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.
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.
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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