Melamine foam
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Melamine foam is a foam-like material consisting of a formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfite copolymer. The foam, because of its microporous properties, may remove otherwise "uncleanable" external markings from relatively smooth surfaces. For example, it can remove crayon, magic marker, and grease from painted walls, finished wood, and hub caps.
The open cell foam is not only microporous, but its polymeric substance is also extremely hard. This means it is actually working like sandpaper but on a very small scale, getting into tiny grooves and pits in the subject being cleaned. Because the bubbles interconnect, its structure ends up being more like a maze of fibreglass strands than like the array of separate bubbles in, for example, styrofoam.
Melamine foam is safe to use for cleaning as long as the manufacturer's instructions are followed. If applied to the skin, especially in sensitive areas such as the face, irritation may occur.
The substance simply needs to be wetted to work properly. It does break down rather rapidly, so a given block of foam generally lasts only a single intensive scrubbing session, though it can be used repeatedly for much smaller marks.
While the name-brand "Magic Eraser" is made by Mr. Clean (Procter & Gamble), the foam itself is manufactured by BASF under the name "Basotect" and was already a common product before this new use was discovered. Other companies have also begun cutting it up and marketing it for its cleaning properties, either under other names, like Coralite Ultimate Sponge, or as a generic product.
The foam also has other interesting properties: it has high sound insulation efficiency and is also flame resistant. It's also very light: replacing the traditional foam in aircraft seats, an Airbus A380 can lose 600 kilos.
Melamine foam has been used for decades to create whiteboards, kitchen cabinets, soundproofing materials, as a fire-retardant material (but not as insulation, because it allows air to pass through its structure).
