Magic Sponges only need water to effectively clean most stains--no chemicals or additives necessary. On the exterior , they look, act and feel as almost every other sponges, however that's where the similarities end. Melamine foam can be just a porous material, that acts something similar to very fine sandpaper to lightly remove stains. Though it feels tender on the surface, each eraser is in fact uniquely abrasive and uses small air pockets at the material to lift stains when damp.