Melamine foam sponges are extremely versatile for cleaning. You may know them by the brand name Magic Eraser. In combination with regular cleaning solutions, they can be a powerful cleaning tool. These sponges can be used to clean scuff marks and even permanent marker off painted walls without damaging the paint. They can even be used to clean grout lines and polish stainless steel appliances.
Melamine foam is made of formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfite. It has a long history of being used as an insulator and as soundproofing material. More recently, it was discovered that it is a very powerful abrasive sponge. This is because it is made up of a very porous and strong substance. Melamine sponges are almost as hard as glass, and the micro-pores have a diameter of less than 2 nm. It is similar to very fine sandpaper. At first glance, the sponge seems very soft and harmless, but do not be fooled by that. You should never rub it against your skin or taste it or let kids or pets play with it!
When you look at all the wonderful uses and abilities a melamine sponge possesses, it seems like it is too good to be true and there must be a catch. The problem is it is not biodegradable and it is non-recyclable.
