I use this foam sponge to get rid of coffee rings, scuff marks, and even crayons from my walls — here's why I have a stash at home all the time

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• I've been using Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for years to get rid of stains and scuff marks on countertops, floors, sneakers, walls, and more. 
• It can be used wet or dry, and the melamine foam doesn't require any additional cleaners so it's more efficient than traditional cleaning.  
• Read more: 17 top-rated products to clean every room in your house

If there was just one item I could have in my cleaning arsenal, the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser would be it.

I love it so much so that I brought a box with me when I studied abroad back in college, and it's been a lifesaver living with seven other people in one apartment. It gets tough three-day-old coffee rings on my white kitchen counter, dust on the baseboards, waxy crayons on walls, and even scuff marks on my car off. 

My review of the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

The sponge can be used both wet and dry so it all depends on exactly what you're using it for. I use a dry sponge on my countertop after doing a simple wipe down to catch any lingering coffee rings or stains and use it wet after mopping floors to get anything within the grout or on the tiles themselves.

Over the years, I've found numerous non-conventional ways to use the sponge, which has made it that much more useful. You know those tiny scuff marks on your car? Dampen a Magic Eraser and give it a wipe. I've been doing this trick for years and my white car is spotless. You can also use it on the rubber parts of your shoes, especially for Converse sneakers. I've even used it on crayons. I was babysitting my cousin when he found a box of crayons and drew a mural on the wall. But before I flipped out, I wet a Magic Eraser and scrubbed it lightly, getting all the waxy crayon marks off before anyone would discover. Anyone with young kids would find a million uses for this.

Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser is essentially melamine foam, which has cleaning and abrasive properties that don't require harsh chemicals to clean surfaces. The sponges are non-toxic and don't contain any harsh chemicals or gasses. It's purely the melamine foam that makes the eraser work as well as it does. 

You can buy the foam as pre-cut rectangles fairly cheaply online but I like that the Magic Eraser is ergonomically shaped, can also get into nooks easily, and has a textured side for more aggressive stains. A box of 10 erasers is $12.48 so it's reasonable, but I've cut sponges into pieces for small tasks like car marks so one box can last me a while.  

Although it's my favorite cleaning tool, it does have some negatives to it with the biggest one being that it's not biodegradable. The foam gets smaller and disintegrates a bit with use, but I usually wind up tossing a large, somewhat misshapen sponge in the garbage can. 

The eraser also doesn't work on wood surfaces or glossy finishes. It will scratch wood surfaces with its microfibers and rubs off the glossy shine, making it appear duller. You should do a spot check and determine if what your cleaning can withstand the sponge. 

Although it has some downsides to it such as not being ideal for shiny surfaces and isn't biodegradable, the Magic Eraser still my must-have cleaning item. Its ease of use and versatility handles a lot of things that I haven't found in any other cleaning items, such as getting rid of murals or three-day-old coffee stains on my white counters disappear. Its multipurpose ability is exactly what I need in a pinch.