I sure do love these. I clean with organic soap and baking soda but sometimes this little scrubber is the ONLY thing that works - chemicals or not. So I use it like chocolate: in moderation.

Reading labels in so important. I appreciate the research behind this post.

@eeee1 - maybe read the article first, then comment?

anyways, very informative - thanks!

Melamine foam has been around for decades as insulation and sound proofing. Only recently has it been discovered that it has very good abrasive qualities. Some of those properties include wearing down of the foam itself. You should always clean up any foam dust that might result, but there are definitely no toxic effects. It's much safer to use than bleach for example. Children can choke and chunks can lodge in the digestive tract if eaten, but that's not different than a normal sponge.

The fact that i can clean things with just that and warm water with no detergents or bleach makes me think it is safer to use around pets and children. Of course, with ANY sponge - i would not leave it lying around.

As to #4 for on the list.....ahem. The author is quite correct. Never use this on your person, even if desperate, even in a supposed emergency. It's not pretty. Or so I've heard.

@ yincrash, speaking from the view of the large to remain unamed consumer products company that i work for that makes these products, your comments are spot on.

To be completely honest these products don't really contain any kind of cleaning ingredients. only thing that might be unsafe are trace amounts of solvents used to create the bricks. other than that, perfectly safe to use.

Um I love Magic Erasers and use them with my bare hands. Apparently I am a rebel.

i don't understand the picture with this post. should i or should i not use a magic eraser to clean ponies?

This may convince me to go buy and try one! I was always under the impression they were quite toxic...

It isn't biodegradeable?? The whole sponge basically disappears, how is there anything left to throw out?

5. Do not taunt Magic Eraser.

"Bleach isn't biodegradable either - Neither are your tennis shoes, your refrigerator, your car and a great many other things...
...but nobody's suggesting not to use them.
posted by bepsf"
Of course people are suggesting not to use these, or at least some of them. Don't be silly.
Some things we can no longer live without. Really, is this one of them?

magic erasers are my guilty pleasure... i do try to only use them for removing paint from my newly sanded floors.

Always use rubber gloves, even with the organice/safe stuff, even with just lemon.

I bought one of those magic eraser mop sponges. Learn from my mistake - it is NOT ok to use on wood floors. It strips the shine right off. It says this right on the package, but I didn't read the package first. Duh.

These saved me from losing my deposit on my flat a few years ago. Took loads of scuffs off the walls. Must be less damaging than repainting! Brilliant!

Whenever I buy these (and use barehanded) it's like a game to see what I can clean, 'cause, it's like...MAGIC! The magic being that I end up actually having a bit of fun cleaning. (lame, I know)
And doesn't everyone rinse with clear water after using a cleaning product?

@ohwoah - i wish we could 'like' comments on AT.

If you don't want to scratch off the sheen of your surface that you use it on...then be my guest. It removes the shine off of everything.

@ohwoah
... well, I haven't had much experience with recent MLPs, but I think you might scrub off the distinguishing mark on their rumps if you did? :(

"5. Do not taunt Magic Eraser."

That made me laugh so hard I almost spit water on my computer.

We buy the Target version of these since they cost less and it is the only way my hubby can get our porcelain tub white again.

Vinegar and water for counters and glass (no streaks). Ashes for small scratches in woodwork. Toothpaste for tarnish. Organic based stains can be removed with a little Coffee-Mate and cold water. Baking soda and Borax will take care of heavier cleaning jobs. All of these things are more environmentally friendly than commercially prepared chemical cocktails, don't come in plastic bottles that end up in the waste stream(except for the Coffee-Mate)

I am an artist and magic eraser is the only thing that will remove some glues from my hands. I've never had a reaction - ever. I love them for getting almost anything off of almost everything.

yes, like most stuff don't eat it or rub it in your eyes and you'll be okay.

If you have children or sloppy lushes that are friends, a magic eraser is thee best and (in my opinion) only way to sucessfully and quickly remove ball point pen off of a leather couch. It does not take off the colour and does not stain in the process of removing a stain. In short, it is amazing -- but this is the only time I use the magic eraser. Nearly every other mess can be cleaned with eco-friendlier things.

+1 for radiobaby, ohwoah, A from IsItAHouseYet

I heart this post :)

LIKE: @Tanya from Dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.com:

"So I use it like chocolate: in moderation."

Magic eraser works like a charm on soap scum and glass shower doors like NOTHING else I have tried. I get many one pack a year. LESS than the chocolate I purchase annually. (and I go gloveless - I will die from my splenda habit before my Magic eraser habit....)

I meant MAYBE one pack a year

Seriously peeing in my pants reading these comments. I love you, AT

@rb233541 - I came in here to say exactly that! Also you all do realize there's no cleaner in the sponge itself? The small abrasions it's making is what's doing the cleaning.

Btw these are amazing for cleaning my WHITE parson's table from west elm. Table stains like crazy, glad I bought it used

they arent biodegradable but they essentially disintegrate anyway......also i have a first-hand account of reasons never to rub magic erasers on your skin. there are other ways to remove teenage sharpie tattoos.

when we moved into our current place, I wiped down every surface with magic erasers.The previous tenant and dogs and kids, and no concern for marks on doors and walls that these critters make. I've got my own kids to make messes of their own...and I dont have time to sit and scrub every surface in the house with hot water.

also--you should totally change the title of this article to "Do Not Taunt the Magic Eraser"!

This is a very timely article for me and the comments are informative too. I normally use green cleaners, vinegar is my primary cleaner, but I always keep a magic eraser type thing on hand for a few things. Recently I was given a set of white plastic patio chairs that were in need of major TLC. I thought I would have to paint them, but the magic eraser made them like new. I was actually a little worried while I was cleaning them, since I was using it a lot for the first time, so it's nice to learn it was non-toxic. So I saved the chairs from the landfill and avoided using toxic paint. Score 1 for the magic eraser.

The Magic Eraser is amazing. The people who are scared about it, that's okay that means more on the shelves for us. I use them with my BARE HANDS and they clean everything. Boo yah!

I am not practicing safe sex with my Magic Eraser either. ;-)

Mine always disappear into nothing when I am tackling my range top so I guess that is a sort of magic.

another +1 for radiobaby

This reminds me of the SNL "ad" for the Super Happy Fun Ball--where in the list of disclaimers they finally get to "do not taunt the Super Happy Fun Ball"

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/happy-fun-ball/229058/

I scrub the shower walls, door and floor with a magic eraser while I'm in the shower NEKKED. TOWANDA! I, too, am a rebel, I guess. Haul me away for self-endangerment but let me put my clothes on first.

Do I need to clarify I use a body shop scrubbie to get myself clean? Again, pretty sure that's non biodegradable.

I've listened to this debate for years. Urgh.

I agree with #5: Do NOT taunt the magic eraser.

Yes I also don't understand how is it that the Magic Eraser is non-biodegradable? What is there to biodegrade?! That thing disappears like... well an eraser!!
I've always used it with my bare hands too, never have any problem. However, I'm using the Japanese version of this (which existed years before the Magic Eraser came to the market). Is there a difference between the Japanese sponges and Magic Eraser?

so... the item itself is (virtually) non-toxic, but what about the manufacturing process? that's the question i'm left with after reading this post.

Btw - I see the same product (just not the Mr. Clean brand) for *super* cheap at Japaense discount stores like Ichiban Kan in San Francisco. I've used them in the past but don't exactly make a habit out of it.

I eat off melamine plates with my bare mouth.
The sponge is just like very fine sandpaper. Do not feed sandpaper to your babies, do not let your children rub sandpaper on their skin, and yes, do not taunt sandpaper.

I've heard of people using this on their white microfiber couch to get rid of stains that scotch guard fails to prevent.

Magic Eraser gets my tub, sink, counter top (kool aid stain be gone!) and refrigerator white again. Like mjs7640, it becomes a game to see what else I can clean before it completely disintegrates.

I do the majority of the housework , my bf the majority of the cooking. So if I have to clean both bathrooms, and the kitchen I want to do it as quickly as possible and get the tub as clean as possible, and the for this, the eraser is my friend. I've stopped mid-house cleaning blitz just to go out to get more because everything else is MORE WORK, and more scrubbing!!! Simple.

Could you write a bigger dumber DUH article? Don't eat/lick/taste/rub household cleaners on yourself. O HAI SECOND GRADER IQ

@ kay mcCurley: tell me about it. I wrote those disclaimers after reading some truly laughable complaints on various websites from people who have zero commonsense and don't read instructions!

I am pretty sure that using the Magic Eraser is WAY more eco-friendly than repainting/replacing the sofa/getting a new sink etc. I am shocked that people are so concerned and cautious....really, gloves?! How many of these are you using, anyway?

PS Love any reference to the Happy Fun Ball commercial.

Love my magic erasers! I tried them on my walls and I've been hooked ever since. I also use without gloves too and I haven't had problems. I think the kitchen magic eraser has a cleanser in it. That one foams when I use it.

Does anyone know if it works on blood? I had a crazy dog fight a couple of months ago and one got nipped on her ear and she decided to decorate my wall. Gross! I'm a little nervous about trying it with blood. I know sometimes things will make blood stains worse. Also I don't want to repaint. I literally painted stripes on that wall 2 weeks before it happened.

@radiobaby is the voice of reason. Why is everything geared towards the stupid people?

They're not cheap, so I reserve them for stains that are "sponge-worthy:" ballpoint pen disasters, refrigerator-door grime, etc.

My only mishap was trying to take a scuff mark from a textured wall. It took the top layer of paint off, too.

@ohwoah: i have a headache today, but you just made me laugh out loud

If P&G were smart, they would start labeling their products the same way SC Johnson has voluntarily started doing...

BTW, anything containing plastics, styrofoam, sulfates, parabens... they are all considered non-biodegradable... even if they break down over time, their chemical make-up is not changed by the process...

@A from IsItAHouseYet
stole my comment...

I use these bare-handed all the time. So I guess i'm really curious what happens when you scrub your own skin with these. Anyone?

If someone needs to be reminded not to eat or lick their Magic Eraser, they probably shouldn't even be using one. Eek!

LOL, I can always tell when I'm reading an American website... the paranoia about germs and chemicals, with a healthy dose of "do not use hair dryer in bathtub"-style instructions, gives it away every time.

bahaha. You guys are great.

Hilarious, you're all a bunch of decorating, cleaning comedians. I love it.

I too save my sponges for special occassions, gunk on the fridge handles, doggy dirt marks on the walls and muddy fingerprints on white leather bar stools (carpenter/construction worker boyfriend & mother who spends her entire days doing yard work). They were my saving grace when I worked for an Italian luxury house, when the executives came to visit, they expected the all white office to look as no one actually worked there so I used to repaint, get it cleaned and at the last minute run around with my mr (mr clean that is) frantically wiping off grubby employee fingerprints off doors/walls/cabinets. Think the devil wears prada scene when the office call out happens that miranda is on her way back. Kick off those birkenstocks, put on the heels, grab the eraser.

Yep, whatever baking soda, olive oil (crayons) or vinegar doesn't remove I go for the magic eraser.

I don't trust anything a guy in thight white pants, t-shirt and bald head is pushing.

I can't believe that this is still up for debate. It may not be pure formaldehyde, but formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfite copolymer is still a known human carcinogen and may even be an endochrine disrupter. I was a researcher for cancer prevention for years, and the problem with labelling laws is that they don't effectively exist in North America.
This seems couter-intuitive, but it is actually the LOW DOSES of these compounds that can have the greatest effect, esp. on growing bodies. Larger doses of chemicals are more easily detected (and fought) by the body.

The industry states that with perfect recommended use there is little or no risk. I can attest to the fact that this nearly never happens. People use these products "incorrectly" everyday. If you have children and are still using products such as these, you are potentially putting them at serious risk later in their lives. Chemical producers only need to release information on a "voluntary basis".

This thing works wonders on tile grout.

If I only had the patience to clean all the grout in my house, the floors would look AMAZING.

We use these all the time.--without even wearing gloves! I never even realized that there was a magic eraser debate or that some people thought they were potentially dangerous at all. I mean, you can tell just by looking at one that it's just an abrasive sponge and not really a cleanser. Crazy.

Sometimes I wonder about people who are so terrified of everything. I expect they'd live inside plastic bubbles--except that the chemicals in plastic bubbles probably disintegrate and cause cancer or whatever.

Hmmm, Fondue, we may have to try them on our tile grout. That's one place we haven't tried a magic eraser.

I have never used a magic eraser. I'm beginning to think I'm deprived.

Magic Erasers are the only commercial cleaning product that I buy. Though now I am intrigued by the Japanese version...
One thing I've noticed is that I use them a lot less now that I make them a second line of defense. If vinegar/baking soda/water + microfiber towel doesn't cut it, I use the ME.

I like the purple micro fiber rags from flylady.net. use was repeat. No scratches.

"I use them all the time and never get rashes, ergo, they are scientifically proven totally safe, with no long-term effects!"

"They disintegrate, so they are, like, totes biodegradable, of course!"

I really hope there aren't any science teachers on AT.

Can't believe there isn't more love for the rad My Little Pony in the photo!

Rule 5:
Do not feed Magic Eraser to ponies.

First, these are abrasives, so be careful using them on easily scratched surfaces. Porcelain, yes, acrylic, no. Skin, no (unless you enjoy rug burns!)

Second, Dollar Tree stores sell something very simllar -- for a dollar! (I haven't bought any lately, but I think they are two to the pack. Might be called "Miracle Sponges" there, but I forget...)

Third, I love them for many uses! Not worried about carcinogens (there are many in my environment, we all gotta go sometime) nor faux toxicity. I don't waste them, though, since they are yet another product that effects the environment. Use wisely.

Are people really rubbing themselves down with Magic Erasers or giving them to kids to play with? I'd think these things would be more common sense. And putting on gloves to use one? Really? How weird and paranoid a society have we become.

I love these guys for cleaning walls/ doors/ baseboards, but thats about it. They clean fantastically but not for everyday use (cost too much/ burn through them too quickly and they leave a white film on smooth surfaces) I think even if there WAS a health risk, I'd still use them. I've yet to find something clean a wall as well as these guys.

breaking things down into tiny particles (toxic) is not a excuse to sayits safe or ok to use it..it may be working wonders...but its cancer causing dimension should be enough to stay away from this product...what do we need - a sparkling home (with supposed minimal effort) or a healthier us??..that would decide if we need a debate at all...some one rightlysaid..labeling is a major part of consumer awareness...and P&G or for that matter any corporate does not believe in creating awareness if it hurts their -"wealth for shareholder"- goals, they look at bottom lines and profits

Article: "It's not toxic"
Comment: "Yeah, but it's toxic!"

Siiiiiiiiigh.

Shall I give a list of things that have tiny particles of toxic stuff in it? Like ... peaches, for instance?

correction... just because the article says its not toxic..does not make it not harmful..its carcinogenic..dint know that point was not enough for it to be considered harmful

and coming to the sarcasm about tiny particles...lets us revisit the damage all our plastic junk causes and its impact on marine life alone

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/marine/pollution.htm

I wish I could like comments here. Starlinguk pretty much sums up the arguments. As a parent this thing is a lifesaver. Yeah, it's not the first line of defense but it's certainly useful. I'm a renter. I don't have the luxury of leaving the crayons marks on the wall.

They fall apart too quickly for the price

MORE IMPORTANTLY: check out the inquisitive/sinister 'my little pony' in the background - not only was the magic eraser unable to clean the pony, the pony itself DESTROYED that magic eraser with it's toxic glare.

next time, i am opting for the 'my little pony' eraser. boo ya!

They don't call it "therapy" for nothing...

Toxic or not, they are bad for the environment. The version I am most familiar with here in Australia is the CHUX Magic Eraser. They claim the product is "Chemical and detergent free". This implies that chemicals and detergents are bad, and that the Magic Eraser is a better option. I disagree on the basis of the longevity of the product and the fact that it is not biodegradable.

I can't believe it, with all the comments on here no one named my very favorite use for Magic Erasers - the evil so called Stainless Steel. I live in a place with stainless practically covering every surface in the kitchen (fridge, microwave, sink, counters, & shelves). I never was a big fan of stainless (or as my hubby says stainMORE), but after moving into my industrial loft, I almost went out of my mind trying to keep it looking nice. Then one day I applied my Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to some coffee stains in the sink and it was like the sun bursting through the clouds. Now I just clean up with soap and water and finish with Magic Eraser and a microfiber cloth to dry.

Now having said that, all my stainless is brushed. I wouldn't try to use this on a mirror finish stainless because it would probably dull that finish. But speaking from experience (my brother has one of those sinks), who the hell buys a sink that you can clean with anything without scratching it? His sink is shinny near the top and dull with coffee stains near the bottom (vinegar didn't get the stains off). Just sayin...

I think the athor is misguiding magic eraser users, all can say the melamine foam eraser or magic eraser work konw via http://home.howstuffworks.com/magic-eraser1.htm or http://sinoyqx.com/Applications/Comprehensive_Field/Cleaning_Supplies/ or BASF site, it is environmental protection products without any toxic to human.