Cleaning and maintaining
green, grey or blue enamel-steel boards.
Note on COVID-19: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers detailed cleaning and disinfecting guidance depending on how often surfaces are touched. To learn more about their latest recommendations, please visit www.coronavirus.gov.
General information: The durability and continuing high surface quality of enamel-steel writing surfaces depend primarily on their correct cleaning.
Initial cleaning: Completely cover the surface with white chalk and then wash off the chalk with a moist cloth or sponge. Then wipe the surface with a household or neutral cleaner, leave to act for a short time and then wash off with plentiful water. Remove any remaining water with a squeegee-type rubber board wiper. This initial cleaning can greatly reduce the appearance of streaks on the board.
Ongoing cleaning: After use or at the end of teaching, always clean the board with a well-moistened sponge or cloth and wipe off the water with a squeegee-type rubber board wiper. The surface should be cleaned at least once a week with a household or neutral cleaning agent and then be rinsed off with plenty of water. This is particularly important if chalk or oil-based working materials or cleaning agents containing paraffin are used. Boards should not be cleaned dry too frequently as this favours the appearance of streaks. Aluminium frames should also be wiped dry after cleaning.
Do not use any aggressive and/or abrasive cleaning materials. Hard lime scale deposits or stains can be removed using warm water with 10% citric acid or using a vinegar-based cleaner. After cleaning, wipe over the board with clean, warm water. If possible, remove any marks made by ball pens, felt pens, marker pens etc. before they dry.
Type of chalk: VS recommends the following chalk types due to their ease of cleaning, writing properties, wear and color intensity: Atla Konvex board chalk from Phytago and board chalk from Efiskreide. Board markers must not be used on green enamel-steel writing surfaces.
Extremely dirty areas should only be cleaned by specialist personnel. In such cases, you are advised to contact the VS Service department directly.