Easiest Way to Clean Black Chalkboards

People looking for the easiest way to clean black chalkboards are probably pressed for time and do not want to deal with having to mix a cleaning solution. Luckily, there is a system that will work, and it only takes minutes.

Cleaning with a sponge and water can lead to ghosting, even if done daily.

Arguably, the easiest way to clean black chalkboards is to use a chemically treated chalkboard cloth. It only takes three steps to get the chalkboard looking great.

1. Clean off most of the chalk using a traditional eraser.
2. Remove the cloth from its package and fold it into a rectangle.
3. Place it at the top left of the board and wipe in rows.

There is no need to wet the cloth or apply any cleaner. It can be reused daily for up to one year.

While most shops that sell supplies for teachers should have these cloths for sale, they are also available online in the following places:

• Open Tip
• Find Import Amazon Webstore
• K12 School Supplies
• Education 4 Kids

People who need to clean their black chalkboards immediately and do not have access to chalkboard cloths can try one of the following methods, all of which are fairly simple and quick.

1. Vinegar – Mix together one cup of vinegar and eight cups of water at room temperature. Drop a rag into the mixture. Wring it out and fold it into a rectangle. Clean in rows as above. Make sure to use white vinegar so as not to discolor the chalkboard.
2. Dusting Spray –Since chalk is in fact dust, another good thing to try is spraying a rag with Endust or a similar solution and then using it to wipe the board, reapplying the solution to the rag directly as needed.
3. Tissues – Sometimes a tissue is all it takes, especially if it is a thick one that contains lotion. It can cause the chalk dust to stick right to it when swiped over top of it. However, it can take a lot of tissues to clean one blackboard, especially a large classroom sized one.

Another good piece of advice is to erase the board as little as possible over the course of the day. Each time it’s erased, chalk dust will fly, causing it to move to more areas of the board and also land in the chalk tray. It’s also important to remove the chalk from the erasers, which can be accomplished by clapping two of them together, chalky side in, or by hitting them against the wall or on the ground.

While using a sponge and straight water seems like it would be a good, easy way to clean the board and a lot of teachers use this method, it’s not the best solution in the long run. First of all, the water can damage the board over time. Secondly, it can lead to a ghosting effect, where an outline of the writing remains on the board in the background. Over time the ghosting can build up, making the board have a grayish tint instead of its true color.

Those using water should at minimum add a squirt of dish soap to it before cleaning the board. They must then rinse off the soap with a second bucket and sponge.

Letting the board air dry is usually the way to go. It doesn’t take an overwhelming amount of time and can help to prevent streaks. People that need their blackboards right away and don’t have time to wait should dry them using microfiber cloths to prevent lint deposits. Note that no drying is necessary after using a treated chalkboard cloth.

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