Magic Eraser

So the boat is out of storage and I have decided to do a deep clean on the seats. Word is that Magic eraser is amazing. My question is this, to avoid running back and forth to the store, what is a good average as to how many do I need to purchase? You can just get them at a grocery store?

They come in 4 packs correct?

Boat is a '03 SAN and the seats are not terribly dirty or anything like that.

a box of 4 should be more than plenty..... should still have some left

If they are pretty dirty and you plan on spending a good 2-4 hours on it then I would suggest getting 6-8 of the erasers. I would say 1 eraser is usually good for 3 cushions.

(Message edited by UncleSam on April 25, 2007)

2 boxes if your "deep cleaning" they kinda wear out fast if your doing allot of scrubbing..

You can get them just about anywhere. Walmart, Target, Grocery stores, etc.

I usually get 2 boxes, then leave any leftover in the boat.

I have found that you can get the same results with them by scrubbing easier with them than scrubbing real hard,they come apart pretty easy if you apply heavy pressure. If you use a bowl of warm water with soap and a towel to get everything wet first and then wipe up after the eraser scrubbing is done they last longer too.

I personally stopped using them. I could tell it was wearing on the vinyl in spots. They most certainly are a bit abrasive.

i did my boat and needed about 2 1/2 boxes.

You shouldn't use then everytime you clean, but they are not as abbrasive as cleaners that people use. Some things just wont come out without an ME

Excellent... Thanks to everyone for the info!

I hear that I may be kicking myself as I will learn how dirty my seats really are and will end up spending far more time getting everything to look the same. PERFECT!

Correct deucey. I used Meguiar's and 303 on all my cushions and was shocked what the Meguiar's got out of the vinyl. I took one cushion to my house to repair a handle and used a Magic Eraser on it and my jaw nearly dropped.

I bought a 24"x48" sheet of melamine foam (exact same thing as Magic Eraser) a few years ago. Each spring I cut off a 4" strip and cut them into 4"x2" pieces and it lasts all year. At this rate it will last 12 years. Great stuff.

hmmmi spend about 35 40 hrs on my seats and about 100 bucks in magic erasers during ohios cold winter months...seats look better than many that are 10 years newer..i then squirt em down with 303

I always get 2 boxes as well

Agree that gentle scrubbing instead of hard rubbing is better for longevity. You can shred the Magic Eraser to pieces quickly with a lot of pressure and not get better results than if you just rub faster with a lighter touch.

yep,soft pressure b/c of the vinyl more then the eraser but it saves the eraser as well.
After a good cleaning put on a coat of vinyl stuff on it.Whatever your brand but it just seems it needs it after a good cleaning.

Safeway has a generic brand right next to it that has 4 erasers for same price as 2 brand name ones. They seem to be exactly the same thing.

Paul(Paublo) - do you add any bleach or anything to the strips/pieces of the melamine foam?

Magic Erasers followed by 303...definitely the way to go....

-mark

The sheet of melamine foam is exactly the same as the Magic Eraser- nothing has to be added. Of course dipping in a bucket of water and squeezing out some water, and it seems like the right amount of moisture varies their effectiveness. Maybe it is the engineer in me that is over analyising it.

I've heard they add a small amount of bleach or something similar to the Magic Erasers though....no?

The Magic Erasers WILL REMOVE THE PROTECTIVE TOPCOAT on your vinyl. You think you have issues now, without the topcoat mold will grow on everything down into the pores. This will permanetly discolor your seats, and also void any manufactures warranty on the upholstery.

John Wade - do you think applying 303 every single time after using the Magic Erasers will reverse the negative effects of using them?

it's hard to stop using Magic Erasers when they work so dang well!

(Message edited by fletch_tx on April 27, 2007)

(Message edited by fletch_tx on April 27, 2007)

Can someone confirm that Magic Eraser is going to remove something from my vinyl?

Like I said, the seats are not bad or anything. I can deal with them not looking "new" if this is going to remove a protective topcoat.....

use the erasers and then PROTECT the vinyl with 303 PROTECTANT

Mr. Wade since it looks like you work at skier's choice and you say magic eraser will harm the seats, what do you suggest we use? Seems like every product made to clean vinyl is against the rules in boats. I thought these tournament boats were tough. Just what is safe to use? Water? Not trying to be a punk, but it just seems like everybody is trying to skip out on warranty these days.

The best thing I found, believe it or not, is quick n brite, the pink stuff sold on tv. Safe to use on the vinyl and takes off everything with just a scrub brush. A bucket of the stuff for $30 will clean the whole boat 5 times easy.

My CC dealer and other paperwork recommends Dawn dishwashing liquid...

G&T Industries makes the vinyl for Mastercraft, Skiers Choice, and Malibu. Here is a link to their cleaning instructions.
http://www.gtglobalproductsolutions.com/marine/products.php5?which=cleaning#tabs