There are several ways to clean a slate, but some are more effective than others. If you don't clean it properly, you risk ending up with plaster residue. Fortunately, to get a good result it is possible to use various ingredients, natural and otherwise.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Remove Most of the Chalk
Step 1. Use an eraser
Make sure it's clean. The best way to clean a whiteboard is to make an up and down motion. To get started, remove the most noticeable chalk marks with an eraser.
- Making an up and down motion prevents chalk dust from forming uneven spots. Start cleaning the whiteboard with the eraser starting from the top left corner.
- Following a vertical movement, you will finish the procedure in the upper right corner. Felt erasers are effective for cleaning whiteboards. You can also do a horizontal movement, but not a circular one.
- When you have finished using the eraser, wipe with a dry, clean, lint-free cloth; a suede one will also do.
Step 2. Clean the eraser
If you choose a felt one, you will probably need to use it regularly, so it is good to clean it.
- Beat the erasers together daily to clean them. Since this process will help you get rid of chalk dust, it's best to do it outdoors.
- To further clean the erasers, soak a cloth in warm water. Pass it over the felt surface to remove chalk dust more carefully.
- There are special solutions for cleaning erasers. They can be found in stationery stores.
Step 3. Use a dry cloth
Some prefer this method to the classic felt eraser to remove chalk from blackboards.
- There are cloths specifically designed for whiteboards. You can find them in stationery stores. You can reuse them and can last up to a year.
- Before wiping the chalkboard with the cloth, try spraying it with a dusting spray.
- When wiping a slate with a dry cloth, follow the same up and down motion recommended for the eraser.
Method 2 of 3: Clean the Blackboard with Homemade Ingredients
Step 1. Try lemon essential oil
It will wipe chalk dust off the board, leaving it smooth, clean and free of residue.
- Lemon essential oil is extracted from the peel of the citrus fruit and some also use it to clean the fingerboard of the guitar. It's antibacterial, and who doesn't like its fresh smell?
- Pour 2 teaspoons of lemon essential oil onto a dry cloth. Fold it into a square and place it in an airtight plastic bag. Lemon also allows you to polish the slate.
- After letting it sit for 24 hours, remove the cloth from the plastic bag and wipe it over the board. At the time of preparation, try to put 2 rags in the bag - since you should clean the slate daily, you will have one available for the next day.
Step 2. Try a carbonated drink
You may think that Coke can make the slate sticky and unusable, but many use it for this and claim it is more effective than water.
- Pour half a glass of Coke into a bowl. Take a damp cloth and dip it into the bowl to absorb some of the product. Either way, any cola should work, including Pepsi or the diet version.
- Take the Coke-soaked cloth and wipe it over the board. Those who have tried this method say that it dries without leaving a dusty residue.
- It will hardly make the board sticky unless you overdo it. Remember that the cloth should only be moistened with Coca-Cola, preventing it from dripping. This drink can facilitate the adhesion of the plaster to the cloth.
Step 3. Use vinegar and water
Try mixing water and white vinegar, then soak a cloth. This solution will not only eliminate bad smells, but will also prevent the formation of streaks.
- White vinegar is the most suitable product, as the other types (such as balsamic) contain dyes that can ruin the slate.
- Calculate half a cup of vinegar for 4 cups of warm water, then soak a cloth in the solution and wipe it across the board. But first, squeeze it out so it doesn't run out.
- Once all the dust has been removed from the surface, it is better to let it dry in the air. You can only use water to clean the slate, but the vinegar makes the procedure more effective.
Method 3 of 3: Using Chemicals to Clean a Blackboard
Step 1. Try mixing water and detergent
Sometimes blackboards need stronger products, especially if they have been smudged with ink, fingerprints or wax paints.
- Mix water and a mild detergent. For example, you can use a few drops of dish soap and apply it with a cloth to remove stains. Prefer a non-oily and non-abrasive product. You can try cleaning the chalkboard with just water and a rag, but when it dries, some gray residue may remain due to the chalk that has not been removed.
- Applying water to a chalkboard causes streaks to form, so even if you have removed the chalk dust, some residue remains. Mixing water with detergent should reduce the likelihood of this occurring.
- You could use a window cleaner eraser to wipe the solution off the board after applying it.
Step 2. Purchase a dedicated whiteboard cleaner
There are specific cleaners for these surfaces, available in many stationery stores.
- Some are water based and premixed. They are sold in spray bottles with special dispensers.
- Spray some cleaner on a cloth and wipe it on the board to clean it. Other commercially available products have a foamy base. Some can damage the surface with repeated use.
- Commercially available cleaners have different flavors, for example mint. Foam-based products can prevent streaking as they are less likely to drip.
Step 3. Let the slate air dry well
Try to be patient, do not speed up the process.
- Make sure to let it dry thoroughly before using it, so plan with the times.
- If you write on a damp blackboard with chalk, stubborn stains can form, which are very difficult to remove.
- Once the slate has air-dried, you can complete the process by wiping with a soft, dry cloth.
Step 4. Clean the wall boards
Someone has walls covered with blackboards in the house: if they are not cleaned well, they can be rather unsightly.
- Pour a drop of dish soap into a bucket of water and apply the solution with a soft cloth.
- Remove chalkboard paint with a classic eraser or a damp cloth. This product can be removed just like gypsum.
- Either way, it may be harder to get rid of. Try wiping with a damp cloth. Once the chalkboard has dried, you can use the paint again.
Advice
- The vinegar reacts when it comes into contact with the calcium of the gypsum powder.
- In stationery stores you can find pre-moistened disposable wipes, sprays and special erasers to limit chalk dust as much as possible.
- Generally, a clean, dry eraser or cloth is enough to clean a chalkboard. Using a stronger solution is only necessary 1-2 times a week, so do a deep clean to get rid of dust residues and grease left on your hands.
