Removing chalk marker ghosting | Sweet Lane Events

OMG I found the best cleaning method to get chalkboard off a chalkboard.  Well I can't take credit for the actual solution but I did discover Jessica's blog post How to Remove Chalk Marker from a Chalkboard and she has tested and found the best method to getting chalk marker paint off a chalkboard.  I was a little skeptical when I read her solution but it really truly works like magic.  To get chalk marker off a chalkboard, white vinegar and a magic eraser are absolutely the best solution I have found. You should go her website and read all of her instructions and disclaimers.  Because I should be clear this was the best way I have found for a getting chalk marker / chalkboard paint pen off a chalkboard vinyl or chalkboard painted surface.  I don't have a true blackboard which are usually made of of thin sheets of black slate stone.

Before I found Jessica's magical solution for getting chalk marker off a chalkboard, I was using paper towels and window cleaner.  Window cleaner works good if the chalkboard paint hasn't been left two long, just a few days or if are using the chalkboard as a learning or practice board where you are constantly erasing what you just did.

Happy 4th of July Chalk Marker Sign on Chalkboard - Sweet Lane Events

desperate to find a solution for getting chalk marker off a chalkboard

However I needed something that worked better and went searching for a better solution for getting chalk marker off a chalkboard after I had left an outdoor chalkboard sign for 2 weeks on an east facing wall in the summer.  Opps!  So the chalk marker had baked onto the chalkboard in that heat!!!  I first tried the window cleaner and it took away the brightness but the 4th of July lettering was still very visible and not coming off even with some elbow grease.

Sometimes after cleaning a chalkboard there is a ghost left of the last lettering which is just barely visible but this was no ghost,  the lettering was still very visible.  To be honest I was freaking out because this was not my chalkboard sign but it was my parents and it wasn't in the most conspicuous place.  This is a custom outdoor TV cabinet my dad had built and used a chalkboard as the cover for the TV.  It also happened to be on their front porch just a few feet from their front door.  So I was obviously worried about how I was going to get this chalkboard paint off their beautiful, highly visible chalkboard!

Chalk ghost left on a chalkboard | Sweet Lane Events

After realizing this chalkboard paint was not coming off I pulled out my phone and started googling for a solution.  Thankful Jessica's blog post come up How to Remove Chalk Marker from a Chalkboard  and I quickly skimmed through her article to see that she recommended white vinegar and a magic eraser .  Off to my mom's cleaning supplies and she had both on hand.  Now I was skeptical as to if this would work but I do think magic erasers are magic so fingers crossed it would.  The first swipe of the eraser soaked in vinegar completely removed the chalkboard paint from the chalkboard, happy dance time.  I know this sounds silly to be so excited about a cleaner for chalkboard paint but I was truly worried I had ruined my parent's chalkboard permanently.  Thankful the magic eraser and vinegar worked miraculously and the chalkboard was saved as well as me from having to tell my parents I ruined their new chalkboard.

Vinegar & Magic Eraser Cleaning Chalkboard | Sweet Lane Events

How to Clean Chalk Marker off a Chalkboard

supplies needed

  • white vinegar
  • magic eraser
  • paper towels
  • scissors
  1. Clean off excess chalk marker with a wet paper towel. This is to keep your magic eraser a little cleaner and possibly be able to reuse.
  2. Cut your magic eraser down to an appropriate size. For the large wall chalkboard I use half an eraser and for a small chalkboard I use a quarter of a magic eraser. This is just a cost saving step and not required.
  3. Pour some white vinegar on the magic eraser or fill a bowl with the vinegar and dip the magic eraser in it.
  4. Wipe the vinegar soaked magic eraser over the chalkboard, cleaning off the remainder of the chalk maker.
  5. Wipe the chalkboard dry with a dry paper towel. Now your chalkboard is clean and ready to use again.

I hope this method for cleaning your chalkboard works as well for you as it has for me.

Happy chalkboard cleaning!