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Magic Erasers In Your Pool

Charlie Ramirez

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Have you heard of the new trend of putting Magic Erasers in your pool skimmer?

No? Neither have we.

Recently, a pool owner contacted us on Facebook to ask us about the legitimacy of Magic Erasers. Sure, I’ve used them around the house but never in a swimming pool. In fact, no one at INYO has come across this scenario either. So, we wanted to do more research on the Magic Eraser hype before we recommend it to pool owners.

How Did Magic Erasers Become A Thing?

If you come across the Magic Eraser phenomenon, you have Lisa Pack to thank. After a recommendation from her daughter, Pack decided to put a Magic Eraser in her pool skimmer overnight to see if it would clear her pool. Much to her surprise, it did. According to Pack, she placed the sponge inside the skimmer basket for 24 hours. By the next day, the green steps were crisp white and the water was crystal clear.

Image result for magic erasers in pool

Soon after, her Facebook post went viral. News outlets, YouTube channels, and even Inside Edition interviewed Pack about her viral post.

Now, strangers and pool owners all over America are jumping on the Magic Eraser bandwagon.

However, the legitimacy regarding how effective Magic Erasers really are is still up in the air. How effective are Magic Erasers?

Magic Erasers And Their Effectiveness

Although we’d never heard of using Magic Erasers in a pool skimmer before, our initial thoughts were that it was too good to be true.

A mason jar filled with green water has a Magic Eraser inside. The cleaning product seemed to remove some, but not all the algae.As questions and comments began to flood the INYO Facebook page, our curiosity increased. In fact, so did the curiosity of several different service technicians in Florida. Andrea Nannini of Custom Pool and Spa Mechanics in Stuart, FL used the opportunity to test the theory behind Lisa Pack and the Magic Erasers. After a series of tests, the results confirmed what she and many of us thought, a Magic Eraser is not the answer to cleaning your pool.

To test it, Nannini placed a Magic Eraser inside a jar that she filled with green water. The Magic Eraser absorbed some of the algae in the water, however, it did not completely remove the algae from the water.

I should also note that Pack’s water was not very green. In fact, it was only cloudy. In all fairness, the Magic Eraser will work to eliminate some of the dirt in your water, however, only to a certain extent.

Not to mention, the Magic Eraser isn’t actively maintaining or correcting the chemical levels of your pool.

Magic Erasers Do Not Belong In Swimming Pools

Nannini plans to take her Magic Eraser tests even further. There is a chemical in Magic Erasers called melamine. One theory suggests that melamine, also used in CYA tests, might actually contribute to stabilizing your pool water. However, according to her research, if the water has CYA in it already, introducing melamine would create a toxic byproduct called Melamine cyanurate. Although her tests are not complete, the overall conclusion is that a Magic Eraser is not an effective product for pool treatment product.

To take things further, Nannini emailed the manufacturer about using Magic Erasers in swimming pools and the company replied by saying, “The answer to your question is no, we have not tested the products in pools, and the chlorine may react or interfere with the ingredients in the product.”

Well, there you have it, folks. We’re not sure why the Magic Eraser worked for Lisa Pack, however, like many pool regiments, what works for one may not work for another.

Help Cleaning Your Green Pool

If you are reading this blog post looking for advice on how to clean your green pool, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. You can take advantage of the video and article detailing how to clean a green pool.

You can access the written how-to guide HERE. If you have any questions about Magic Erasers or cleaning your green pool, leave us a message in the comments section below.

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63 responses to “Magic Erasers In Your Pool”

  1. Diane Avatar
    Diane

    I have used Magic Erasers to clean the sides of my white fiberglass pool..It works really well. But should I be using it??

    thanks

    Reply
    1. Matthew Simmons Avatar
      Matthew Simmons

      If you are using to spot clean pool scum, it is fine. But if you are doing a deep clean with it then you should think twice.

      Reply
  2. Jennifer Avatar
    Jennifer

    My pool was not green when I opened it. But it was cloudy. We have been working for week to get it clear and have not had any luck. We have been keeping our chlorine levels goo and been skimming and vacuuming daily. Any suggestions?

    Reply
    1. Matthew Simmons Avatar
      Matthew Simmons

      Follow these quick and easy steps listed here: How to clean a green pool

      Reply
      1. Avatar
        Anonymous

        He said pool was cloudy not green. We want to know about cloudiness

        Reply
        1. Luc Avatar
          Luc

          Check the PH of the pool water. You will probably need to add Acid (HCL).
          You should add a buffer amount of acid if your PH is above 8. (Approx 0.02 Liters per 1000 Litres (1 cubic meter) of water. Usually, Add acid in the Day and Chlorine in the Afternoon/Evening time.
          After the Buffer addition, then you should just maintain the PH at 7.2 on a daily basis.

          Reply
      2. Nicolas Roman Avatar
        Nicolas Roman

        I use ultra brite ….its good stuff

        Reply
    2. Cam Avatar
      Cam

      I had the same issue. Even using winter closing products I was having issues. I used 6 shocked, 3x the algaecide and let the pump run for a week using 2 shocks a day. Then I used a flocculant, vacuumed it up with the pump on waste, and then used a clarified. Its crystal clear now.

      Reply
    3. Jan Avatar
      Jan

      I use clear aid after the pool is clean and just cloudy. It’s amazing. I maintain the pool weekly with the same product. Crystal clear all summer!

      Reply
    4. Nikalip10 Avatar
      Nikalip10

      Same issue I am having even had water tested everything was good idk what the hell it is. Blue as hell but so cloudy can not even see floor. Pump and everyrhing is working fine the filters are getting dirty n i clean or replace them. Do not get it never had an issue

      Reply
      1. Ashley Avatar
        Ashley

        I’m having the same problem! Chemicals are good, water is blue, just can’t get it clear.

        Reply
        1. Matthew Simmons Avatar
          Matthew Simmons

          I’d check your free chlorine levels again, just to make sure they are in check. Have you recently had algae bloom or fought one off? if so, that cloudiness could be dead algae remnants. A strong clarifier or flocculant should get that under control. You can also try a basic enzyme cleaner like Pool First Aid

          Reply
    5. Mike Avatar
      Mike

      Use a flocking agent, follow the directions on the bottle. But typically you add it, run the pump for 24 hours, then shut the pump down for about 12 hours, let all the debris settle on the bottom then vacuum.

      Reply
  3. Karen Avatar
    Karen

    Is it ok to use dish detergent such as Dawn or Ajax on pool sides and steps to clean scum

    Reply
    1. Jim Avatar
      Jim

      As a lifeguard, we always used Ajax for the tile edges that would get a bit of muck on them. Worked great, and never had a problem.

      Reply
  4. Elliott Avatar
    Elliott

    After reading your article, your test is not accurate as you didn’t use it in the same method under the same conditions, so of course in no way are you going to get the same results. What i see here is a website trying to debunk something so people dont try new things that poasibly work in order to keep selling your pool products. Plus saying that Chlorine could cause a chemical reaction but nothing is said about the cleaning products used with magic eraser? Go back to the drawing board guys, you proved nothing.

    Reply
    1. Joe Avatar
      Joe

      Neither did your post.

      Reply
    2. Avatar
      Anonymous

      Those Magic Erasers have Formaldehyde in them for cleaning purposes, which when mixed with the chlorine that should be in the pool,will either cause a thermal reaction to make carbon monoxide and hydrogen chloride (the latter being a poisonous gas) and when that thermal reaction is exposed to sunlight it becomes phosgene (another poisonous gas)

      It’s not so much trying to debunk something to keep selling pool products, it’s simple science so we don’t gas more people to death by accident. That shit already happened in the 40s.

      Reply
      1. Avatar
        Anonymous

        But they aren’t explaining that

        Reply
      2. Avatar
        Anonymous

        I have used magic erasers for 2 seasons in my pool now..no gasses or chemical reactions. I put 4 small squares in my skimmer basket and it helps filter and keep water clean. Used way less chemicals than normal. I recommend and highly suggest using magic erasers..Seems safe to me..I have a lot of friends that have pools and they have been doing the same thing for years. Just one man’s opinion..

        Reply
    3. Avatar
      Anonymous

      Christ, take a Xanax!

      Reply
    4. Avatar
      Anonymous

      Amen! Elliott!

      Reply
    5. Zoom Avatar
      Zoom

      Yep, exactly my thoughts.

      Reply
    6. Eric Avatar
      Eric

      I completely agree, what an idiotic jar test that was. In the skimmer the magic sponges work incredible and saved my pool and my sanity.

      Reply
  5. Debbie Avatar
    Debbie

    It’s working in my pool & quick too! Now my pool was cloudy. I did the start up kit but no water clarifier yet. I’ve had a pool all my life & it never got this clear so fast! I’ll take it out soon as the pool is ready to go & try it again thru out the summer!!

    Reply
    1. Avatar
      Anonymous

      so Debbie you tried the sponge and it did help?

      Reply
      1. Eric Avatar
        Eric

        I used it with a bad mustard algae problem after nothing wlse had worked and it worked great.

        Reply
    2. Col Avatar
      Col

      You used the magic eraser Debbie

      Reply
      1. Eric Avatar
        Eric

        I used it with a bad mustard algae problem after nothing wlse had worked and it worked great.

        Reply
  6. Avatar
    Anonymous

    I tried it in my pool skimmer basket and it did nothing. Didnt even make the eraser green.

    Reply
    1. Eric Avatar
      Eric

      Its for a pool that has turned badly green and unswimmable. If thats your situation and one hasnt worked try more. My situation was bad I used for double power magic sponges and 2 regular magic sponges.

      Reply
  7. Lauren Shuman Avatar
    Lauren Shuman

    Ho, I just have one question and that’s how to remove stains from the bottom of my pool? It’s been stained for a bit over a year I say? My mother thought the magic eraser might work but I thought it was too good to be true and I was a little bit right? I just wanna clean the stains off the bottom of my pool is All.

    Reply
    1. Matthew Simmons Avatar
      Matthew Simmons

      In order to know how to treat a stain, you first must identify what type of pool stain it is. Once you know what it is, then you can go down the right avenue to treat it.

      Reply
    2. NYxSTEELx Avatar
      NYxSTEELx

      Depends on what kind of surface your cleaning?

      I don’t have stain issues cause my water is consistently balanced between 90 and 100. You can prevent this.

      Reply
    3. Eric Avatar
      Eric

      That is usually copper staining, go to pool store, bring a sample and ask them what works best to remove copper from the water

      Reply
  8. Matt Whited Avatar
    Matt Whited

    The “magic eraser” is just a type of foam insulation that works are ablative sandpaper. It’s not going to magically clear the pool water just as it won’t magically clean your tub if you just set it over the drain as you take a shower.

    Reply
    1. Eric Avatar
      Eric

      You are wrong, for green cloudy pool water it works, believe me.

      Reply
  9. SFC Hoosier Avatar
    SFC Hoosier

    We’ve tried it and although in the pool I couldnt tell a huge difference, the eraser was pretty greeen when done, We took the tablets out of the skimmer. The formaldehyde content is a non issue, I believe the companys response. I have a 40,000 gal pool, so I dont think the little eraser is gonna cause me to grow a 3d eye or anything like that. Its worth a try, not a biggie either way. Thanks for all these scientist with their post on here

    Reply
  10. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    This is the first year we’ve used the Magic Eraser in our pool and it absolutely works. We’ve had a crystal clear pool all summer with little or no maintenance each week. We keep one in the skimmer at all times (have only used two all summer).

    Reply
    1. Gail Avatar
      Gail

      IM going to try it tonight!!! I so hope this works!!

      Reply
  11. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    I’ve used the Magic Erasers all summer, and this is the first year I hesitate to close the pool for the winter, because it looks fantastic! I have a 36,000 gallon pool and use one eraser in each skimmer. Crystal clear, always balanced.

    Reply
    1. Chrissy Avatar
      Chrissy

      How often are you changing it? Weekly or as it gets dirty?

      Reply
    2. NYxSTEELx Avatar
      NYxSTEELx

      Your are ruining your pump regardless of how clear your water looks. This is a FACT. People put sponges in skimmer baskets to remove scum.

      Reply
    3. Eric Avatar
      Eric

      Keep it open, I swim until Thanksgiving wvery year

      Reply
  12. Eric Avatar
    Eric

    Magic eraser does work it also helps get out browning water from well water

    Reply
    1. Eric Avatar
      Eric

      It worked amazingly in my pool skimmer also

      Reply
  13. Avatar
    Anonymous

    I’ve had a completely different experience. My indoor vinyl pool had clear water before I began using Magic Eraser. I was using it to scrub away stains or oily marks above the water line all around the whole pool. The marks didn’t totally go away, but dramatically improved & I thought I had found something amazing. Given a few days, however, the pool water started turning green!! When I checked the skimmer there was this gross tacky green slime all around the edge. Absolutely disgusting!! Had to use multiple paper towels to wipe this goo away. The water is still green tho, even after a full scrub/vacuum & later my once a month muriatic acid treatment. I suggest sticking to the old ways. Later I checked the packaging & it said ok unless mixed with Chloride….well guess what’s in my pool water! Now I want to know what chemical reaction has happened, what’s it done to the pool water & my plants, not to mention myself. Ok “scientists” have a run at my experience….

    Reply
    1. mpoolgirl Avatar
      mpoolgirl

      you are right… the pool is not a hole full of water clear or not…
      it is a hole full of chemicals, even water is h2o, bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi, pollen, they are all living elements that are looking for the opportunity to grow and become stronger, any change in the chemical even for minutes can lead to disaster … unforeseeable and unfathomable disaster. most of the time we have good luck … imagine that the legionella is in your pool, it does not grow because you have balanced chlorine and pH, at one point you put something that ends up making a chemical reaction, the bacteria takes advantage to grow , well even without being in the water, you can get sick from legionellosis and 30% chance of dying.

      Reply
    2. Eric Avatar
      Eric

      Nobody ever said to scrub your walls with it. The original pool owner said to put it in skimmer to clear a green cloudy pool. In those situations it works great.

      Reply
  14. VaLady Avatar
    VaLady

    I feel like some of the success I have seen people get online from magic erasers could be from increased filter effectiveness and not necessarily just having the magic eraser in the water. Having water pulled through the magic eraser by the pool filter probably provides different results that just putting the magic eraser in green pool water. It would be interesting to compare a typical cleaning sponge vs a magic eraser in the pool filter.

    Reply
    1. Eric Avatar
      Eric

      Yes, you may but the eraser also is absorbing and holding the algae in it before it gets to the filter. The late summer mustard algae starts on your southern walls in the pool, it grows in the shade. If left unchecked too long it can really cause problems. The magic eraser worked for me after nothing else would. The mustard algae was resistant to be shocked over ten times and vacuming seemed to make it worse. I even changed my filter sand and that had no effect. So for a severe reaisitant algae problem it works like a charm.

      Reply
  15. Nikalip10 Avatar
    Nikalip10

    Well I just went to get some. I have had perfect levels even went to test water at pool town just in case and they said everything was perfect. I can not see the floor but it is so blue but so cloudy. I’ve scrubbed and vacuumed the walls always cleaning or changing filter pump and everything works and this has been going on since memorial day. I will take pics before and after and will let everyone know if it works. God i hope it does.

    Reply
    1. Avatar
      Anonymous

      Did it work?

      Reply
  16. wendy Avatar
    wendy

    I put magic eraser in my pool filter, also shocked the pool. The water is clear but has bubbles on top like a bubble bath? Wth? Idk if its safe to swim in? Any ideas?

    Reply
    1. Eric Avatar
      Eric

      Just take it out now, as long as it eliminated the algae, youre good

      Reply
  17. Robert K. Wallace Avatar
    Robert K. Wallace

    Hey,I thank you enough for the entirety of your aides and tips on Article. Swimming quiets my psyche,” Newhouse says. “I’m fit as a fiddle as a result of it, and it has acquainted me with well disposed individuals, to committed individuals. At the point when I do laps I’m upbeat.They resemble a goldmine for me, continue shaking on, you are helping so many.

    Reply
    1. Katrina Olson Avatar
      Katrina Olson

      My husband and I scrubbed our entire 7′ wide x 14′ long x 5′ deep Endless Pools swim spa with magic erasers to get rid of scum on the surface from running all winter and not being used or cleaned. We thought we were so smart. It looked great. But now, we have cloudy white water that we cannot get clear. We’ve used like 8 filters trying to get it clear. But every time we turn on the blower, it spits out a cloud of what I assume is magic eraser residue. Also, the residue adhered to all the walls and I had to scrub it with another sponge to remove it. I’d recommend using it for small water lines or spots, but not on the entire pool. I think we’re going to have to drain the pool, wipe away the residue while it’s draining, and refill it. As for the chemical reaction, it seems minimal. But the work and expense of trying to get your pool clear again is absolutely not worth it.

      Reply
      1. Eric the Red Avatar
        Eric the Red

        The magi eraser was used after a woman’s pool hd turned green from algae, she put a few in the skimmer and cleared the pool, the sponges soaked in the algae and also helped treat the water. I have to tell you I’ve been dealing with a severe mustard algae problem since early august after I got home from vacation. Nothing has worked including shocking the pool over ten times, vacuuming, changing filter sand,… etc, you name it I tried it. I put 6 Mr Clean Magic Erasers in the skimmer last night and this morning the green is finally gone and water is clearing up after 3 weeks of misery.

        Reply
      2. Avatar
        Anonymous

        Try baking soda to clear the cloudiness

        Reply
        1. Matthew Simmons Avatar
          Matthew Simmons

          Be careful with Magic Erasers – if you really scrub a vinyl liner with them it can visibly scratch the liner and remove the printed pattern. Check the water chemistry. If it is good it will filter out the ME and the debris that is making the pool cloudy

          Reply
  18. Hero Avatar
    Hero

    You should never use tablets inside of a skimmer that’s a no no it all gets sucked back into the pump and ruins the o-rings and the gaskets also in the pump goes off the chlorine tablet gets very acidic when all that stabilizer from the tablet and chlorine drip down the wall by the skimmer it’ll leave heavy staining

    Reply
    1. Eric Avatar
      Eric

      Thats not true, been putting my chlorine, granular and/or tablets in my skimmer and in the 90’s my dads skimmer like he taught me for over 30 years. Its fine. You’re confusing that with shock, shock shouldnt be run thru the filter it can do damage. Chlorine dissolves and goes thru the filter and into the pool fast.

      Reply
  19. Lisa Crawford Avatar
    Lisa Crawford

    Get 2 thick white socks put one in side the other get rubber band or hair tie put it around the return that puts water back in pool you will be amazed in the morning how clear your pool is…yes the socks will be in the pool….next day remove them gently use daily for clear water change socks daily

    Reply

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