Does Magic Eraser Remove Paint? (How-To)

Magic eraser is a great product for removing stains and dirt from surfaces. But, does magic eraser remove paint?

Magic eraser can remove some types of paint, but the erasing pad isn’t designed for paint removal. Instead, it is designed to remove stains and grease from surfaces without ruining the material or surface.

This means it can remove dirt over the painted surface without affecting the finish underneath. However, magic eraser can remove fresh paint stains from wooden surfaces.

Dried Paint

Magic eraser won’t remove dried or cured paint because it isn’t strong enough to dissolve and separate dried particles.

Using magic eraser over dried coating will clean and polish the coating, but it won’t remove it. To remove dried paint, you need a mild or strong solvent, such as rubbing alcohol, or petroleum-distilled solvents, such as mineral spirits.

A strong solvent will dissolve and separate particles, making the coating lose its solid form and liquefy. Once it loses its bond to the surface, you can wipe it off and remove it. 

However, magic eraser isn’t strong enough to dissolve or separate particles. Magic eraser is made from melamine foam, which when combined with water can remove stains.

The eraser pad is made for household use, such as cleaning grease from kitchen cabinets or furniture. So, it is safe to use over the painted surface without removing the finish underneath.

How To Remove Paint With Magic Eraser?

You can use the erasing pad to remove fresh stains from a surface. Here’s how to do it:

1. Scrape the Paint off

First, wipe or scrape as much paint as possible off the surface. For fresh (wet) paints, use a rag. For dried paints, use a scraper to scrape them off. To scrape, position the tip of the scraper under the coating and lift it. This will scrape off some paint, but you must do this repeatedly. 

2. Dip The Erasing Pad in Water

Since magic erasing pads are made from melamine foam, you must soak it in water to activate the cleaning agent.

Fill a bowl with clean water, and put the erasing pad into the water. Or, put the erasing pad into a kitchen sink and run the tap water. Once the magic pad is soaked, take it off the water and squeeze.  The erasing pad needs to be damp, not soaking wet. So squeeze the excess water.

3. Rub The Erasing Pad on The Surface

Rub the damp erasing pad against the surface. As you rub, the paint will come off. So, when the erasing pad foam gets soaked in paint particles, rinse or replace it. This prevents you from rubbing the paint into the surface again.

The reason the magic eraser will remove the paint is that you scraped most of it before. Since most of the coating is scraped (loose), the magic eraser will be more effective. However, if you use it without scraping the coating first, it won’t work.

4. Inspect The Affected Spot

After you rub the magic eraser into the surface, inspect it. If the surface still has some painted spots, re-use the erasing pad over those spots. If the erasing pad didn’t remove the finish, you must use a stronger solvent.

Related Read: Can White Spirit Remove Paint?

Magic Eraser Removes Car Paint Transfer

Magic eraser will remove paint transfer from a car. That’s because the paint transfer isn’t coated on the car frame directly. So, it will have a weak adhesion and can be removed with a magic eraser. 

However, you must test the magic eraser on the car first. This helps you to know if the magic eraser will remove the car paint too, or only the paint transfer. Apply the magic eraser to unnoticeable parts of your car frame; if it doesn’t remove the car paint, you are good to go. 

Here’s how to use it:

1. Spray the all-purpose cleaner into the affected spot.
2. Spray some of the cleaners into the magic eraser. Or, soak the magic eraser in water. 
3. Rub the magic eraser into the painted surface. Don’t apply too much pressure. 
4. The car transfer paint will come off. 

Magic eraser can remove paint transfer from a car because the paint transfer isn’t applied directly to the car frame. So, the coating transfer didn’t dry over the car frame, so it’s not bonded over it. It’s just a stain on your car.

Remove Paint From Walls

You can use a magic eraser to remove fresh paint from walls, but not dries coats. The erasing pad is designed to remove stains and dirt over the wall surface without removing the finish underneath. So, if you apply it over a dried coating, it will just clean it but won’t remove it.

That’s because the coating has cured and adhered to the wall surface. This means the paint has soaked into the wall surface (a bit) and cured there. So, removing it isn’t possible with a magic eraser. 

Final Words

Magic eraser can remove wet (or uncured) paints, but can’t remove dried coats. To remove dried coats, use a solvent such as rubbing alcohol.