It's going to be blazing hot here in the PeeDee before we know it, so we thought it would be a good time to talk about pool cleaning. A viral video is making the rounds again where a woman shares her hack for keeping her pool clean. She puts a Magic Eraser cleaning sponge in her pool skimmer and swears that her pool has never been cleaner. Here she is being interviewed about it on Inside Edition...
She seems genuine, and we don't doubt that she's telling the truth about her experience, but will it work for everyone's pools? More importantly, is it safe?
Not necessarily, according to the experts!
In this article, https://www.poolspanews.com/how-to/is-the-magic-eraser-hack-all-hype_o a service technician with Custom Pool and Spa Mechanics in Stuart, Fla. ran a series of experiments and "suggests that the Magic Eraser works to an extent, but is not a cure-all," the best case is that "it’s just collecting the algae, but it’s definitely not correcting any water balance."
It could also be "potentially dangerous: if the water has CYA, introducing melamine would create a toxic byproduct called melamine cyanurate."
The author of the article also contacted the manufacturer about using its Magic Eraser in swimming pools, and they responded “The answer to your question is, no — we have not tested the product in pools, and the chlorine may react or interfere with the ingredients in the product.”
So skip the Magic Eraser as you're getting your pools ready for the summer, better to be safe than sorry!