I am one of those (cheap) moms who doesn't follow every fad. I finally broke down and bought the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, after my darling daughter decorated the front door (and hood of the white car) with a red Sharpie.

I usually make my own cleaners. I use vinegar and water in a spray bottle for household cleaning - cuts grease on the stove, shines mirrors, and even if the kids drink it it won't hurt them. I generally use baking soda for things that need a good scrubbing. Baking soda dampened with ammonia will clean just about anything. I make my own bleach cleaner for the toilet, and other jobs that require disinfecting.

I do this because I'm cheap, I'm usually pregnant and it's safe, and we have lots of babies around all the time. I often spray the table or stove, and let it sit for a few minutes, and don't want to worry that my children will blind themselves if they happen to touch the wet table. Also, they love to help me clean - er, actually, they love to spray, and they can help me at the same time.

The few non-organic cleaners I actually buy are Odoban and GooGone.

The Magic Eraser was great - it worked like, well, Magic... but I probably won't be using them again (I still have one left, but it's gonna be for Mama Use Only) because they are toxic and dangerous, it turns out! (The fact it removes permanent marker and wax crayon should have clued me in to this fact, but it didn't.)

Read the full story here.

Don't let your kids have these. Most household dirt can be wiped up with plain water and a nubby washcloth (swipe it once across a bar of Ivory soap for heavier jobs) - both of which are safe for toddlers.

Here's the MSDS sheet. This is the document required by OSHA for all employers to keep on file, so their workers know exactly what chemicals they are being exposed to, as well as proper treatment.

Treatment for skin contact with Magic Eraser includes removing contaminated clothing and washing with soap and water for 15 minutes. Oh, and it decomposes into formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.


Tags: Family Life, Need to Know,