Thursday, January 3, 2013

Thursday Tip-MELAMINE SPONGE



I am sure you know what MELAMINE SPONGE is and might have some in your house for cleaning. It's aka Formaldehyde-Melamine-Sodium bisulfite copolymer aka Mr Cleaner Eraser. Did the word Formaldehyde jump at you too? I originally was going to write about the magic of this cleaning sponge. Now I am concerned of it's chemical makeup. I did a bit of researching. The Copolymer is mostly in the musical industry as a sound barrier. It's also used as insulation in other countries.



According to the US Health and Human Services there is no information on this product. The Toxnet also has no data. Just doesn't add up does it. Here is P&G's Material Data Safety Sheet-pdf. It has a Hazard rating of 1 but as you read down the document you should NOT introduce this to the water supply. With that said, the Pinterest tip that didn't work for me, I wouldn't recommend trying. Breaking a piece of the Melamine sponge and allow it to soak overnight to remove ring marks.

Before my research on the product I did use it to remove oil marks from where our cats rubs on the door frames. An alternative method is to use coconut oil.  Putting a piece in the toilet overnight does NOT remove ring marks. It might remove marks on paint but it also removes paint and leaves a film behind. Is this product really worth it to our health?

Thoughts?


What problems can melamine cause if people eat or drink food contaminated with it?
Products with melamine contamination above the levels noted in FDA’s risk assessment may put people at risk of conditions such as kidney stones and kidney failure, and of death. Signs of melamine poisoning may include irritability, blood in urine, little or no urine, signs of kidney infection, and / or high blood pressure. FDA reference http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm199525.htm


** Green Alternative: Soft Abrasive Scrub **

Pour 3 Tablespoons castile soap & 1 Tablespoon white vinegar into 1 cup Baking Soda and make a paste. Add the following essential oils:

15 drops Lemon
15 drops Tea tree
10 drops Peppermint




Past Tips

2 comments:

  1. Since becoming more aware of the staggering amount of toxic garbage in our every day products, I have become kind of a tin-foil-hat person. Nature gives us everything we need, and we're so foolish to keep throwing away our money on these poisonous "cleaning" products. Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide, and occasionally some alcohol are all I use to clean the house now. Works so much better, and isn't a toxic cocktail for the water supply. You can find all sorts of recipes for them online :)

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    Replies
    1. I agree Krystal! I use vinegar and baking soda for lots of my cleaning projects.

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