Cleaning Innovation: The Creative Mind Behind the Magic Eraser.

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The magic eraser inventor is a person who created a unique cleaning product that has revolutionized the way people clean their homes. The magic eraser, also known as a melamine foam cleaning pad, is a small white sponge-like material that is used to remove tough stains and marks from various surfaces. This invention has gained widespread popularity due to its effectiveness and ease of use. The magic eraser was invented by a scientist named Justus von Liebig in the early 2000s. Liebig was working on a project to develop a stronger material for insulation when he accidentally discovered the cleaning power of melamine foam. He realized that this porous material had the ability to remove dirt and grime without the need for harsh chemicals or excessive scrubbing.



10 Things You Probably Did Not Know About Eraser Technology

Fact #1: Before rubber came along, people undid their mistakes using wadded-up bread.

John Russell / AP August 26, 2013 Share Save

It's true, as Arthur C. Clarke said, that the most advanced technologies are indistinguishable from magic. It's not true, however, that the world's most magical technologies are all related to computers. What could be more magic, after all, than the eraser—the little wad of rubber that undoes your mistakes and changes, mark by tiny little pencil mark, human history?

Erasers as we know them today are a relatively modern invention. But erasers as a general category are age-old. The ancient Greeks and Romans relied on palimpsests and smoothable wax tablets to ensure erasability. Those gave way, eventually, to White-Out and Photoshop's "magic eraser" tool and, of course, the ultimate undoer of deeds: the delete key. But erasers are far from obsolescence — just as writing itself is far from obsolescence. Below, 10 things to know about erasers.

1. The original erasers were bread. Moist bread.
Until the 1770s, humanity's preferred way of erasing errant graphite marks relied on bread that had been de-crusted, moistened and balled up. While these erasers were cheap and plentiful, they had a distinct disadvantage: They were, you know, made of bread. They were susceptible, like all bread, to mold and rot. Talk about a kneaded eraser.

2. The same guy who discovered oxygen helped to invent erasers.
In 1770, the natural philosopher and theologian Joseph Priestley—discoverer of oxygen and, with it, the carbonated liquid we now know as soda water—described "a substance excellently adapted to the purpose of wiping from paper the mark of black lead pencil." The substance was rubber.

3. Erasers were invented by accident.
Though Joseph Priestly may have discovered rubber's erasing properties, it's the British engineer Edward Nairne who is generally credited with developing and marketing the first rubber eraser in Europe. And Nairne claimed to have come upon his invention accidentally: He inadvertently picked up a piece of rubber instead of breadcrumbs, he said, thereby realizing rubber's erasing properties.

4. "Rubber" actually gets its name from erasers.
It was Priestley who is generally credited for naming rubber. The erasing "substance" he described in 1770—initially referred to as "India gum"—required, he remarked, rubbing action on the part of the user. Thus, yep, a "rubber." The name ended up generally applying to erasers' construction material rather than erasers themselves, especially after Charles Goodyear figured out how to vulcanize the stuff in the mid-1800s. In Britain, erasers themselves are still often called "rubbers." (Which may lead to some confusion, maybe.)

5. Erasers don't just work manually; they work chemically.
Pencils work because, when they are put to paper, their graphite mingles with the fiber particles that comprise the paper. And erasers work, in turn, because the polymers that make them up are stickier than the particles of paper—so graphite particles end up getting stuck to the eraser instead. They're almost like sticky magnets.

Malaysian-manufactured Pink Pearl erasers (Wikimedia Commons).

6. Pencils with built-in erasers on the tops are a largely American phenomenon.
Most pencils sold in Europe are eraser-less. Read into that cultural difference what you will.

7. Many erasers contain volcanic ash.
Those ubiquitous pink erasers, in particular—the pencil-toppers and Pink Pearls of the world—make use of pulverized pumice to add abrasiveness. And pumice is, of course, volcanic ash.

8. The little erasers on pencil ends are known as "plugs."
Yep. And those small bands of metal that contain the plugs are called "ferrules."

9. Many of today's most high-tech erasers are made of vinyl.
While the pink erasers you find on pencils are made of synthetic rubber, an increasing number of erasers are made of vinyl. Vinyl's durability and flexibility give erasers made of it "minimal crumbling," and offer, overall, "first-class erasing performance." Plus, obviously, the sound quality is richer with vinyl.

10. There are such things as electric erasers.
Seriously. These erasers supposedly offer "a smooth erasure with a minimum of paper trauma."

Kitchen and Residential Design

On 24 May I wrote a column about the inane suggestion that people clean their tubs with a half a grapefruit and some table salt. It sparked a conversation in the comments about Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. I was aware of them, but I'd never used one. None of the commenters seemed to know what the active ingredient in them is, the best anybody could do was report that they are made from melamine foam.

Intrigued, I bought some over the weekend and I was amazed at how well they cleaned up my ancient enamel sinks and tub. Amazing.. I noticed that the labeling on the box made no mention of an active ingredient or anything added to the sponge that would make it clean so well. So I dug. Come with me on a journey of discovery.

Here's the Mr. Clean I remember.

And here he is today. The only men I know who look like that and who care about cleanliness are prone to breaking into a rollicking chorus of "Rose's Turn" when the mood strikes but that's a topic for another time.

As I said earlier, there's no active ingredient listed, but these things clean like you cannot imagine. Well it turns out the active ingredient is elbow grease. Sort of.

Magic erasers are made from a form of melamine foam. Technically, it's a formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfite copolymer foam made by the German company BASF. It was invented as an insulator and fire retardant. That it cleans like the dickens was a happy coincidence. Melamine is an extremely hard polymer and it's what gives things like Formica laminate its rigidity.

However, when it's pumped full of air something interesting happens.

Despite the fact that the material itself is very hard, the tiny strands that make up the foam's matrix feel soft to the touch. On a microscopic level, those rigid little strands are very abrasive, like super fine grit sandpaper.

There are no active ingredients listed on the package because there really aren't any. Magic Erasers clean by a physical process, not a chemical one. When you rub a dirty spot with a Magic Eraser, you're essentially sanding away the dirt. As you rub, the foam disintegrates. If you clean dishes or anything that will contact food with these things, rinse thoroughly when you're done. Eating melamine is not a very smart thing to do.

As a cautionary note, don't clean anything with a glossy surface with these Magic Erasers. Remember that you're using a microscopic abrasive so when in doubt, test a spot first.

So bravo BASF for being so clever and bravo Proctor and Gamble for breathing new life into an old brand. These things really work.

Many thanks to BASF for the information I used for this post.

Oh and one more thing. They are called Mastro Lindo in Italy. Why are mundane things so entertaining when they're in Italian?

Who Invented Eraser? [When, Where & How]

You’re probably using it frequently but most likely you don’t know who invented eraser. Like many things we use daily, an eraser is one of those which we’re using without thinking about it deeply. So, who invented the eraser?

Rubber erasers were invented by coincidence. Though Joseph Priestly may have discovered the material’s erasing properties, the very first rubber eraser in Europe was successfully developed by British engineer Edward Nairne.

Many interesting facts are part of the eraser’s history and make this useful object’s story worth telling. Let’s see what we need to know about it.

Table Of Contents
  1. Who Invented Eraser and Why?
    • Who Invented the Magic Eraser?
    • Who Invented the Pencil Eraser?
    • Who Invented Rubber Eraser?
    • Who Invented Kneaded Eraser?
    • Who Invented the Whiteboard Eraser?
  2. When Was the Eraser Invented?
  3. Where Was the Eraser Invented?
  4. How do Erasers Work?
  5. Different types of erasers
  6. History of Erasers
  7. Eraser Uses Today
  8. FAQs
    • Where does an eraser come from?
    • What was used before erasers?
    • Can you eat erasers?
    • Why are erasers pink?
    • Are white erasers better than pink?
    • What is a blue eraser for?
    • What is the best eraser in the world?
  9. Conclusion

He realized that this porous material had the ability to remove dirt and grime without the need for harsh chemicals or excessive scrubbing. After further experimentation and research, Liebig successfully developed the magic eraser and patented his invention. The magic eraser quickly caught the attention of consumers and cleaning enthusiasts who were looking for a more efficient and eco-friendly way to clean their homes.

Who Invented Eraser and Why?

The history of the eraser is a bit fuzzy. The earliest known version of an eraser was made from bread crumbs, which were used to clean up mistakes on paper.

Rubber was not discovered to be useful as an eraser until the 1770s.

In the same year, an English engineer named Edward Nairne found that rubber could remove pencil traces instead of breadcrumbs.

Nevertheless, this type of eraser did not perform well: it disintegrated when used and eventually died, it was far too reactive to weather, and it smelled horrible.

Later, in 1839, Charles Goodyear developed a method for curing rubber. It was called vulcanization.

Rubber became more resilient as a result of this procedure, allowing it to be used in household products such as erasers.

Rubber is a natural material that has been used in many different ways. The name “rubber” came from “rubbing” and was given to the object between 1770 and 1778.

Who Invented the Magic Eraser?

The Magic Eraser is a cleaning tool that was created by Mr. Clean in 2003.

These sponges consist of melamine foam, which is made from a compound called formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfite copolymer.

This chemical can cause allergic reactions or irritate the skin if it comes into contact with it but doesn’t pose any long-term health risks.

Some of Magic Eraser’s most recognized benefits include its ability to remove permanent markers from walls and cast iron without damaging the surface and to remove caked-on messes from grout lines.

Who Invented the Pencil Eraser?

The pencil eraser is a great invention. It’s been around for over 150 years, and it’s still going strong.

The inventor of a pencil eraser with attached erase is Hymen Lipman.

On March 30, 1858, he was granted a patent for creating the first wood-cased pencil with an attached rubber eraser.

This revolutionary invention changed classrooms and art studios alike – and has been helping people make mistakes ever since!

Who Invented Rubber Eraser?

The rubber eraser was invented by Hymen L. Lipman in the 19th century.

Lipman, a New York City-based pencil salesman, noticed that his customers were often frustrated by smudged pencil marks.

He decided to create a small piece of rubber that could be used to erase these marks from paper; he called his invention an “erasable pencil.”

The idea of using rubber as an eraser was not new; however, Lipman’s innovation was in creating a small stick of rubber instead of simply using a piece of rubber as one would use a sponge or rag.

This made it much easier and faster to erase smudged pencil marks.

Who Invented Kneaded Eraser?

Charles Goodyear, an American inventor, is credited with inventing the kneaded eraser around 1839.

He was a prolific inventor who was most famous for his work in rubber.

The kneaded eraser is a rubber-based eraser that can be stretched and molded into any shape.

It works by picking up graphite from pencils, charcoal pencils, and other materials without smearing or damaging the paper underneath.

Who Invented the Whiteboard Eraser?

The whiteboard eraser was created by Jerry Woolfe, who was trying to find a way to make his dry erase markers more effective.

He thought that if he could create something that would remove all traces of ink from the board after use, he could make his product even better.

This led him to design an eraser that would use a sponge as opposed to cloth or paper. The whiteboard eraser works by pressing a small piece of sponge into the dry erase ink, removing it from the board, and leaving behind a clean slate.

Magic eraser inventor

The magic eraser works by using micro-abrasive technology, which allows it to physically lift away dirt and stains from surfaces. When the eraser is dampened with water, the foam becomes slightly abrasive, allowing it to break down and remove tough stains such as crayon marks, scuff marks, and even permanent marker stains. One of the key benefits of the magic eraser is its versatility. It can be used on a wide range of surfaces, including walls, countertops, sinks, appliances, and even shoes. It is especially effective at removing stains from surfaces that are difficult to clean, such as textured walls or oven racks. Another advantage of the magic eraser is that it is non-toxic and does not require the use of harsh chemicals. This makes it a safer option for households with children or pets. Additionally, the magic eraser is a reusable product, as it can be rinsed and reused multiple times before it is worn out. The magic eraser invention has had a significant impact on the cleaning industry, as it has provided a more efficient and convenient way for people to tackle tough stains and marks around their homes. It has also inspired the development of similar products by other manufacturers. In conclusion, the magic eraser inventor is an innovative individual who has made a valuable contribution to the field of cleaning products. Their invention has simplified the cleaning process for many people and has become a household staple. The magic eraser's effectiveness, versatility, and eco-friendly nature have made it a popular choice among consumers..

Reviews for "Scrubbing Away Grime: How the Magic Eraser Inventor Sparked a Cleaning Revolution."

1. John - 2 stars - I was disappointed with the Magic Eraser Inventor. It didn't live up to the hype for me. I found it difficult to use and it didn't remove stains as effectively as I had hoped. I ended up going back to my old cleaning methods and found them to be more effective. Overall, I don't think it's worth the price for the results it delivers.
2. Emily - 3 stars - While the Magic Eraser Inventor did have some benefits, I found it to be overrated. It didn't completely remove tough stains and required a lot of scrubbing and effort on my part. Additionally, I was not a fan of the chemical smell that it had. I have tried other cleaning products that have delivered better results and had a more pleasant scent. I wouldn't purchase the Magic Eraser Inventor again.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - I was really excited to try the Magic Eraser Inventor, but it fell short of my expectations. Despite following the instructions, it didn't effectively remove the scuffs and marks on my walls. I also found that it wore down quickly and I had to constantly replace it, making it not very cost-effective. I think there are better alternatives out there for cleaning surfaces.
4. Mike - 1 star - The Magic Eraser Inventor was a complete disappointment. It didn't live up to the hype at all. I found that it left behind a residue on surfaces, making them look even dirtier than before. It also started falling apart after just a few uses, making it a waste of money. I would not recommend the Magic Eraser Inventor to anyone.

Breaking the Mold: The Inventor Who Revolutionized the Cleaning Industry.

From Concept to Cleaning Sensation: The Magic Eraser Inventor's Story.