A whiteboard that won't wipe clean is usually carrying a film of old marker residue that erasing alone leaves behind. The right cleaner and a second dry cloth lift it without wearing the surface.
Quick answer: Erase the whole board, spray it with whiteboard cleaner and wipe that off, then go over it with a second dry cloth so no cleaner is left to mix with the next ink. For grey ghosting, rub with 70% isopropyl alcohol on a cloth. For permanent marker, draw over it with a dry-erase marker, then erase. Never use anything abrasive.
Which whiteboard do you have?
The surface decides how hard you can clean. Try a magnet: Quartet describes melamine boards as non-magnetic, while porcelain boards usually have a steel backing and painted boards are steel.
Board | How to recognise it | Everyday clean | Ghosting and stubborn marks |
|---|---|---|---|
Porcelain (vitreous enamel) on steel | Magnetic; Visionchart's carry a 25-year warranty | Whiteboard cleaner or warm water, then a dry cloth | 70% isopropyl alcohol; for heavy ghosting, a non-abrasive ceramic cooktop cleaner, rinsed off |
Painted (lacquered) steel | Magnetic; "not as tough as porcelain" (Boyd); 8-year warranty at Visionchart | Whiteboard cleaner | 70% isopropyl alcohol, now and then, left to dry before you write |
Melamine or laminate | Not magnetic; budget boards for light, personal use (Quartet) | Whiteboard cleaner | As for painted steel: MooreCo says repeated alcohol wears these coatings |
Glass | Tempered glass, which resists staining and ghosting | Glass board cleaner or glass cleaner | Isopropyl alcohol |
Interactive (touchscreen) whiteboard | A powered screen | Clean it as a screen: see How to Clean a Computer Screen | As for the screen |
Not sure, or a stick-on sheet | No magnet result, no box | Whiteboard cleaner and a dry cloth | Try 70% isopropyl alcohol on a corner first |
Cleaning the rest of the home office? Start with How to Clean Your Desk and Keep It Organised.
How to clean a whiteboard, step by step
You'll need an eraser, a whiteboard cleaner spray (Quartet's 250 mL was $10 at Officeworks on 6 October 2026) and two dry microfibre cloths. Skip paper towel: board maker Ghent says it damages the surface.
- Let fresh writing dry, then erase the whole board, not just the writing. Wet ink smears (Ghent), and a full erase loosens the ink dust in the board's pores so the cleaner can lift it (Quartet).
- Spray the cleaner evenly across the board.
- Wipe it off with the first dry cloth.
- Go over the whole board again with the second dry cloth. Quartet says leftover cleaner combines with the next ink and makes the board harder to erase.
- Still streaky? Wipe with a cloth wrung out in clean warm water and dry again: Boyd's rinse for cleaner residue.
Done looks like: an even gloss across the board, no grey cloud where writing used to be, and a test line that wipes away with a dry eraser.
How often: Boyd suggests two to three cleans a week for a board in moderate use, and at least a weekly clean for one that holds notes for days. Visionchart says writing left on for more than 24 hours gets harder to erase.
How to remove ghosting from a whiteboard
Ghosting is the faint outline of old writing left after you erase. Boyd blames marker residue that builds up where you write, leaving those areas a different gloss; Quartet describes ink trapped in the surface's pores. Visionchart says it isn't a sign of a faulty board. Alcohol dissolves that residue, which water won't.
Safety Never mix cleaning products. Victoria’s Better Health Channel: “Do not mix bleach with ammonia, acids or other cleaners – this can release hazardous chlorine or chloramine fumes.” Ventilate the room during and after use. Wear gloves and eye protection. Follow the label's dilution and contact time. In an emergency call 000. For poisoning advice call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 — 24 hours, anywhere in Australia.
- Open a window and keep isopropyl alcohol away from flames and heaters: Diggers' safety data sheet classes it as highly flammable and a serious eye irritant.
- Use 70% isopropyl alcohol. Hardware-store isopropyl alcohol such as Diggers is over 99%, so mix about 7 parts with 3 parts water.
- Dampen a microfibre cloth, not the board, and rub the ghosted areas in firm circles.
- Wipe dry with a second cloth. On porcelain or glass, repeat until the gloss is even.
- On painted or melamine boards, stop after one pass and let the board dry before you write. Herman Miller caps alcohol at 70% on its Exclave whiteboards and dries them overnight, because stronger cleaning temporarily softens the surface.
- Porcelain only, if ghosting remains: a non-abrasive ceramic cooktop cleaner on a soft cloth, rinsed off thoroughly (MooreCo's fix).
How to get permanent marker off a whiteboard
- Draw over every part of the permanent mark with a dry-erase marker. Quartet suggests a black one.
- Wait a moment. MooreCo wipes after about five seconds, before the solvent in the new ink evaporates; Quartet waits a few minutes. If the first try leaves a shadow, use the other timing on the next pass.
- Erase both inks with an eraser or microfibre cloth.
- Repeat as needed. MooreCo says porous or lower-quality boards can take several passes.
- For anything left, rub in circles with isopropyl alcohol on a cloth, then rinse with clean water and dry (Boyd's method).
- Finish with the everyday clean above.
It works because dry-erase ink carries a solvent that redissolves the permanent ink, so both wipe away together.
How to clean a glass whiteboard
Glass is non-porous, so it resists ghosting. Ghent cleans its glass boards with glass cleaner or isopropyl alcohol on a lint-free microfibre cloth, wiping polished glass in circles to avoid streaks. Quartet doesn't recommend its standard whiteboard cleaner on glass; its glass board cleaner is vinegar-based. The draw-over trick shifts permanent marker on glass too. For tape or sticker marks, see How to Remove Sticker Residue from Any Surface.
What works on a whiteboard, and what ruins it
Method | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
Whiteboard cleaner spray | The default | Quartet says its standard cleaner suits porcelain, melamine and painted steel boards |
70% isopropyl alcohol | Best for ghosting and permanent marker | Boyd calls alcohol and water the most effective whiteboard cleaner; it scored 5 out of 5 on marker in Tyler Akins' 30-cleaner test at rumkin.com |
Warm water, or a drop of dishwashing liquid | Everyday wiping on porcelain | Boyd uses warm water, MooreCo soap and water; for ghosting, both reach for alcohol |
Vinegar | Skip | In the rumkin.com test it only lightened the marks: "use soapy water instead" |
Window or glass cleaner | Glass boards (MooreCo also uses it on porcelain steel) | Ghent says ammonia-based household glass cleaners yellow whiteboards and leave a film |
WD-40 | Skip | MooreCo says it leaves an oily residue you then have to remove |
Hairspray | Skip | It left a sticky residue in the rumkin.com test: "I would not suggest this one" |
Nail polish remover (acetone) | Skip | MooreCo says acetone damages its board coating over time; alcohol scored the same on marker |
Magic eraser (melamine sponge) | Skip | Visionchart rules out abrasives; rumkin.com says it's "slightly abrasive and that will slowly ruin the finish" |
Toothpaste or cream cleanser | Skip | Ghent says they scratch a whiteboard for good; see Toothpaste Cleaning Hacks: Which Work and Which Damage |
Your hand | Skip | Ghent says skin oils build up on the surface over time |
Keeping a whiteboard easy to erase
- Erase after every use (Quartet), and clean too: Boyd says erasing alone stops working if a board is never cleaned.
- Cap markers tightly (Quartet) and replace them when they're nearly dry (Boyd).
- Keep the eraser clean (see the FAQ). MooreCo says an ink-soaked eraser spreads ghosting instead of removing it.
When a whiteboard can't be saved
If a melamine board stays grey after the alcohol clean, MooreCo says the surface may be worn past full restoration, and replacing an old board is often cheaper. Scratches and chips won't clean out of any board.
Simply Maid's checklists cover dusting accessible surfaces such as tables and shelves, but not whiteboard cleaning, so ghosting and permanent marker are a job for you.
Frequently asked questions
How do you clean a whiteboard eraser?
Wash a microfibre eraser cloth in water and let it dry before you use it again, as Quartet advises. A felt eraser gets a new felt or gets replaced: Boyd says dirty felt makes a board harder to erase.
Why won't my new whiteboard erase properly?
Check for a clear protective plastic sheet: Boyd and MooreCo both say to peel it off before first use, and MooreCo warns that writing on it can damage the surface beneath. Then give the board the everyday clean to lift any manufacturing residue.
What's in whiteboard cleaner, and is it safe?
Quartet Whiteboard Cleaner's Australian safety data sheet (April 2026) lists isopropanol, 2-butoxyethanol and an ethoxylated alcohol, each under 10%, and classes it as non-hazardous. It's rated harmful to aquatic life, so don't tip leftovers down the drain, and keep it away from children.
Last reviewed 6 October 2026 · Update history
Sources & References
- Boyd Workspaces, Cleaning, Care & Maintenance of Whiteboard Surfaces (PDF, July 2024): porcelain vs lacquered steel, cleaning frequency, ghosting cause, alcohol and water, draw-over trick, protective film, erasers and markers.
- Quartet, How to Clean a Dry-Erase Board: erase, clean, dry with two towels; cleaner for each board type; glass board cleaner; eraser washing.
- Quartet, Product FAQs: board types and magnetism, ghosting, permanent marker, household cleaners.
- Visionchart, Visual Communication Catalogue 8.1 (PDF): surface types and warranties, no abrasives, 24-hour limit, ghosting not a fault.
- Ghent, The Ultimate Guide to Cleaning and Maintaining Your Whiteboard (October 2025): glass boards, what not to use.
- MooreCo, How to Clean a Whiteboard: 70% alcohol on a cloth, ceramic cooktop cleaner, timing, acetone, WD-40, worn melamine.
- Herman Miller, Exclave Whiteboard Care and Maintenance (PDF): 70% alcohol cap and overnight drying.
- ACCO Brands Australia, Quartet Whiteboard Cleaner safety data sheet (PDF, April 2026): ingredients and classification.
- Officeworks, Quartet Whiteboard Cleaner 250 mL: price.
- Recochem, Diggers Isopropyl Alcohol safety data sheet (PDF, 2022): over 99% isopropyl alcohol, flammability, eye irritation.
- Tyler Akins, Cleaning Whiteboards (rumkin.com): 30-cleaner test results for alcohol, vinegar, hairspray, acetone and magic eraser.
