Friday, September 28, 2012

Cleaning Liquid Chalks off a Chalkboard


I was one of those teenagers who had quotes from songs and books all over her room.  I am no longer a teenager, but I still have favorite quotes that swim around in my head.  We recently remodeled our kitchen and I wanted a chalkboard on our pantry door, not for shopping lists~ but for words I love.
I got the chalkboard and bought some liquid chalks (because I think they look nicer and I liked the bright colors).
I loved it!!! Until it came time to clean it... (Ehhh!)
I tried cloth (awful), water (not much better) and then I tried google.
No one had any great ideas to clean liquid chalk off chalkboards.
I found everything from using lemon juice, Dawn detergent, ammonia, vinegar... 
AND I TRIED IT ALL!
Nothing worked and I was so upset.

Then I saw they sold a special "liquid chalk remover" on Amazon and when I read the comments someone said, "Don't bother!  Just use Windex.  Same ingredients!"
I was so excited because now that I use just soap and water to clean my windows, I had PLENTY of Windex, just sitting in my cleaning closet.
I tried it.

It wasn't wonderful, but at least it got it off.  I had to use some pressure but I did get the vibrant colors off.  You could still see it though, so I thought perhaps I should use some chalk the way one would to 'prime' a chalkboard.


I let it sit for a while... and prayed some...
Then got the Windex back out and...


MUCH BETTER!


So now I can "Write On"
and not be afraid it will stay on!

95 comments:

  1. Good to know. (They didn't mention this one in My Big Fat Greek Wedding!)

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    Replies
    1. The thing i found that gets it off with no soaking or scrubbing is magic eraser.its magic for sure

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  2. Replies
    1. I do... I find some brands better than others though! :P

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    2. I'd like to know too. What brand do you suggest?

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    3. Crafty Croc liquid chalk markers are the best but they are DIFFICULT to remove, even using Windex! :( (On a blackboard)

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    4. I use a brand called Bistro, and clean it off with a Glass Stove Tope cleaner. Just a little on the end of your finger, rub in circular motion, and it does the trick. Unfortunately I think there is a cost to this technique, one where it may be removing some of the board surface since it is a mild abrasive.

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  3. A few splashes of Oxiclean laundry stain remover, and some (but not much) scrubbing with a rough sponge removes the chalk and leaves the board completely clean and black.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the tip!! I have a lot of that! I'll have to try to see if it gets some of the old stained liquid chalk off (the brand I used to use was AWFUL!).

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  4. Windex and oxiclean did not work for me... But the magic eraser did!

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    Replies
    1. The magic eraser worked!!!!!! I just used it! Thanks for your advice.

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    2. The magic eraser is the only thing that worked for us! Thank you!!

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    3. Magic eraser only thing that worked for me too. However it was difficult. Added a little vinegar water to the eraser and that helped.

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  5. Windex totally worked on some homemade boards that had sat since my wedding Mid August! Super impressed!

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  6. thank God, for your hel...starting to ged desperate here!

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  7. Magic eraser with windex and its good as new!

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  8. I want to have that quote from the last image on my wall

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  9. What brands of liquid chalk work better?

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  10. I tried all of the hints others suggested. Nothing worked until I tried the magic eraser with Windex. It got all the white color off. I can still faintly read the words but at least I will be able to use the black board again. Thanks for the help!

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  11. Love the fact that you prayed. It always works!!

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  12. I used murphy's Oil Clean & Shine Mu,it-purpos cleaner. Scrub, scrub, scrub. Almost good as new. The chalk had been on for a long time. I was out of Magic Erasers, but want to try the two together next time.

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  14. I am out of Windex, so I just used baking soda and a damp cloth. Worked great!

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  15. Jif* (brand name) cream cleanser worked for me too :)

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  16. My boyfriend has an old bar chalkboard..would you recommend me using liquid chalk markers? I don't want to wreck it but my daughter keeps breaking all my chalk..

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    Replies
    1. We used the Craft Croc liquid chalk markers and they worked GREAT but then were very difficult to erase. We have since bought a "chalkboard liner" that goes over the board making it more non-porous, which makes the markers easier to remove.

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  17. Magic eraser and a whole lot of elbow grease was my magic pair. Nothing else I've tried has worked.

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  18. I use nail polish remover-pour a little bit on the eraser-works like a charm.

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  19. I use nail polish remover-pour a little bit on the eraser-works like a charm.

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  20. Thank you for posting this. The windex took the chalk right off and my chalkboard looks like new! :)

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  21. Thanks for the advice am going to try the magic eraser nothing else seems to work

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  22. Thanks for the advice am going to try the magic eraser nothing else seems to work

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  23. Seeing we don't have winded here in the UK any other suggestions have tried the others.

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  24. @Donna Pawlak, I just discoved this handy blog today and am thus only just seeing your post. However, if your question about UK equivalents to the U.S.'s Windex still applies, here are some of the UK products that reminded me a bit of the ammonia-based Windex during my four years of postgraduate school in England: Windolene; Kleen Off, and Halford's Glass Cleaner (from Halford's auto stores).

    If your board is still being stubborn, I hope that one of these suggestions helps!

    :) LG

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  28. Blog Proprietress Laura, thanks so much for this excellent post -- and for the extremely helpful ideas that you and your readers have exchanged here in the comments. Spurred by enthusiasm during a special review session that I held for students in a *senior colleague's* classroom this afternoon, I picked up a handful of said colleague's chalk markers and used them to highlight points in the historical outline I'd drawn on the blackboard in regular chalk -- only to discover (to my horror!) after class that not even the stuff in the "Blackboard Cleaner" bottle on my colleague's desk could get the chalk marker off.

    Googling your post has given me new hope! (I was thinking that I was going to have to flee town and change my name, as my colleague's hair-trigger temper is legendary!) Thanks so much!

    Gratefully Bookmarking Your Great Blog -- and Heading Out to Buy Windex,
    LG

    P.S. Sorry about the 3 aborted posting attempts above: I've got butterfingers at Blogger!

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  29. I made many chalkboards for Christmas this year putting cork boards on the other side for take along notes and used chalk paint. The can said not to use liquid chalk markers but I tried it on mine for a test and like many others, I tried many things to remove shadow. Finally I used a handi-wipe brand cloth and then dried with a micro small towel and it works great...no shadow! I also bought chalk contact type to do the last few but that does leave a shadow, so back to the Rustoleum chalk paint. By the way the marker is "Bistro Chalk Marker', perhaps all markers are not the same.

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  30. What about the chalk boards you stick on the wall (not paint). Can you use the liquid chalk on these? What do you use to clean it if you can use the liquid chacl?

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  31. Thanks for all these tips just about to try Windex again but I may need a Magic Eraser? What is a M.E. though pleeease share?

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  32. Mix bicarbonate soda and vinegar. And wipe it on then wipe it off. Voila. Chalk pen erased.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thankyou, this worked beautifully and I had the ingredients at home!

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  37. Do any of these remedies work on clothes as well???

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