Every parent has a “miracle cleaner” for all those “accidents” that happen around the home. I have many. There are several products that boast the ability to “erase” these accidents and mistakes. Two major brands are Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, and Scotch Brite Easy Erasing Pads. Both are a thick foam like sponge. With both, you wet them, then wring out the excess water before “erasing” mistakes.
My oldest son created a wonderfully colorful work of art, all over my youngest son’s crib….using a blue sharpie permanent marker. I was upset to say the least, mainly with myself, because I was the one who left the sharpie in an accessible area. If I had been more careful, it never would have happened. But it was a learning experience. I got to try out two new products, and found one I know I will always keep in my home.
At the store, there was a wide range of products guaranteed to remove unsightly dirt and grime. However, none of them seemed right for the job at hand. We are talking about a sharpie marker here. It is permanent. Desperate to save the crib we spent so much hard earned money on, I was a woman on a mission, and would not stop until I found a way to remove it. Even if it meant sanding the whole crib down, and refinishing. As I walked farther down the aisle, I saw a blue box. On it was none other than the wonderful Mr. Clean. The balding man we all grew up with. Magic Eraser it said. I threw it in my cart. It was only $2. Not too bad, and what could it possibly hurt to try? I turn the aisle, and come to wear the dish cleaning items are displayed. There is a display for Scotch Brite Easy Erasing Pads. $1.50. I figure I will try them too. They had a blue backing on it, and it is to protect your hands. I go check out, and head home, slightly calmer.
As soon as I arrive home, I rip into both packages. Run under warm water, wring so they are only damp, and off to try to complete my cleaning mission nightmare. I sit down, take a deep breath, and start rubbing with the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Magically, the marker is coming off!!! I could cry tears of joy. I continue rubbing, and the eraser starts to “magically” disappear too. Which is what it is supposed to do. I continue on that part of the crib, until the eraser is too hard to hold. I am simply amazed at how well such an inexpensive piece of foam lifted a major weight off of my shoulders.
I pick up the Scotch Brite Easy Erasing Pad, and continue on my way. I do notice I need to apply more pressure to get the marker to come off. However, it still is removing the marker from the wood, which is the most important part. The Scotch Brite Easy Erasing Pad does not last as long as the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, because the blue hand protector part takes up part of the sponge area. The blue hand protector is pretty cool, and did make it quite a bit easier to erase the marker when the white eraser started to disappear. That was one plus mark for the Scotch Brite Easy Erasing Pad. The price was another. For just a little extra elbow grease you can save some money.
I am torn on which to choose, as they both did astoundingly well for a tough job that I was pessimistic about. However, the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser did get the work done with less effort, a big plus for any busy parent, grandparent, or anyone for that matter.
Both products work exceedingly well for many other purposes. I have even used both for baked on grease on pots and pans, crayon on walls, getting scum off the bathtub and shower, getting the coffee stains off the carafe and burner. Mr Clean Magic Eraser comes in different varieties for different types of jobs. They even offer a variety with a foaming cleanser in the eraser. I am sure you can find your own stuck on stuff to erase with either of these great products. Both have money saving coupons available every so often in your Sunday newspaper inserts, or if you need them now, you can buy the Scotch Brite, and put a little extra elbow grease into it!
