How to Restore a Whiteboard: Identifying the Damage and Choosing the Right Fix

If you’re trying to figure out how to restore a whiteboard, you’re not alone. A lot of frustrated whiteboard users around the world are pondering the same question. That’s because many traditional whiteboards are susceptible to staining, scratching, and built-up marker residue. Such boards are often made of melamine-coated particleboard and can become hard to use after just a short time. Despite your diligent efforts at cleaning, they’re still unattractive and hard to write on. As a result, trying to restore a traditional whiteboard through standard maintenance methods is ultimately pointless.

1. Understanding Common Whiteboard Issues

Conventional whiteboards made of melamine-coated particleboard are impacted by several factors that make them unsightly, difficult to use, and ultimately ineffective.

Dirty dry ink erasers

One reason melamine-coated whiteboards become stained is that the erasers people use on them get dirty due to dry erase ink buildup. This buildup leaves a waxy or oily residue on whiteboards. As a result, when dry ink erasers become fully saturated, they can no longer function effectively and must be cleaned or discarded. 

When was the last time you cleaned your dry ink eraser? It’s probably been a long while if you’ve ever done so. The hassle and mess involved in this process lead many people to avoid it. So, they get stuck in an endless cycle of throwing out caked-up dry ink erasers and buying new ones. 

Dry ink erasers can be washed with soap and water, sprayed with a garden hose, or scrubbed using toothpaste and a washcloth. However, the washed erasers need to be dried for several hours before they can be used again. That means lost time for you. If you try to use them before they’re completely dry, you will create unsightly streaks and smudges.

Chemical reactions between melamine whiteboards and ink

Another thing that causes whiteboards to get stained is the chemical interaction that occurs between melamine and dry erase marker ink. The ingredients in dry erase ink aren’t much different from those in permanent ink. Both types of ink have three main constituents: solvents, pigments, and polymers. The solvent is the liquid that carries the other ink ingredients. After you write with a marker, the solvent quickly evaporates.  The pigment gives the ink its color. 

The key difference between permanent and dry erase markers is the third ingredient: the polymers. Permanent markers normally have acrylic polymers. These chemicals help the colors stick. On the other hand, dry-erase markers have oily silicone polymers. These create a slippery barrier between the pigment and the whiteboard. 

For the most part, these polymers, called “release agents,” stick around and leave a transparent oily residue on the board. However, dry erase marker inks only work well if used on nonporous surfaces like glass or porcelain. Such surfaces contain no minute pores that ink can seep into. 

By contrast, the silicone polymers in dry erase ink can’t form a barrier with a porous surface like a melamine whiteboard. So, the ink seeps into the board, just like any other marker ink. After lots of use, melamine whiteboards start to wear down, and cracks and pores open up. This allows the ink to flow down below the surface and dry there to produce stains. 

These stains can also appear if you smear fresh ink markings across a board. This shifts the layers of polymers and pigments around, so the polymers don’t form the normal barrier between the pigment and the board. Stains also typically appear on a melamine whiteboard if the ink is left there for a long period.

By contrast, whiteboards like those made of glass or porcelain that resist ink are incredibly smooth. They have no pores at all. Likewise, premium whiteboard paint creates highly durable nonporous surfaces that ink can’t penetrate.

2. Assessing Whether Your Whiteboard Needs Restoration or Replacement

You’ll know it’s time to replace or restore your whiteboard when you can no longer thoroughly wash the board with your usual cleaner. Typically, you’ll see a gradual onslaught of discoloration because regularly maintaining your board can go only so far to prevent staining. As mentioned, the whiteboard stain is caused by dry erase markers containing dark ink coated in a polymer. The polymer keeps the ink from directly contacting the whiteboard’s surface. But when written on and erased over and over again, the board becomes porous. This allows ink to sink in and stain the board, eventually making it useless.

3. Matching the Right Fix to Your Whiteboard’s Condition

If your whiteboard has reached “the point of no return” in terms of staining, the proper fix is to restore it with top-quality whiteboard paint. Recoating your board with whiteboard paint will take it to a new level of functionality and attractiveness. You’ll never again have to worry about staining. Like a high-quality glass or porcelain whiteboard, it will be free of the tiny pores that made the original melamine surface prone to this problem. Premium whiteboard paint creates highly durable, nonporous writing surfaces that ink can’t penetrate.

All it takes to restore a stained melamine whiteboard is to coat it with one layer of top-quality whiteboard paint on top of an appropriate base paint. Doing so will give you a new whiteboard that’s highly durable, impermeable to marker ink, and easy to write on and erase. Your restored whiteboard will be comparable to an expensive board made of porcelain steel or glass.

4. Keeping Your Whiteboard in Top Shape After Restoration

The whiteboard paint on your restored whiteboard is guaranteed to be durable and stain-resistant. Nonetheless, following certain procedures is important to keep it in ideal condition.

Do periodic maintenance

Whiteboards restored with premium whiteboard paint are highly stain-resistant due to the paint’s top-quality ingredients. However, periodic cleaning with a microfiber cloth and a whiteboard cleaner can help to maintain a pristine surface. It’s essential to use an eco-friendly water-based solution like ReMARKable dry-erase cleaner that is designed for whiteboards or whiteboard painted surfaces. Avoid cleaners containing harsh chemicals like ammonia or bleach. These can damage the sheen and functionality of your restored whiteboard’s surface.

A light spraying with an eco-friendly water-based cleaner, a gentle wiping with a microfiber cloth, followed by a wipe down with a water-dampened cloth is all you need to do. In this way, you can cleanse your surface of dry erase ink markings before they set and become harder to remove.

By following this procedure, you will keep your restored whiteboard easy to write on and erase and look new for many years. Our proprietary brand of cleaner is safe, low in odor, and kind to the environment. It contains no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the toxic, smelly chemicals found in most household cleaners. For this reason, the cleaner is safe to use in homes, offices, and any other place frequented by people.

Make sure to erase only after the ink is dry

As mentioned, a whiteboard restored with quality whiteboard paint is highly durable and stain-resistant. However, it’s essential to avoid trying to erase dry erase ink marks before they’re fully dry. As its name suggests, dry erase ink is designed to be erased when dry. Staining and streaking will occur if you try to erase this type of ink while it’s still wet. Should this happen, the unsightly look can be removed with a whiteboard cleaner and a microfiber cloth.

Use Microfiber fabric for erasing and cleaning

It’s best to always erase and clean your restored whiteboard with microfiber fabric. Don’t be concerned if you encounter stubborn marks on your whiteboard. An inexpensive water-based whiteboard cleaner on a microfiber cloth will almost always be able to remove them. Also, when coated properly and used exclusively with low-odor dry erase markers, your whiteboard will always erase cleanly.

Summary

Article Name

How to Restore a Whiteboard: Identifying the Damage and Choosing the Right Fix

Description

Learn how to restore a whiteboard by identifying damage like stains or scratches and choosing the right fix to extend its lifespan.

Author

Susan Anspach

Publisher Name

ReMARKable Whiteboard Paint

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