Inside: Save money while cleaning with these easy homemade magic erasers. They cost just pennies per sponge and clean just as good as the store-bought kind.
I remember when I first heard about Magic Erasers. I was so excited to get one and try it out. When I got home from the store I quickly started using the magic erasers on just about everything. It took the marker on the wall off, it made my scuffed up baseboards look amazing, and it cleaned my bathtub in no time at all. I thought it was the most amazing thing for the first 30 minutes. After that, I was left with almost no sponge and just some little bits. I was so happy with how it cleaned but disappointed in how quickly it disappeared.
After that, I would occasionally buy a Magic Eraser. I could sometimes find a sale or get a coupon for them but they were still fairly expensive. Usually, at the store, a 2 pack will set me back around $3. A $1.50 for a disappearing sponge doesn't seem like that good of a deal. I decided in most cases I was better off spending less money and putting a little more elbow grease into cleaning. Until recently.
I was reading an article that was talking about best cleaning products. It mentioned melamine foam which I had never heard of. After some research, I found out that melamine foam is pretty much what the magic erasers are. I knew I had to try them out. I have heard that some Jo-ann Fabric or other craft stores often sell melamine foam. You can just buy a large sheet of melamine foam and use a box cutter or large knife to cut them into homemade magic erasers. Since my local Jo-anns didn't sell it so I looked on Amazon.
Not only did I find the large blocks of melamine foam on Amazon but I also find it pre-cut into sponges just like the magic erasers. The best part? They are so inexpensive compared to ones you find in the store. I picked up a 50 pack of the sponges for only $4.28. That price includes the shipping too! $.08 a sponge is a way better deal than $1.50 per sponge. I decided to skip the large blocks of foam and pay a little extra to have mine pre-cut. If you want to make your own homemade magic erasers instead of buying the pre-cut you can buy a big block of melamine foam.
So what is the catch? I will say these sponges really came on a slow boat from China. Amazon let me know when they ordered them, but it took almost 5 weeks to get my magic erasers. If you need them to clean your house next week then I would just buy the ones in the store. If you are able to wait a month then these sponges will be great for you.
I found that they look and work identically to the name brand magic erasers that I have bought in the past. Plus my 50 pack should last me at least 6 months to a year for just a little more cost than what a 2 pack would cost in the store. I just need to remember when I am down to the last 5-10 sponges to reorder.
So you can easily buy the large block of melamine foam on Amazon and cut it down yourself to make your own homemade magic erasers for cheap or pay a little more and order the melamine foam pre-cut. Save money while cleaning with these easy homemade magic erasers. They cost just pennies per sponge and clean just as good as the store-bought kind.
Lindsey Mozgai says
We used a magic eraser once when we were moving out of our previous apartment. Those things are awesome! Next time I might just try making my own ;).
Holly says
Thanks for sharing this!
Gina Elder says
Wow! What a great tip! I can't wait to try it. 🙂
Michelle says
Do you need to put any cleaning solution in the sponge when you receive them?
Julie says
Nope, just get them wet and they are ready to be used.
Robin says
These sound great, although they are $16.99 for 50 sponges now. You got a fantastic deal!
Julie says
I just noticed that, thank you for pointing that out. I hunted around for a few minutes and found a 60 pack for $6.50 with shipping. It's a little more than I paid, but still a great deal. You can see them in the link below.
http://amzn.to/2fRUC27
Sarah @ The Teacher's Wife says
I heard about this a while ago, but had forgotten! I have GOT to try this!! --Sarah 🙂
Meg says
That is AMAZING! I also love Magic Erasers, but I hate how pricey they are. I can't believe that you don't even have to do anything to the melamine sponge. Sheesh. Marketing/branding really costs a lot. Thanks for sharing.
Heather says
I have never used a magic eraser before. I think that I will have to try this though, my youngest recently decided that our walls needed more artwork and helped us out my drawing some lovely pictures 🙂 I go back and forth between wanting to clean them off and then just buying a frame to put around it!
Susan says
I just ran across your site on Pinterest. Just want to point out that all melamine sponges on Amazon are not created equal. I ordered some and they are very poor quality. You barely use it and it crumbles. Even at $16.99 for 50 sponges is a great deal compared to the retail price, and if this is the one you have used, I would trust it. Better than going cheaper with some that haven't been tried and tested and having to throw them out because they are unusable.