How to Restore a Whiteboard: Common Myths vs. Effective Solutions

These days, the question of how to restore a whiteboard pops into many people’s minds. Whiteboards are the main focal point for communication in countless classrooms, homes, and offices around the world. However, in schools, for instance,   worn, dingy whiteboard surfaces often impede effective teaching and learning. Old melamine whiteboards that are hard to write on can be exasperating for teachers, students, and any other type of user. However, restoring the boards with premium whiteboard paint is a trouble-free, economical, and permanent answer to this problem.

1. Debunking popular whiteboard cleaning myths

The internet is full of websites that offer suggestions on how to restore whiteboards to their original look. Ideas range from using toothpaste and a washcloth to methylated spirits to WD40 and paper towels. You can spend hours scrolling through online forums. There, users describe how they used one ingenious method or another to restore their previously unusable whiteboard to its former glory.

You can employ many types of tricks when trying to fix your whiteboard’s staining issue. Some may work OK in the short run. However, no DIY restoration method is as effective as a complete overhaul with top-quality whiteboard paint. Below are some popular online whiteboard restoration techniques, along with why they’re ineffective.

Toothpaste

Using toothpaste as a cleaner is commonly described by DIY enthusiasts as a fix for dirty, stained whiteboards. One site suggests squirting toothpaste directly from the tube onto a discolored whiteboard and then using a soft cloth to rub the surface clean. The site suggests then wiping the entire whiteboard down with another cloth. However, while this procedure may make your whiteboard look dirt-free for a short time, toothpaste is an abrasive cleaning material. Tiny, abrasive cleaning particles are part of almost all toothpaste formulations on the market today.

The most commonly used abrasive contained in toothpaste is particulate hydrated silica. This chemical is called a “high-performance abrasive,” meaning it does a good job of scratching the surfaces it’s applied to. What’s more, many brands of toothpaste use low-quality imported silica with large abrasive particles that can be especially damaging to your whiteboard.

Thus, toothpaste can ruin a whiteboard’s finish over a period of time by creating tiny scratches that trap dry erase ink. This trapped ink, in turn, leads to more surface staining, which may be even more challenging to remove than the staining that was present in the first place.

WD-40

We all love our handy whiteboards for brainstorming and communicating in the home, office, or classroom.  But what happens when their once-pristine surfaces begin to look stained and scratched, and are impossible to clean? That’s when many whiteboard users turn to WD-40 as a quick fix for stains. Applying WD-40 to a whiteboard might briefly remove the persistent smudges and ink lines that regular cleaning can’t tackle. But it’s not a long-term solution. As a matter of fact, it might make matters worse for your board.

First, because WD-40 is an oil-based lubricant, it attracts dust and dirt from dry erase marker ink and the surrounding environment. This makes subsequent attempts to clean your whiteboard even more difficult. Second, the chemicals contained in WD-40 can degrade your whiteboard over time by reacting with the chemicals in the board’s surface. This process makes the board increasingly hard to write on and erase. 

Magic Erasers

Magic erasers are, by their very nature, abrasive. They will, therefore, erode and eventually destroy your whiteboard’s glossy finish. As a result, it’s not wise to use a Magic Eraser to clean a whiteboard, even though it is recommended on some websites. It’s a harsh cleaning tool that can permanently damage the board’s delicate surface.

Ironically, a Magic Eraser is made of melamine, just like the surface of a melamine whiteboard. But its function is totally different. It is designed to clean objects by lightly scrubbing away dirt and grime. This process can be too abrasive for the delicate surfaces of traditional whiteboards.  These boards feature a special coating that’s easy to scratch or damage with abrasive cleaning tools like Magic Erasers.

Rubbing Alcohol

To be sure, rubbing alcohol, aka isopropanol, can take stains off of a whiteboard. However, it can also damage the board’s surface layer, which allows dry erase marker ink to be wiped off cleanly. After a few cleanings with rubbing alcohol, even ink from high-quality dry erase markers will no longer erase completely, and your whiteboard will never again look clean.

Moreover, using rubbing alcohol too often can cause your whiteboard to become dull and faded, reducing its lifespan and usefulness. Hence, rubbing alcohol may offer a quick fix for a stained, unusable whiteboard. However, it’s essential to know that cleaning with alcohol is only a short-term answer. It can permanently damage your board in the long run. 

Clorox wipes and related products

Clorox wipes and other household cleaning products, such as Windex, can easily ruin a whiteboard. This is especially true of boards coated with melamine. Clorox may produce some immediate results with respect to whiteboard cleaning. But it also harms or takes off the board’s surface over time. So, to extend the life of your whiteboard, avoid using these types of cleaners.

2. Why some DIY methods do more harm than good

In light of the examples mentioned above, it’s evident that many popular DIY cleaning methods are ultimately harmful to your whiteboard. The materials used are typically too abrasive or chemically reactive with the boards’ delicate melamine surface. As a result, using these approaches can damage the whiteboard’s functionality and reduce its smoothness over time, resulting in a board that is difficult to write on, erase, and clean.

3. Proven solutions that effectively remove stains and restore whiteboard functionality

So, what’s the ultimate solution for rejuvenating your whiteboard to eliminate staining and revive its usefulness? Restoring it with premium whiteboard paint will do the trick. Refurbishing a whiteboard with whiteboard paint involves lightly sanding the surface, applying a suitable base coat, and then installing the paint. After installation, your renewed whiteboard surface will be ready to write on in 48 hours. Consequently, your downtime is minimized, and you can quickly return to work with your revitalized board.

As opposed to replacing your whiteboard with a new one, restoring the board with whiteboard paint is a cost-effective tactic that will save you money in the long run. Premium whiteboard paint’s great durability will allow you to use your board for ten or more years without needing replacement. By contrast, if you choose not to recoat it, you’ll have to replace your board with a new one every two to three years when it gets too stained to write on. The need to regularly discard old whiteboards is both costly and harmful to the environment. It adds large amounts of non-recyclable waste to our landfills.

4. Benefits of Restoring Your Whiteboard with Whiteboard Paint

Restoring your whiteboard with premium whiteboard paint has numerous advantages. It’s a sustainable strategy that’s both good for the earth and good for your budget. Moreover, it will greatly enhance your whiteboard’s performance, making it easier to write on, erase, and clean. On top of that, whiteboard paint will give your board a fresh, new appearance that will inspire creativity and greater communication in you and others.

So, if you want to avoid temporary fixes and decide on a long-term answer for your whiteboard issues, consider restoring it with whiteboard paint. Give your whiteboard a new lease on life with a new look and renewed functionality. Whiteboard paint offers a versatile, long-lasting solution that can be used in a variety of settings. This makes it the ideal choice for someone who is looking for a reliable writing surface that will stand the test of time and save money as well.

Summary

Article Name

How to Restore a Whiteboard: Common Myths vs. Effective Solutions

Description

Discover the truth about how to restore a whiteboard as we debunk common myths and reveal effective solutions for a lasting fix.

Author

Susan Anspach

Publisher Name

ReMARKable Whiteboard Paint

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