A magic performance using a Japanese katana box adds an element of intrigue and excitement to the show. The katana, a traditional Japanese sword, is already a symbol of both power and elegance. The katana box, on the other hand, is an ornate and intricately designed wooden box specifically created to hold the katana. During the magic performance, the magician starts by showcasing the katana to the audience, allowing them to appreciate its craftsmanship and beauty. The magician then places the katana inside the katana box and closes it securely, effectively hiding the sword from view. The real magic begins when the magician opens the katana box and reveals that the katana has seemingly vanished into thin air.

If Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are too expensive just buy generic melamine foam, it's the same thing

If you've ever had a cleaning job that was almost impossible you may have turned to Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. This might blow your mind but Mr. Clean Magic Erasers and generic melamine foam don’t have a chemical cleaner or soap inside them, it’s literally just an abrasive foam that makes them work. Unless of course, you get the kind that specifically comes with soap in it.

According to www.sinoyqx.com and Wikipedia, melamine foam (and by extension, Magic Erasers) are simply a foam-like material made of a formaldehyde–melamine–sodium bisulfite copolymer. That's fancy science talk for a porous rough material.

Its common uses are as insulation for pipes and ductwork and even soundproofing material.

Apparently, people have only recently discovered its effectiveness as a cleaning device:

“Recently, a novel application for such melamine foams in the area of hard surface cleaning has been discovered. Indeed, cleaning implements of cut or molded pieces of melamine foam have become popular to remove soils and/or stains from hard surfaces”-Google Patents

So all this means big savings if you buy generic melamine foam. It can be found everywhere, even on Amazon!

Magic Erasers are commonly listed at $1.97 for a 2-pack on walmart.com, but by comparison, generic melamine foam (THE SAME THING) can be found on several sites as cheap as $5 for 100!

Money-Saving Tips and Cleaning Tricks from Reddit:

1. Be sure to read reviews and get a quality brand. Some of the generics are poorly made but many are comparable.
2. Magic erasers are VERY abrasive. Don’t use them on something that easily scratches like wood or skin.
3. They work great for cleaning shoes, walls, soap scum, etc.
4. Wear gloves. They can sand away the skin around your nails and cause splits, again they aren't for skin!
5. Melamine sponges have a Mohs hardness of 4. Regular glass has a Mohs hardness of 5.5, and tempered glass can be even harder. Bathroom tile has a usual hardness around 7, going up to around 9. So it’s safe to clean these surfaces but be very careful with anything softer.

“(The Mohs Hardness Test) compares the resistance of a mineral to being scratched by ten reference minerals known as the Mohs Hardness Scale”-Geology.com

Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

What's Inside Mr. Clean Magic Eraser? Less Magic, More Chemistry

Grease splatters in the kitchen, crayon streaks on the freshly painted wall, scummy rings in the bathtub—these fouls are powerless against the cleaning strength of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. Since hitting the market more than a decade ago, the erasers have rounded up a consumer base that swears by the magic. But the secret behind the material that makes up the scrubbers, melamine foam—the same stuff that’s widely used as an acoustic insulator in recording studios—is less magic and more simple chemistry.

Melamine

On its own, melamine is just an organic base in the form of white crystals. But when combined with other compounds, it can transform into a plush foam—the Magic Eraser—with a sandpaper-like microscopic texture. You can use it to scrub off sticky dirt and scum from all kinds of surfaces; just avoid using it on delicate or glossy exteriors. Melamine’s high nitrogen content also makes it a useful flame retardant and fertilizer. In 2008, Chinese fraudsters used melamine to make milk and infant formula appear to have a higher protein content, killing six babies and making nearly 300,000 others sick. Two of the perpetrators were executed.

Formaldehyde

This stuff is best known as the smelly liquid that’s used to preserve dead animals for decades and possibly forever. By itself, formaldehyde can be dangerous and sometimes lethal—irritating the skin, corroding internal tissue, and even causing cancer. But if you mix it with melamine, the result is a tough resin in which those toxic effects are neutralized. High tensile strength makes the resin a suitable material for dinner­ware and countertops. Force gas bubbles to form in the resin during the manufacturing process and you end up with Mr. Clean’s melamine foam.

Sodium Bisulfite

Alone, this stuff has antimicrobial properties; it’s excellent as a preservative for winemaking. Here, it can help boost resin production, but it’s best used sparingly—sulfite-modified foams are less stable and can emit formaldehyde under certain conditions.

Water

Procter & Gamble says the key to the Magic Eraser’s stain-fighting properties is in its “water-activated microscrubbers.” But there’s nothing water-activated about it—the eraser can be used dry as well as wet, with little difference in the result. Water likely makes it easier for dirt to cling to the eraser, though—the same way you might wet a paper towel before wiping down a wall or table.

Dangerous Chemicals in Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

The real magic begins when the magician opens the katana box and reveals that the katana has seemingly vanished into thin air. This sleight of hand illusion baffles and amazes the audience, leaving them pondering how the sword could have simply disappeared. To further add to the sense of wonder, the magician can perform various tricks involving the katana box.

Do Mr. Clean Magic Erasers contain dangerous chemicals?

Barbara Mikkelson

Published Jun 22, 2006

Claim: Mr. Clean Magic Erasers have been banned from stores because the product contains formaldehyde.

Example: [Collected via e-mail, 2006]

JUST WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT I AM A HUGE FAN OF MAGIC ERASERS. HOWEVER, I HAVE A FRIEND THAT TOOK ENGINEERING IN SCHOOL AND HE NOW WORKS FOR A HUGE COMPANY IN HALIFAX AND THEY GET THE HEADS UP ABOUT PRODUCTS BEFORE ANYONE ELSE. WELL HE CALLED ME LAST NIGHT AND SAID THAT I HAVE TO STOP USING THE MAGIC ERASERS AND THAT THEY ARE SLOWLY BEING BANNED FROM ALL STORES BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN THE INGREDIENT FORMALDEHYDE. YES THE CHEMICAL THEY USE TO PRESERVE DEAD PEOPLE. IT IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS TO YOUNG CHILDREN AND CAN BE HARMFUL TO YOURSELF, SO PLEASE IF YOU ARE USING THEM, THROW THEM AWAY, DON'T BUY THEM ANYMORE AND PLEASE SEND THIS ON TO ANYONE WHOM YOU THINK MIGHT USE THEM, ESPECIALLY WITH YOUNG CHILDREN.

Origins: Western society likes its homes and its clothing clean, but satisfying that desire comes at a price — to do so, consumers must place their faith in polysyllabic chemical concoctions

vended by large corporations, entities they don't always trust to have their best interests at heart. Consequently, fears about noxious or dangerous substances being secreted in common cleaning products is a recurring theme in contemporary lore. That anxiety has been voiced in a number of false product rumors in recent years (e.g., Resolve carpet cleaner caused the death of a young boy who drank it, Dawn dishwashing liquid eroded the corneas of a toddler's eyes, pot-scrubbing sponges contained a dangerous derivative of Agent Orange, beloved pets felled by something horrible in Swiffer WetJet, Febreze fabric refresher, and Ultra Clorox).

Yet another entry in this pantheon of household cleaner misgivings concerns P&G's Magic Eraser, an item that hit the U.S. market in 2003 and which we began receiving inquires about in 2004. The ingredients list on Magic Eraser, a room-cleaning pad made of super-fine fibers that lifts and traps dirt to rub out most marks, has spawned a persistent belief that the product contains formaldehyde, a substance most people associate with the embalming of dead bodies.

This hypothesis appears to be a result of a misparsing of the ingredients list. says about the rumor:

A recent television broadcast may have raised concerns about an ingredient in Magic Eraser. Be assured Magic Eraser is completely safe when used according to directions, and poses no health risks or safety concerns.

Here are some facts about the ingredients used in Magic Eraser:

The ingredients in Magic Eraser have been safely and commonly used for many years in a wide range of household products.

We hope you find this information reassuring. You can continue to use Magic Eraser with full confidence in its performance and safety for you and members of your family.

For additional information, please call 1-800-867-2532.

Despite the e-mail's claim that Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are "slowly being banned from all stores," we found no evidence that is so. Neither the manufacturer nor any governmental agency has issued a recall for the product, and Magic Erasers are still widely available in every major grocery and drug store chain we've checked.

A different issue involving the same type of product (produced by a different manufacturer) arose in November 2006 when a woman wrote an account in which she claimed that her son had suffered chemical burns when he rubbed a Scotchbrite Easy Eraser on his face and chin. Doubters maintained that the child had simply suffered skin abrasions from the abrasive surface of the eraser. (The product's packaging bore no warning about either type of injury at the time):

One of my five year old's favorite chores around the house is cleaning scuff marks off the walls, doors, and baseboards with either an Easy Eraser pad, or the real deal, a Magic Eraser. I purchased a package of Magic Erasers ages ago when they first came out. I remember reading the box, wondering what the "Magic" component was that cleaned crayon off my walls with ease. No ingredients were listed and absolutely no warnings were on the box, other than "Do not ingest."

My package of the Scotchbrite Easy Erasers didn't have a warning either and since my child knew not to eat the sponges and keep them out of reach of his little brother and sister, it was a chore I happily let him do.

If I had known that both brands (and others like them) contain a harmful alkaline or "base" chemical (opposite of acid on the pH scale) that can burn your skin, I never would have let my little boy handle them. As you can see from the picture, when the Scotchbrite Easy Eraser was rubbed against his face and chin, he received severe chemical burns.

After much back-and-forth, the issue was apparently

resolved in January 2007 when the product's manufacturer (3M) issued an apology and a statement that they had "addressed the issue and are taking steps to change the packaging to warn other consumers of the potential reaction to using the product on the skin."

Barbara "formaldehyde and seek" Mikkelson

For example, they can make the box levitate or move across the stage on its own. These illusions create a captivating spectacle that keeps the audience engaged throughout the performance. The use of a Japanese katana box in a magic act also adds a cultural aspect to the show. It introduces the audience to the rich history and traditions of Japan, particularly in regards to samurai warriors and their reverence for the katana. In summary, a magic performance using a Japanese katana box is an exciting and visually stunning act that combines illusion, mystery, and cultural elements. The katana box becomes a centerpiece of the show, adding intrigue and elegance to the performance. Whether it's making the sword disappear or performing other tricks with the box, the magician captivates the audience and leaves them in awe..

Reviews for "A Closer Look: The Intricate Design of the Japanese Katana Box in Magic Acts"

1. John Smith - 2/5 - I was not impressed with the magic performance using the Japanese katana box. The tricks performed were predictable and lacked creativity. The magician didn't add any interesting elements or surprises to make the performance engaging. Additionally, the use of the katana box felt gimmicky and didn't enhance the overall experience. Overall, I was disappointed with the lackluster performance and wouldn't recommend it.

2. Sarah Johnson - 3/5 - While the concept of incorporating a Japanese katana box into a magic performance seemed intriguing, I found the execution to be underwhelming. The magician's tricks were average at best, and the implementation of the katana box felt forced and unnecessary. The illusions performed didn't leave a lasting impression, and I was left feeling unimpressed. I believe there are better magic performances out there that offer more excitement and innovation.

3. Mike Thompson - 2/5 - I attended the magic performance featuring the Japanese katana box, and I have to say, it was rather underwhelming. The magician's tricks were quite basic and lacked the wow-factor I was expecting. The use of the katana box felt forced and didn't add anything substantial to the overall performance. I wasn't captivated by the illusions and found myself losing interest throughout the show. I believe there are far better magic performances out there that offer more intrigue and excitement.

Unlocking the Secrets Within: Inside the Japanese Katana Box in Magic