Cleaning Ghent Whiteboards

Following the pandemic, preventing the spread of germs was a top priority for many as companies returned to the office after a lengthy period of remote work.

Dry erase boards have become an indispensable tool in modern offices and classrooms, providing a reusable and eco-friendly platform for brainstorming, presentations, and collaborative work. In this blog, we'll delve into the art of cleaning a Ghent dry erase board to ensure it stays pristine and ready for your next big idea.

Cleaning vs. Disinfection

The terms cleaning and disinfecting are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different processes. Cleaning is the removal of dust, debris, and germs from surfaces while Disinfection is the sanitization of surfaces and killing of bacteria left on the surface after cleaning.

It is best to clean surfaces often and to always clean first before disinfecting.

Cleaning Your Whiteboards & Glassboards

For ease of cleaning, we recommend completely erasing your whiteboard after daily use; if marks remain on the board for prolonged periods of time, they will become more difficult to erase. For general cleaning, it is easiest to simply wipe your board down with a damp cloth. Whiteboard cleaners can also be used for more stubborn marks.

Cleaning and disinfecting a glass dry erase board is a straightforward process due to the non-porous nature of glass. Unlike porous surfaces, glass does not provide a conducive environment for bacteria to thrive, making it inherently resistant to harboring germs. To maintain the surface, start by wiping away dry erase markings with a soft, lint-free cloth. For thorough cleaning, use a mixture of mild detergent and water, ensuring a streak-free finish.

Disinfecting Your Whiteboards

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an extensive list of approved cleaning products, but not all are safe to use with Ghent Products at risk of harming the surface of our boards. It is important to never use ammonia-based cleaners on Ghent products as they cause yellowing and may leave film behind.

For dry erase and glass surfaces, the following chemicals, diluted with water per CDC recommendations, are best to use for disinfecting:

• Pharmacy grade hydrogen peroxide
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Diluted household bleach
    

After using disinfectant, we recommended to follow up by cleaning your board with warm, soapy water to remove any film or residue left on the surface.

The cloth used to clean the surfaces of your boards is also important to their maintenance. Studies have shown that microfiber cloths can eliminate bacteria and microbes on surfaces. Never use a paper towel or other abrasive cloths as they can scratch the surface of your board.

M4 Self-Cleaning Whiteboard

To streamline the disinfecting of surfaces, we introduced Hygienic Porcelain products to our line of dry erase surfaces a few years ago. Ghent's Magnetic Hygienic Porcelain Whiteboard combines a superior porcelain writing surface with silver for self-cleaning.

Silver (Ag) is subject to the Oligodynamic effect: where certain heavy metals carry anti-bacterial properties, which makes the metal ideal for high-use surfaces, including whiteboards.

Scientists are still not 100% sure how this effect works on a chemical level, but many theorize that as a silver ion encounters germs, it will break down the cell membrane of the organism and attach itself to the internal enzymes within the cell, effectively preventing the spread of germs

Due to this process, surfaces containing silver will eliminate bacteria and viruses within 24 hours of contact. This is why the M4 Hygienic Whiteboard has silver embedded in the surface of the porcelain. The sliver ions beneath the surface release slowly over the lifetime of the product, sanitizing the surface without needing to use disinfectant products.