Product Review of Mr. Clean Original Magic Eraser

I remember how excited everyone was when this product first hit the market.Admittedly, I drug my feet on trying it because it just seemed too good to be true and I try to avoid disappointment whenever possible.I broke down and decided to buy it when I received a higher value coupon for it that was included in a booklet from Proctor & Gamble.

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser isn’t expensive even when it isn’t on sale so I purchased it with the coupon at a local discount store, Dollar General.I just had a bit of a bad feeling about it but figured I’d give it a fair shot because I admit, I’ve been wrong about products before.

This was a bit of a learning experience for me.I always read food labels but rarely read cleaning product labels since I never mix them together and it’s usually just plain common sense on what to use where.That old habit has died hard thanks to Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.I should have read the back of the box before attempting to use it.

When I took the first one out of the box, I honestly started laughing.It is just a white block of foam embossed with a photo of Mr. Clean that might weigh an ounce or two.I knew that before being used that the Magic Eraser is supposed to be dampened with water so I ran it under the sink and rang it out.The one thing I noticed at this point is that it becomes a bit heavier and not as porous.

The light switch covers in my kitchen needed attention so I started with those first.They were easily cleaned with little effort.In fact, it was a lot easier than taking them off and washing them in the sink or using a spray cleaner with a towel.Next was the refrigerator handle and there was an excellent result there too.

When I got around the kitchen to my stove is where the trouble began.It cleaned the top of the stove beautifully with no problem.I did have to follow up later with glass cleaner to get the shine that I like because it did leave the surface kinda dull.When I started cleaning where the knobs are located on the front, I noticed that the Magic Eraser was turning black and to my horror, it took the paint off of around the knobs on my stove.The area was painted black over metal and the Magic Eraser worked more like a paint stripper than a cleaner.I was VERY disappointed to say the least and stopped using it immediately.

Later on, I finally read the box.There is a nice diagram of things that it can be used to clean.Appliances, counter tops, faucets, ceramic tile, grout, walls, baseboards, doors, glass tabletops, window frames, children’s play sets, leather athletic shoes, car windshield glass (except for post-factory tinted glass), and much more!Under “How to Use” it simply states 1. Wet 2. Erase.

In the bottom left hand corner of the bottom of the box is a warning label.“Test first on a well lit, inconspicuous spot with light pressure.Let the spot dry to see if it is modified or changes.Not recommended for: high gloss, polished, dark, brushed, satin and faux surfaces, bare and polished wood, copper, stainless steel, or vehicle body.”It goes on to list more but geez o’ pete!In other words and layman’s terms it says to be careful what you use this thing on because it might mess up the surface, like what happened to the front of my stove.

So my experience with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser has been mixed.It did well on the light switch covers and my refrigerator but it destroyed the front of my stove.Yes, it cleaned everything but I had to go back with glass cleaner to shine the top of the stove and will have to figure out how to replace the paint on the front around the knobs.

I'm thankful that I didn't attempt to use it on our baseboards and doors in the house. In the diagram it says it cleans baseboards and doors. In the warning label it says it isn't recommended for bare and polished wood. What are doors and baseboards made of in most houses? That's right. It's usually polished wood, like mine. These type of contradictory statements make a destructive product costly and confusing to use.

Will I buy this product again?Definitely not.Ever.I wouldn’t even take one if they were giving them away for free.The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Original is a very destructive product and the things that it did clean without damaging for me could easily be cleaned with other cleaning products including dish soap or bleach water.It’s cheap at the store but could cost you plenty in repair costs.The warning label contradicts what it shows on the box that it cleans.Even if I had read the box to begin with, I would have still used it on the stove.