Best Magic Eraser Sponges

Abrasive eraser sponges made of melamine foam are activated using water. They can then take on tough cleaning jobs like removing stains (even markers and crayons) from walls and baseboards, soap scum from grout, sticky residue on mirrors, and dirt from surfaces like sneakers.

The sponges often go by the name “magic eraser” in homage to the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, one of the original melamine sponges on the market.

But a crop of eraser sponge competitors have emerged to give Mr. Clean a run for its money, and CR decided to test them. We used six magic eraser sponges to clean crayon marks from walls, sticker residue from glass, dirt from sneakers, and grout on shower tile. Here’s how each fared and compared with Mr. Clean.