{"id":29832,"date":"2017-10-16T02:00:02","date_gmt":"2017-10-16T09:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=29832"},"modified":"2017-10-15T08:49:43","modified_gmt":"2017-10-15T15:49:43","slug":"magic-melamine-sponges-and-erasers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/magic-melamine-sponges-and-erasers\/","title":{"rendered":"Magic Melamine Sponges and Erasers"},"content":{"rendered":"

A 2007 Cool Tools review of Mr. Clean\u2019s Magic Eraser<\/a> raved about its ability to remove smudge marks from walls that other cleaners couldn\u2019t touch. The price then for a 4-pack was $6, or $1.50 apiece. The current cost of a Magic Eraser 4-pack on Amazon is $3.57 (the in-store cost is about $1 higher). That\u2019s about $0.89 apiece. <\/p>\n

For Prime members, Mr. Clean sells a textured, extra-durable (\u201c50% Stronger to Last Longer\u201d) 4-pack<\/a> for $5.34, or $1.34 apiece. Mr. Clean also sells a 2-pack of bathroom-scrubber pads<\/a> for $2.97, or $1.48 apiece. It contains a soap\/scum -dissolving chemical. There are now sellers of similar products in various quantities (\u201cpacks\u201d) for much lower prices, such as 50\u20b5 apiece, or 40\u20b5 each for a 100-pack. To see them, search Amazon for \u201cmelamine sponge.\u201d<\/a> <\/p>\n

Slightly more expensive (64\u20b5 apiece in a $15.95 25-pack), but a better value, is an \u201cextra durable\u201d version with a stable, blue-colored middle layer that deters softening and crumbling. It also has a conjured (S-shaped) grip and a textured surface. It is sold by a couple of vendors, the one I prefer being \u201cOh My Clean<\/a>,\u201d which is rated highest by Amazon reviewers at 4.6 stars. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re doubtful about paying $16 for so many of an unknown item, pick up a 4-pack of the Mr. Clean brand and test how often you find a use for them. Also, check out the uses described in numerous enthusiastic YouTube videos (and in comments on Amazon product pages). They can be found by searching for \u201cmelamine sponges erasers.”<\/a> Such uses include this (from a vendor): \u201cDirty old sneakers are white again. Scuffed up baseboards look like new. The coffee stain inside your favorite mug is gone.\u201d And this (from a user): \u201cclean your car\u2019s interior, Door Panel, Dash, Console, Leather or Leather like Material, and Outside black trim to remove those stubborn wax marks around black trimming.\u201d <\/p>\n

Caution #1: I suspect these melamine sponges — or at least the Mr. Clean alternatives — are subject to occasional glitches in production that lead to bad batches. For instance, one customer who complained about fragile sponges was sent a replacement package and reported that it worked fine. <\/p>\n

Caution #2: P&G warns: \u201cTest a small area with light pressure before use. Not recommended for the following surfaces: high gloss, polished, dark, brushed, satin, faux, bare\/polished wood, copper, stainless steel, non-stick coating, or vehicle body.\u201d Some cosmetic damage will follow. However, it may be less noticeable or damaging (except in the case of an auto body) than the smudge the product removes. That\u2019s been my experience. <\/p>\n

Caution #3: P&G also warns: \u201cRinse required for surfaces in direct contact with food.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Multi-purpose scuff and stain removers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[53],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29832"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/76"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29832"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29832\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29837,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29832\/revisions\/29837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}