Scotch-Brite Easy Erasing Pad

Laurence le Ber <lleber [at] dcc__govt__nz> writes

>I have been using, very successfully, an off-the-shelf product 3M
>Scotch-Brite Easy Erasing Pad. ...

The Scotch-Brite Easy Erasing Pad is a melamine resin (thermosetting
plastic). I did my MA dissertation (MA Conservation of Wall Painting
at the Courtauld) on synthetic sponges and part of my research was
on melamine sponges. I did not study specifically the Scoth-Brite
Easy Erasing Pad mainly because it has the double layer, one of
melamine (white) and other type of foam (blue). I did look at the
melamine sponges Doktor Power JML, Duzzit sponge eraser, Meleco
Magic Sponge, Mr Clean Magic Eraser Original, Mr Clean Magic Eraser
Extra Power, PEL Sponge eraser and Vileda professional Miraclean.
Surprisingly, they all are the same German product produce by the
company BASF, except for the Duzzit sponge eraser, which is made in
UK and Mr Clean Magic Eraser Extra Power which is the result of a
collaborative effort by BASF and Proctor&Gamble.

These sponges are made of a three-dimensional network consisting of
slender and thus easily shaped webs that form an open-cell
structure. These sponges do leave residues behind, mainly because as
the sponge wears, residues of the sponge are left on the surface as
it breaks exposing new sharp ends. You can brush the surface after
to get rid of them, but in a porous substrate you may still have
residues after doing this. I did extractions with deionised water,
acetone, ethanol, tri-ammonium-citrate and ammonium bicarbonate and
did not detect anything.

I used them for cleaning and clearing a lime-based wall painting in
India, but only in bear plaster where no painting was applied.

My research is hopefully going to be published soon in Studies in
Conservation.

Juana Segura Escobar
Graduate Intern, Field Projects
The Getty Conservation Institute
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 700
Los Angeles,
CA 90049-1684
310-440-6712


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 25:40
                  Distributed: Saturday, March 3, 2012
                       Message Id: cdl-25-40-010
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