Chalkboards and chalk markers both have stepped out of the classroom a long time ago!
Along with educational purposes, they are now being used for a variety of other things including DIY decoration, entertainment and even business needs.
A kitchen chalkboard, for instance, makes your life easier by helping you create a cool to-do chore list everyday. A game of “Pictionary” on the board can turn an ordinary family night into a fun, cozy one where everyone is off their phones for a while.
Hey, you can even draw a creative DIY masterpiece for everyone to admire while they visit your home!
We all love having such colorful chalkboard proudly displaying our ideas and dreams, right?
But what if your next idea/design is even more brilliant?
Turns out chalk marker ink isn’t that much forgiving when it comes to erasing your previous creation!
You need to apply some techniques to get those muddy, smudgy marks off the board.
Today, in this article, we will discuss how to remove chalk marker from chalkboard so that you get to create new projects everyday with a clean slate!
Types Of Chalkboards
1. PVC Chalkboard
PVC/acrylic boards are the most common ones available on the market nowadays.
It’s easy to erase any writings off PVC boards if they are made of good-quality materials. However, you might still find some ghosting nevertheless.
2. Porcelain Sheet Chalkboard
If you were looking for high-grade materials, then the porcelain sheet chalkboard is the way to go.
These sheet boards are quite heavy-duty and they are guaranteed to never leave any traces of your previous designs/writings. As they don’t leave any shadows behind, they are suitable for home, commercial and industrial purposes.
3. Slate Chalkboard
Slate chalkboards come with a non-porous surface that’s used to create a rustic appearance. It’s quite easy to remove all kinds of chalk marker ink from this surface as it has a rough and torturous surface.
4. Medium-Density Fiberboard Chalkboard
Medium-density fiberboard aka MDF is an inexpensive chalkboard that’s only designed to be used with traditional chalk.
This board is made of small wood particles that are pressed together. You can use this as an alternative to chalkboard as it’s strong, eco-friendly and versatile. However, you can’t use any chalk marker on this board for writing.
Porous And Non-Porous Surfaces
The word “pore” refers to the tiny openings on a surface.
A porous surface has a rough texture. As it has tiny openings on its surface, once the ink seeps inside, it’s hard to erase the mark completely.Chalkboard-painted MDF board is a good example of such surfaces.
Non-porous surface, on the other hand, doesn’t have those tiny openings and comes with a smooth appearance. As it doesn’t have a rough texture, liquid chalk markers are fully compatible with this particular surface. Porcelain chalkboard, vinyl and slate are some of the examples of non-porous surfaces.
How To Get Chalk Off Chalkboard?
Run A Spot test
Before using any kind of method mentioned down below, first, run a spot test.
- Write something on a small corner of the chalkboard.
- Wait for the ink to dry up completely. It may take 10-15 minutes.
- Try one of the solutions down below and see if it works properly.
Vinegar
Vinegar is an excellent cleaning agent that can help you get rid of even the hardest stains.
- Mix vinegar with water in an appropriate amount. Start with a watery mixture first. Slowly increase the amount of vinegar to see what’s the right amount for you.
- Take a clean cloth and start scrubbing the marks off the chalkboard.
- Leave this solution onto the surface for 15 minutes and let it dry naturally.
- Scrub off any marks that still remain with the cloth.
Magic Eraser
If the vinegar and water mixture doesn’t work, then Mr. Clean Magic Eraser might be able to give you the result you are hoping for. Magic eraser is basically a white sponge that’s perfect for removing mild to intermediate marks off the chalkboard.
- Damp the eraser with water a bit.
- Use it as a regular sponge and wipe down the chalkboard properly.
- Do this repeatedly until you get the desired result.
Windex
Running out of magic eraser from your stock?
Windex can be a nice alternative to that! It’s formulated with detergent, solvent, fragrance, ammonia etc.
- Spray Windex over the chalkboard surface.
- Make sure to spray over the areas you used your marker.
- Wipe it down with a clean cloth.
- Is there any ghost mark left on the surface? Use chalk to prime over the board and spray Windex over it again. It’s best to wait for a few minutes before start priming the surface.
- Wipe everything off the board and get ready to see a spotless surface!
Chalkboard Cleaner+ Melamine Foam Eraser
This is more of a hardcore solution. When nothing else works, this is the way you should try cleaning your board.
- Take a lint-free white cloth and damp it with chalkboard cleaner. You can use glass cleaning wipes in place of the cloth if you want.
- Use gentle pressure on the cloth and wipe down the inked surface with it.
- If there’s still some stain left, then use Melamine Foam Eraser to get rid of it.
- To use the eraser, wet a corner, wring out any extra moisture and rub on the inked surface.
- Wait for a few minutes so that the area becomes dry and spotless.
Vinegar+ Chalkboard Cleaner
Desperate time calls for desperate measures. And in this case, we are going to combine 2 of the strongest solution to remove even the toughest stains!
- Take a plastic container and mix a solution of vinegar and chalkboard cleaner in it.
- Grab a sponge or small towel and soak it in the mixture.
- Rub on the affected area and let the solution sit for 5 minutes.
- Scrub off the stains with a cloth and let it dry naturally.
What Can You Do To Prevent Chalk Ghosting In The Future?
We all know prevention is better than cure.But still, we manage to apply this theory in real life!
To help you stop making mistakes, we have combined some ways you can prevent chalk ghosting in the future and make your life easier from now on.
Know What Type Of Surface You Are Writing On
Before starting to write on your chalkboard, you should check to see whether the surface is porous or non-porous.
A porous chalkboard absorbs all ink from the marker and makes it almost impossible to erase. You can only use traditional chalk with this particular version. Non-porous surfaces perform much better in this regard and make it easy for you to remove any unwanted contents made by the marker.
So, before using your chalk marker it’s a good idea to see if the tool you are using is compatible with the surface you are working on.
Season The Chalkboard
Just like your cast-iron skillet needs a bit of seasoning before frying the first omelet, chalkboards crave for similar treatment to perform better!
To prime the board well, take a piece of chalk marker and rub it on the entire surface properly. Use vertical stroke for the first time.
Once it’s done, get ready to cover the surface again with chalk. This time go with horizontal strokes instead.
Now that the entire surface is covered, take a dry paper towel and rub it all off. This way, the marker will fill up any pores that were on the surface and make it easy to remove ink afterward.
Tips And Tricks To Help You Out!
1. While using the Melamine Foam Eraser, do NOT use any firm pressure on the surface as that might result in removing some of the chalkboard paint.
2. Always do a spot test before trying to remove marks from a big surface.
3. Before using any of the methods mentioned above, try using a clean, damp cloth to remove the ink. If the marks are light, the board will become spotless using this simple method.
4. Do NOT use dustless chalk to prime your board.
5. Always keep 2-3 dry rags/towels nearby while erasing the surface to prevent any dried and unwanted chalk-smear.
Wrapping It up
Erasing chalk marker ink doesn’t need to be a series of trials and experiments.
With all these clever techniques given this article, we are pretty sure you will know how to remove chalk marker from chalkboard like a pro from now on!
Hopefully, our article has helped you find more ways to try different chalkboard projects so that you can explore your creative side without worry.