How to Restore Whiteboard Surfaces – A DIY Guide

Whiteboards are a mainstay in both classrooms and workplaces. From lectures to meetings and fun games in the office to classroom quizzes, it is easier to imagine a space for interaction and collaboration with a whiteboard.

However, over time, the smooth, bright surface of the whiteboard gives way to stains, marker residue, scratches, and fading. The ink of dry-erase markers doesn’t hold properly and the dark impressions remain also known as ghosting no matter how much you wipe the board.

Thankfully, you do not have to throw away the whiteboard when that happens. There are easy ways to restore whiteboard surfaces and give them a new life. The best part is, you can do it yourself.

Different ways to restore whiteboards

First off before you decide you need to restore your board or whiteboard surface, ensure the poor performance is not caused by old marker ink or marker residue buildup. This is a common issue and really impacts performance but it can easily be remedied

The reason for old marker residue is typically not using an appropriate cloth to clean the board that lifts or removes the old ink, so, it’s best to use a microfibre cloth.

Another culprit is using whiteboard cleaner with tissues. While the cleaning fluid wets and dissolves the ink, the tissue pushes it around the surface. Then, it redries as a fine skin as materials like tissue are not great for removing. These are common issues with whiteboards that impact their performance.

The good news is that it’s easy to fix this: Remove the old ink residue with a product like the Smart Pro Cleaner and a microfibre cloth. This will restore the board surface to its best condition.

A homemade remedy for whiteboard ink residue is

• 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons of milk
• 2 Tablespoons of Borax

Mix together in a bowl and clean the surface with a microfibre cloth. This homemade ink remover will also remove that ink residue.

However, if those tips don’t work or your whiteboard is just worn out, then, the following methods will allow you to refurbish your old whiteboards and increase their longevity without compromising the smoothness or the dry-erase qualities.

Restore whiteboard surfaces by coating them with whiteboard paint

One coat of primer followed by smart whiteboard paint by Smarter Surfaces will give you a brand-new writable surface. The paint comes with an application kit complete with a roller handle, multiple roller sleeves, gloves, and a stirring stick – everything you need to apply the paint by yourself.

The whiteboard paint is also available in a clear version but the clear whiteboard paint is for creating a writable surface on a wall or board of any colour. Since your goal is to restore a whiteboard which may have stains and dark spots, it is better to go with the white variant but remember, one coat of white primer first

Restore a whiteboard surface with a self-adhesive whiteboard film

Self-adhesive whiteboard film is specially designed for the purpose of refurbishing whiteboards. Whiteboards aside, it can turn any smooth surface other than a wall into a writable surface.

The process of applying the self-adhesive whiteboard film is very simple and very quick. All you need to do is cut the film to fit on the surface, peel the backing away and put the sticky side on the surface. Use the application guide to ensure correct and seamless application.

The self-adhesive whiteboard film by Smarter Surfaces has Three variants White Gloss, White Low Sheen and Clear. The white variants are more suitable for restoring whiteboards while the clear variant can be used on tabletops, panels, doors, etc. where you’d want to retain the original colour of the surface. The low sheen is ideal where projectors are also used on the surface. The whiteboard films come with a product guarantee of 5 years.

How to maintain your whiteboard for a longer life

You can retain the performance of a whiteboard surface by using the right products for writing, wiping, and cleaning.

• Use high-quality professional dry-erase markers for writing.
• You should always use a microfibre eraser cloth for wiping off the ink.
• Use a dry-erase cleaner to clean your whiteboard after every session of use.
• Keep a permanent marker remover handy for cleaning stains, and permanent ink.

Do more than just restore – improve your whiteboards

When the necessity to restore a whiteboard emerges it brings an opportunity to enhance the functionality of your whiteboard. You can turn the writable surface of your whiteboard into a writable, projectable, and magnetic surface.

Apply a few coats of magnetic paint on your old whiteboard and apply a coat of matt whiteboard paint to it. It will give you a brand new whiteboard that you can write on, project on, and stick magnets to. All of a sudden the simple whiteboard becomes a dynamic centre for interactive sessions of learning and communication.

You can also use the low-sheen projector whiteboard film to create a writable surface that you can project upon. You can add magnetic functionality to it by applying a few coats of magnetic paint before putting the film on.

Try an alternative to whiteboards – writable walls

Whiteboards are great – they’re easy to use and easy to refurbish – but with one limiting characteristic, their size. When it is time to restore whiteboards in your educational institution or office, you can consider turning entire walls into whiteboards. Yes, you can create a writable wall in a classroom or in an office using Smarter Surfaces products.

• You create more space for collaboration and communication
• You encourage children to innovate by removing the size barrier of whiteboards
• By implementing additional functionalities like magnetism and projectability, you create dynamic possibilities for communication and collaboration.

Smarter Surfaces’ range of whiteboard wallpapers is perfect for the purpose of replacing whiteboards with writable walls. These wallpapers are easy to apply, perfect for seamless writing, and extremely durable. The wallpapers come in magnetic and projection variants. The Magnetic Projector Screen Whiteboard Wallpaper ties all three functionalities into one neat product that can transform any interactive space into a hub of active participation and innovation.

Do it yourself with help from Smarter Surfaces

Our product advisors are always ready to help you find the right solution for a specific need be it the restoration of an old whiteboard or turning a regular wall into a multi-functional writable surface. Book a free video consultation with experts now. Or you can get in touch with us through chat, phone, and email. The lines are open 24/7. We have also created detailed installation videos to guide you through the DIY journey.