The latest and strangest trend in DIY teeth whitening involves rubbing your not-so-pearly whites with pieces of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. When it comes to removing grime and leaving surfaces looking shiny, Mr. Clean is an established solution, but until recently most of the world had no idea that it could also be used on teeth. Last month, news reports of viral TikTok videos promoting Mr. Clean Magic Eraser as an effective and cheap way of whitening your teeth in the comfort of your own home went viral, attracting mixed responses from both the general public and dentists. Some dentists did come out to discourage people from following the advice, warning that Magic Erasers are basically melanin sponges, which act like very fine sandpaper that can potentially ruin the enamel on your teeth. The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser box also warns users not to use the product “on the skin or other parts of the body,” and the list of ingredients includes melamine, sodium sulfurous acid and formaldehyde — and the last two are particularly worrisome. So, maybe rubbing your teeth with Magic Eraser isn’t the smartest thing to do.
