I Swear By This Cheap Dupe For Magic Erasers

More magic for less money? Yes, please.

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Just in case you didn't know, people are almost unhealthily obsessed with Mr. Clean Magic Erasers.

Twitter: @Indexasaurus

They're basically sponges that only need water to ~magically~ scrub off tough gunk on literally any surface in your home.

Like that Twitter user, I, too, am moving out of my apartment, which means I need to do some serious cleaning while having a breakdown in every room.

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BRING IT ON.

I heard through the grapevine (AKA Reddit) that you can order a ton of melamine foam, which is exactly what Magic Erasers are, for less money, more sponges, and the same effect — so, I bought both kinds because I love a competition.

Tom Vellner / BuzzFeed

Let the games begin.

An eight-pack (it came as two four-packs) of Magic Erasers from Amazon cost me $11.99, while a 20-pack of generic melamine sponges was $8.95.

Tom Vellner / BuzzFeed

More than double the amount for a few bucks less? Yes, please. Sure, the generic sponges are a little bit smaller and don't have any fancy ridges like the Mr. Clean version, but they're still made of the same material. So, I put 'em to the test.

Round 1: My crusty-as-sin stovetop

Tom Vellner / BuzzFeed

I recently made a big batch of mac 'n' cheese with what felt like 18 different types of cheese, and they all ended up crusted and stained on my stovetop. I figured this was a perfect way to pit these two sponges against each other, and I gotta say, I was impressed. In addition to water, it took plenty of elbow grease, but they both did the trick, leaving their respective sides of the stove sparkly clean without crumbling. I even gave the generic sponge the dirtier side and it didn't disappoint.

Round 2: The marks my desk chair left on the wall every time I accidentally slammed into it like an idiot

Tom Vellner / BuzzFeed

The arm of my desk chair is made of a black material that scuffs the wall whenever I bump into it, and I want to make sure my place is immaculate before I move out (gotta get that security deposit back), so I used each sponge to clean half of the scuffed area for this second challenge. Again, it was a tie! They both completely removed the gunk, barely tore in the process, and didn't rub any paint off the wall either. I can already smell that sweet, sweet deposit.

Final Round: The tops of my Converse, dirtied by the filth of a thousand New York City subway cars

Tom Vellner / BuzzFeed

For the last challenge, I used the sponges to clean up the rubber on my Converse. I used one sponge for each shoe and — surprise, surprise — they were equally effective. The only issue this time was that, unlike the first two challenges, both sponges ended up in pieces. They started tearing into little shreds all over the rug, so I had to vacuum afterward, too. The takeaway here is that either one will clean your shoes, but neither one probably should be used to do it.

The Verdict: It's a match! Unless you can't break the spell Mr. Clean has put on you, there's no reason you shouldn't gift yourself double the amount of sponges for less cash.

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Get the 20-pack of melamine sponges from Amazon for $8.95.

I'll be testing lots of great dupes every month. Let me know your favorites in the comments!

Here's what I've investigated so far:

• Y'all, This Water Bottle Is Identical To S'well And Half The Price

• I Made This Panera Mac 'N' Cheese Copycat In 20 Minutes And My Life Is Forever Changed

• I'm Kind Of Obsessed With This 90-Minute Olive Garden Breadsticks Recipe