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How to Clean School Desks

Gail Marie

School desks are touched by many hands for many months of the year. They are written upon, leaned against, moved around, covered with craft projects and sometimes written on with pencil or pen. For general cleaning, follow the directions below. Sometimes, not all traces of such heavy-duty use are removable.

School desks

Consider them part of a school desk's charm.

  1. Pour ½ cup ammonia and 1 cup washing soda into an empty gallon milk container. Add 2 cups of warm water, cover and shake to mix. Add 12 more cups of water.

  2. Pour the cleaning solution into spray bottles; then label them "All-Purpose Cleaner" so you know what is in them later. Use at full-strength for heavy-duty jobs or add ½ cup to a bucket of water for large jobs.

  3. Clear the desk of all of its contents -- be sure to look deep inside drawers and under the chair connected to the desk.

  4. If the desk is very dirty, spray the entire desk--legs and all--with the full-strength cleaning solution in the spray bottle and wipe it off with a rag or paper towels. You may also dilute the cleaning solution in a bucket of water, submerge a rag or sponge in the solution, and wipe the desk.

  5. Remove gum from the desk's (or chair's) underside with a putty knife, and wipe the area again with the cleaning solution in the spray bottle.

  6. Remove dried glue or stubborn stickers with a citrus-based cleaner like Goo Gone.