Magic erasers are truly a miraculous tool for cleaning, making the removal of dense stains very easy task.
Many car enthusiasts also swear that magic erasers make interior cleaning easy and safe.
But is it true? Should you use a magic eraser on your entire car interior?
Quick Answer
Cleaning car interiors with a magic eraser is an option, but it should not be performed on all surfaces. Magic erasers can absolutely be used to clean glass and unpainted surfaces, but can be damaging to delicate surfaces, such as dashboards and seats.
This article will explain how magic erasers work, how to use them, precautions to take, and much more.
So I urge that you read this thoroughly to understand everything properly!
Car Interiors and Magic Erasers
Magic erasers are what the “Mr. Clean” brand call their line of Melamine foam cleaning products.
Other companies have introduced Melamine foam cleaning products too, but “magic eraser” has turned into an umbrella term for all of them.
Melamine is a nitrogen-rich, organic compound used for a plethora of things.
In its foam form, it is both delicate and heavily abrasive.
This special state is what helps magic erasers clean off such hard stains so effectively.
They also wear off quite fast, similar to pencil erasers, so you might need a large amount if you decide to clean larger surfaces.
The microscopic structure of the magic erasers consists of a series of upside-down triangles, and this tooth-like structure grabs on to grease and stains.
The structure is what makes it soft yet still abrasive.
It is a good idea to use gloves, as your hands can also get rather raw from long usage.
Car interiors have a very specific design.
Other than a few that contain metal or wooden parts, most car interiors have materials such as plastic, leather, and vinyl in their interiors.
These surfaces are painted and polished. Leather and vinyl in particular often protected by layers of coating.
Car interiors often pick up a variety of different types of stains and scuffs over time.
Some of these can be easy to clean, but some marks are more resilient than others.
You can try to use magic erasers to clean all of the dirt and stain but that is not always the best idea.
It is best to use them to wipe off small, dense scuffs and stains. But for large surfaces, the abrasiveness can be a problem.
Magic erasers are not ideal for delicate surfaces, as they can damage paint and cause scratches.
Use on Small Stains and Scuff Marks
Magic erasers work best when used to clean small stains and scuffs in your car interior.
You need to do a bit of spot testing first on an out-of-sight area.
Be sure to soak the eraser in water first to reduce the abrasiveness as much as possible.
Use light pressure and check repeatedly to see whether you are applying the correct amount.
Avoid applying too much pressure, as that will introduce scratches and damage the surfaces.
If you are careful with how you are using the magic eraser, then the results should be quite be favorable!
Surfaces You Can Safely Use A Magic Eraser on Inside Your Car
I’ve hopefully made it clear by now that magic erasers are not ideal for delicate surfaces.
The abrasive Melamine, however, is great for surfaces where you do not have to worry about scratches quite as much.
Walls, furniture, and other hard surfaces are where its primary use lies. In these places, magic erasers make cleaning an easy chore.
Here are some places in your car’s interior where you can use magic erasers:
Glass
Glass surfaces, like windows and windshields, are unlikely to be scuffed by magic erasers.
If you want to get rid of any stubborn dirt, debris, or white lines on the glass, using a magic eraser is the way to go.
Carpets
Car carpets are very dense and robust.
This makes it easy for dirt stick to them, but at the same time you can use aggressive products like magic erasers without damaging the carpet.
Just spray the carpet with a special carpet cleaning solution and wipe the stain with a damp magic eraser.
This will get rid of almost all carpet stains in your car.
Pedals
The pedals are some of the dirtiest components in your car interior, given that they are in continual contact with dirty shoes.
Luckily, car pedals are not very sensitive, so you can use harsh cleaning products to clean them.
Magic erasers are great for cleaning car pedals given their slight abrasiveness, which will rub off any dirt, leaving the pedals clean and shiny.
Unpainted Surfaces
Unpainted metal and wooden surfaces inside the car can be cleaned with magic erasers.
Metal and wood is harder than melamine, so they are quite resistant to being scuffed.
But don’t clean any metal or wooden surfaces that have paint or polish on it as this coating will be scraped off.
Rusty Components
If there is any rusted surface inside your car, magic eraser can work wonders.
They can easily remove the rust to make that component look good as new.
Avoid Delicate Surfaces
As I have mentioned previously, magic erasers are soft, but also abrasive.
This abrasiveness can be ideal for cleaning stains and grime, but they can also damage various surfaces.
A wet magic eraser can act like a fine 3000 grit piece of sandpaper, while dry it is similar to an 800 grit piece.
For scuffs and small scratches, the magic eraser works perfectly.
You can also use it to clean up spaces that are usually not visible.
The trouble begins when you try to use magic erasers on more delicate surfaces.
Surfaces like your dashboard and seats are not ideal for this cleaning method.
You can try them out, but you should be exceptionally careful about applying absolutely minimal pressure while using them.
If you use the magic eraser on large surfaces, it can easily scrub off the paint and protective layers of the plastic, leather, or vinyl, which might not even be noticeable to the human eye.
So be careful!
Things to Consider Before Using Magic Erasers
Melamine foam is an amazing cleaning tool when used correctly in the correct places.
But when used haphazardly, its abrasive nature can cause permanent damage to a lot of objects.
Magic erasers can even damage your skin, so you should wear gloves when using them for long periods of cleaning.
When using on surfaces in your car, always do spot testing on less visible spots and check the pressure of your scrubbing repeatedly to see if there is any damage.
If you decide on using a magic eraser on the smooth surfaces of your car, like the dashboard or seats, then be extra careful.
They can be damaged quite easily by magic erasers, so, again, continually check that you are not causing any damage.
If you are careful about how you are using it, then you do not have much to worry about.
You should be cautious about applying the pressure and soak the magic eraser in as much water as possible to make it soft.
A bit of caution is essential when using this amazing tool to clean up your car’s interior.
