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At home or at work, a magnetic chalkboard is undoubtedly a useful tool for marking appointments and deadlines, birthdays and to-dos, shopping lists and menus of the day.
But what can you do when the board is full of writings and you want to erase everything?
In this article, we will explain how to clean your blackboard and make it look like new every time!
How to clean the magnetic board, depending on the material
First of all, it is important to remember that not all blackboards are the same: some are made of slate, others of metal, others of glass; they can be smooth or rough, enamelled or painted, more or less porous...
Depending on the material, therefore, it will be necessary to adopt different cleaning methods.
So let's see how to clean the different types of chalkboards.
How to clean a steel magnetic chalkboard
There is no doubt that steel is the most used material for making magnetic chalkboards.
KalaMitica Magnetic Boards are also made of steel, with a special epoxy powder coating.
Then, how to clean a KalaMitica magnetic board? Nothing simpler!
First of all, it is important to use the right tools to write: in addition to the classic chalks, we recommend using only the liquid chalk markers by Securit.
Over the years, we have tested many different brands, but not all inks erase perfectly on our boards.
Only by using the Securit markers, we guarantee perfect erasability, simply by using a wet sponge or a damp cloth.
For a deeper cleaning or to remove old writings, you may also need the special Securit cleaner.
Spray it directly on the blackboard, let it act for a few moments and remove everything with a soft cloth or kitchen paper.
If, on the other hand, you have one of our dry-erase whiteboards, which can be written with normal whiteboard markers, just follow the general instructions for cleaning whiteboards.
Read on to find out how!
How to clean a slate board
We all have certainly used them, and we all remember the large amount of chalk dust that remained on our fingers!
Yes, we are talking about slate blackboards, which we can still find today not only in schools, but also in many houses.
Cleaning the writings made with ordinary chalks is actually quite simple: a simple felt eraser or a dry cloth will be sufficient, as long as they are themselves well cleaned. Otherwise, you will just sprinkle more dust on the board!
Also, avoid passing the eraser in a rotary direction: by doing so, you will not be able to remove the excess dust. Instead, it is better to clean the board with horizontal and vertical movements, in order to bring the dust to a corner of the board.
For a more thorough cleaning, or if your slate is dirty with fingerprints or wax paints, try washing it with a mild detergent diluted with water.
Before writing again, let it air dry very well, otherwise stains may form which are difficult to remove!
How to clean a magnetic board made of glass
Magnetic glass boards can be written with different types of markers. Whichever marker you choose, the glass surface will be pretty easy to clean.
In most cases, it will be sufficient to use a board eraser or a soft cloth to remove drawings and writings.
If this is not enough, you will find special detergents on the market, or you can use glass cleaners, always bearing in mind not to use abrasive sponges or aggressive products, which could scratch and damage the glass surface.
How to clean a magnetic whiteboard
The term “whiteboard” usually refers to those that have a glossy, dry-erase surface.
However, these boards can be painted with different types of coating, and therefore require different cleaning methods.
It is therefore advisable to follow the cleaning instructions provided by the manufacturer and use, if necessary, the specific detergent recommended.
However , some basic guidelines apply to all types of whiteboards.
In most cases, you will not need water: a simple soft cloth (for example, microfiber) or a suitable eraser will do their work.
It is important to use only markers that are suitable for whiteboards; other types of markers, in fact, could be very difficult to erase, irreparably staining your whiteboard.
But what if you accidentally write on a whiteboard with a permanent marker? Don't worry, with a simple trick you’ll be able to remove even the most stubborn marks.
Just write over the mark with a dry erase marker (possibly of the same colour), covering it completely, wait a few seconds and remove everything with a soft cloth or eraser. If necessary, you can repeat the operation several times, until all ink residues have been removed.
Finish the cleaning with alcohol or a special detergent. However, remember not to use them directly on the marks, as these substances could fix the ink on the whiteboard.
Isopropyl alcohol, or any other degreaser, will also help you to clean your painted or enamel whiteboard more thoroughly: we recommend that you carry out a thorough cleaning at regular intervals, even if the board does not appear particularly dirty.
Our tips for keeping the magnetic board clean
Whatever the type of chalkboard, the most important thing is to clean it regularly.
In this way, you will prevent the ink from drying out too much, making it difficult to remove.
It is therefore better to clean the board after each use or at the latest within a couple of days, then carrying out a deeper cleaning from time to time, depending on the frequency of use.
Obviously, also the tools for daily cleaning must be clean: it is therefore necessary to beat or wash cloths and erasers frequently, and let them dry well before using them again.
Furthermore, never try to remove stains and halos with sharp or metallic objects, or to use abrasive or particularly aggressive substances, which could scratch the board and damage its surface.
Therefore, avoid using products that are too acidic or too basic, such as muriatic acid, bleach or descaling detergents; if you want to use lemon juice or vinegar, make sure they are sufficiently diluted with water.
In the absence of specific products for blackboards cleaning, the best thing is always to use neutral and delicate detergents, such as Marseille soap.
What are the best accessories and products to clean magnetic chalkboards?
In summary, for the routine maintenance of any type of blackboard and to eliminate fairly recent writing, a felt eraser or a simple cloth (wet or dry) should be sufficient.
Alternatively, you can try using a soft eraser such as that for illustrators, also known as "kneaded eraser": before using it, test it on a corner, to make sure it doesn't damage the writing surface.
If these methods are not working, on the market there are many specific detergents for cleaning blackboards.
They are often sold together with the blackboard itself, therefore we recommend that you follow the manufacturer's instructions to choose the most suitable one.
If you want to use more natural and DIY methods, you can try diluting one part of vinegar in 9 parts of water. Be careful not to exceed these proportions, as the acid composition of the vinegar could ruin the surface of the blackboard. Pass this solution on the board, rinse with a well-wrung cloth and dry with a dry cloth or kitchen paper.
Finally, to remove some types of stains from dry-erase whiteboards, you can also try using isopropyl alcohol, making sure, in this case too, to finish the cleaning by rinsing and drying your board very well.
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