How to Clean Whiteboards

Whiteboards are excellent tools for any educational setting. Whether you are an elementary school teacher who uses a whiteboard in lieu of a chalkboard or a businessperson who uses a whiteboard for company-wide presentations, these writing boards are incredibly helpful. Whereas chalkboards can be difficult to read due to the their dark backgrounds, the light background of the whiteboard makes for easy reading. Whiteboards are also much cleaner than chalkboards. You do, however, need to take care of your whiteboard by cleaning it every few months.

Things You'll Need

• Paper towels
• Whiteboard eraser
• Hand sanitizer
• Alcohol wipes
• Standard cleaning solution
• Alcohol
• Water

Instructions

1. Erase all marks on the whiteboard using a standard whiteboard eraser. Make sure you use the eraser over the entire board.

2. Apply hand sanitizer to the back of paper towels. Wipe the wet paper towels over the entire whiteboard. The alcohol in the hand sanitizer will help to remove stubborn marks.

3. Use alcohol wipes on the whiteboard. After using the alcohol wipes, you can rub the surface again with dry paper towels.

4. Spray a standard cleansing solution such as Formula 409 over the board and rub with paper towels. Other cleaning solutions will work well, provided they contain some alcohol in them.

5. Create a solution of equal parts alcohol and water. Dip paper towels in the solution and apply to the board.

6. Apply steady, firm pressure to remove tough marks. Make sure you have plenty of alcohol solution on the paper towels while applying this consistent pressure.

7. Allow the whiteboard to air dry for two hours before using it again. Even if the board feels dry to the touch, it still needs a couple of hours to fully dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Allow ink to dry for eight to 10 minutes before erasing it. If you erase while wet, it can lead to smears.

• Never write on a whiteboard with permanent markers or ballpoint pens. Use only markers that are designated for whiteboard use.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish