Call me crazy: Magic Erasers to clean a bike

[Crickey7]

It should be fine. Those are made to be used on more delicate surfaces than painted frames and metal components. Report back in a month on whether there are any negative aspects to using it.

[notlost]

Melamine foam is technically an abrasive, so it may have the effect of scratching the paint or other components depending on their hardness. I’ve never tested it personally.

[mstone]

yes, it’s just a fine abrasive. eventually it will wear through the clearcoat and/or paint. what are you trying to sand off the bike?

[Crickey7]

I’ve now checked, and auto detailers warn that it will leave scratches in a clear coat paint finish.

[mwhatley]

Thanks for the great detective work, all. Honestly, I just thought I’d give it a try cleaning off normal grit from my rides, nothing crazy. I may use it sparingly on unpainted components but that’s about it. Would hate to sand away the paint.

[DSalovesh]

I made this mistake, er, learned this lesson on my kid’s old bike: it won’t scour through the paint, but it will dull a glossy clearcoat.

Never again.

I’d expect it to cloud shiny metal as well, but I’ve never needed to find out – solvents and soft rags get those plenty clean.

(One of my bikes – the one I cosmetically abuse – has a steel frame with a matte white finish. It gets all kinds of black splotches from the brakes, drivetrain, cable rub, as well as a lot of mud and muck on the underside, not to mention a bit of oxide from the weep holes, and only melamine sponges can get it back to mostly whitish. They affect the finish on this bike as well, making it GLOSSIER than original, but it’s not noticeable nor do I actually care.)

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