Stained dry erase boards?

[chemteach55]

If it is showerboard (like mine are) instead of a real whiteboard, the best thing you can do it to just get it replaced. We have tried everything on my board but it is permanently stained. I am replacing mine and not writing on it much. I will use my projector and project from my computer.

[wcormode]

Dry erase marker over a permanent marker will allow you to erase that. No need for special removers.

Anyone that uses anything but the expo solution, water, or alcohol is removing the finish.

My boards worked great all year until a student tried to be helpful and grabbed the disinfectant bottle and cleaned them. The finish came right off and they havent worked since. I was told to clean with water, then alcohol and then do small circles with a magic eraser to put a new polish on. I am currently watching my board dry to see if it works.

[czacza]

Lestoil

[ami6880]

I have found that using Germ-X works really well on expo and Visa markers

[scholarteacher]

Nail polish remover works well for me.

[bondo]

I use vinegar to get my stains out. Smelly but effective. If that does not work I use very diluted bleech.

[flexmb]

Here is instructions for cleaning and maintaining a dry erase board found on a manufacturers website - hope this helps.

Using a clean, dry cloth and a non-abrasive liquid cleanser (Window or generic glass cleaner), gently clean the entire board to loosen any residue from the board. Then use a dry cloth to wipe clean the entire surface to remove all dirt and residue from the previous step. Next, using clean water, rinse the entire board and then with a dry towel wipe the entire board dry. The rinsing and drying steps are extremely important and if ignored may cause underperformance of the product. Porcelain whiteboards are much like glass and can be maintained in a similar fashion. whiteboards can be cleaned as often as required and will not be damaged as long as the proper cleaning methods are used. Here are a few tips to keep your board in optimal condition. We recommend only cleaners that have been tested to work on our dry erase products such as our #683 board cleaner, Expo whiteboard cleaner, or Windex (or generic glass cleaner). TEMP or isopropyl alcohol may be used to remove stubborn build-up caused by repeated use (recommended to use moderately).Please note that cleaners that are not recommended may leave a residual film that may cause the whiteboard not to function properly and result in customer dissatisfaction and may also void the warranty of the product. All dry erase markers will write legibly on our board but may not erase properly due to their composition. We recommend the use of our markers, Expo brand markers, or a similar solvent-based marker. If you use your board daily, we recommend that you clean the surface at least twice per week. In addition, it is important to know that leaving ink on the board for an extended period of time can lead to "ghosting". We recommend that you erase your whiteboard on a regular basis. If this is not possible, it may be necessary to clean your board following the steps outlined above to return the surface to its original condition. If someone accidently uses a permanent marker on a porcelain dry erase board, all is not lost. One trick would be to write over the permanent marker with a dry erase marker and then erase it. Generally, rubbing alcohol also works to remove permanent marker from a dry erase whiteboard.

[Sarge]

Hand santizer.

[Upsadaisy]

Ditto. I buy it at the dollar store.

[EMonkey]

Windex works great. My board had worked fine for years and the summer before last some one cleaned it so it started holding markings. I cleaned it with Windex really thoroughly and I have not had a problem since. Otherwise I use dry erase markers to remove permanent marker if it gets on the board and expo wipes most of the time. The hardest ink to remove is the ink from the overhead markers it just smears and takes serious repeated scrubbing.