Warning about Magic Erasers

[Tinkerfreak]

Just wanted to let everyone know to be very careful with the Magic Erasers and never let your children near them.
I have received a couple of forwarded e-mail from a Mom who let her son use the eraser to wipe up scuff marks on the floor. She had no clue it was harmful because there are no warnings on the package and it does not really say what the ingredients are. Her son wiped the eraser on his face and arms and got a terrible chemical burn all over. Evidently it is some kind of mild acid that makes it work so well. There is another brand I think she said Scotch brand that also sells the same kind of eraser. She tried to wash the area with soap and warm water but it just made it burn worse. When she called 911 they directed her to poison control and they told her to run cold water over his skin for a few minutes to neutralize the acid. It worked but only for a few minutes at a time. Poison control told her that they have been getting many of these calls and are very upset that there is no warning on the packages.
The woman did take her son to the hospital and the next day she took pictures of the burns.
I just wanted to warn everyone to be careful with these. Keep them away from children. If they find them they might think they are just a regular sponge. I would hate to thik of what this could do to a childs insides if ingested. We have all been singing the praises of this product because it works so well we just need to be careful.

[Tick-Tock]

According to Snopes, this is an urban myth.

[murphy1]

I'm glad you posted this, b/c I have also heard of this happening. I have really bad allergies, so I have to be careful.

[JPL]

This is one of those bogus e-mails that continues to circulate and you know what Bill Gates will pay $100 for every person you forward it too during his new e-mail tracking test

[murphy1]

Well that's good to know. I always check Snopes on things I hear and didn't even think of it this time. I wish people would quit wasting our time!

[FlaTinkRAMESAM]

oh goodness... urban myth...

don't take everything you get forwarded to you in your email to heart. People that start stuff like this think it is hilarious playing on people's fears (such as severely injuring your child with a cleaning sponge) and insecurities...

no one will die because you don't forward something, you won't get $1 for every time you forward something and someone you forwarded it to forwards it and so on, and you won't have a horrible love life (as a result of the email anyways...lol)

[DisneyDog]

Certainly sounds like a myth to me. If it caused chemical burns, we would all be burned just by holding it in our hands to use the sponge. Why would it burn a child and not burn an adult? Just doesn't make sense any way you look at it.

[Piglet822]

Here's the link from the Snopes website:

Magic Eraser Myth

My mother is always forwarding emails such as this and I have gotten into the habit of checking Snopes before passing them on. I've even gotten my mother into the habit of checking now before she hits the forward key

[DizneyRox]

This is one of those bogus e-mails that continues to circulate and you know what Bill Gates will pay $100 for every person you forward it too during his new e-mail tracking test

Oh man! I've been checking the mailbox for months!

Most of the time I don't even open my e-mail. I don't know how many times these types of things come out and I have to explain, the virus IS the e-mail!!!!

P.T. Barnum was right...

[Dixie Springs]

Besides Snopes, there is also a great Urban Legends section at about.com.

The rule of thumb is that forwarded e-mails are untrue, even from the best of friends (they mean no harm).

My favorites are the quotes attributed to Andy Rooney, George Carlin or Robin Williams. I don't know how these 3 guys ended up with so many false citations.

[brownie]

If they coated them with acid, how do they keep the cardboard packages they come in from falling apart?

My in-laws used to forward emails like this to me, and every time I would dig up the real information. I don't know if they still get emails like this, but they don't forward them to me anymore!

[Tinkerfreak]

Sorry I wasted everyones time. I will be checking the websites you mentioned above in the future.

[DisneyDog]

You were just trying to help. And that is always appreciated!

[murphy1]

Really don't feel bad, I heard about this from an actual person and she is very, very informed on things. I will say the darn things have rubbed paint off my walls! Oy!

[Dixie Springs]

Dittos on don't feel bad! You were only trying to help, and took the time to pass on the info.

I was a 'victim' myself, years ago - it was the little boy with a terminal illness that was trying to beat a record for the most post cards recieved. This was actually pre-internet, and in my employers monthly newsletter. I tearfully wrote the fictional lad a sappy postcard from a space museum I was visiting. Weeks later, my company said it was a hoax and apologized. D'oh! One of the many reasons I'm such a cynic...

[magicofdisney]

I got this same email. Something didn't sound right so I checked snopes.

Like someone else said, if they can take paint off your walls, they can probably abrade your skin. But not by chemical burn, more of a rug burn type action. That's my take on the whole thing.