How to Really Clean a Chalkboard

Who doesn't love that new chalkboard look.  You know what I'm talking about.  That nice clean blank black slate....just begging to be written on. 

Ahhhh.....

The best way to clean it....POP!  Yes.  You read that right.  Soda!  Pepsi, Coke, Diet whatever you have around the house. 

When I posted my original tutorial on how I made this magnetic board, I was shocked when "I heart Organizing" featured it.

I received a lot of sweet comments and questions from her readers.  One of them surprised me though....and took me some time to try.  This was how to clean it.  A gentleman commented that he used to work for a bistro and they would clean their menu chalkboards with pop because it adds a tackiness that helps the chalk adhere.  At the time I was in a no-pop-drinking-stage.  I had just given up my Diet Pepsi and I wasn't about to bring the temptation back just to clean a chalkboard.

Silly me.  I had been cleaning with plain old water.

Here is what it looks like after its just been wiped down with a wet rag.  It looks nice and black right away, but once it dries, its a chalky grey.

Well, my weakness prevailed and I started drinking pop again.  I had a little leftover in a can, so poured it into a rag and started wiping.  It was a little messy, so I opted to use a little bowl and dip the rag.

Much easier!

Here it is part of the way through the first wipe down after it had dried.  Look at the difference!

(My can was empty, so I only got partially through the board.  

 Don't worry....I ran out and opened up another can. 

. . . . .

Finished the job and drank the rest, of course!

Here it is after one full coat and a little touch up. 

Um...Yah!  I was pretty shocked too!

I'm sure with another coat it would have been even darker, but after all that cleaning I was thirsty....so drank the rest. 

Pretty impressive, right?

I'm back in a "no-pop" mode, but keep an extra 2 liter on hand that was leftover from a gathering we had.  I wipe it down about once a month, because I love the blackness of the new board.

Hope this tip helps you, too!