11 uses for Dollar Tree’s cheaper alternative to Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

If you’ve ever used Mr. Clean Magic Eraser around the house, you’re definitely a believer in magic!

Just add water and these powerful pads go to work on stubborn dirt, grime and grease, requiring only a little bit of scrubbing to get the job done.

So what’s Mr. Clean’s secret? It's melamine foam, the material that makes up the sponges.

Are cheaper versions of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser worth it?

In a YouTube video, Kim from This Old Homestead demonstrated how a cheaper version of the product erased permanent marker from her counter.

Kim said you can buy melamine foam on Amazon for about $0.49 a pad.

But do the generic versions of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser really work as well as the original? I decided to try Dollar Tree’s Scrub Buddies Quick Eraser sponges.

Here’s a look at how the product brightened up an old shoe:

I would say that Dollar Tree’s eraser fell apart quicker than Mr. Clean’s product normally does, but I was able to clean two pairs of shoes with one eraser.

The sponges come in a pack of two at the dollar store, so $0.50 each. A check of Walmart.com shows that a 4-pack of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser sells for $3.47, which is $0.87 each.

My verdict: Scrub Buddies Quick Erasers are definitely worth the money!

Scrub Buddies vs. Mr. Clean

You don’t have to take my word for it because I found another YouTuber named Lori who recorded a video to compare how the two erasers performed around her house:

Bathroom sink film: Neither worked
Scuff mark on door: Both worked
Kitchen sink marks: Both worked

In the end, Lori said the Scrub Buddies eraser worked just as well as Mr. Clean, and she gave it a 4 out of a 5.

There are many uses for these erasers!

If you’ve never tried Scrub Buddies Quick Erasers (or a similar product), you may not realize how much of a lifesaver these pads can really be!

Here are 11 tough jobs they can tackle with no added cleaning products:

Remove scuff marks on doors, floors and baseboards
Clean grout
Brighten sneakers
Remove soap scum
Erase permanent marker, pencil and crayon marks
Remove rust marks
Clean kitchen appliances
Stain removal, including furniture and carpet
Wipe away stove grease
Pick up stuck on dirt
Clean toys

It's recommended that you test the eraser in an inconspicuous area to see if the surface will dull or scratch.

And since these budget-friendly erasers won’t work on everything, we’ve put together a list of 30 home cleaning hacks that will transform your routine.