If you use a dry erase board for any kind of organization or signage, you have probably run into days when the marker ink just won't go away. The dust seems to run all over the surface playing keep-away. I have allowed my eraser to turn black with dust; I have let messages sit until they're practically etching on the white board. I've....lost the spray AND the wipes and then subbed a jacket sleeve. YUCK.

Since I'm a writer, I live in a perfect fantasy world where all the mysteries are cleared up by my infallible intuition, and all my own spaces are spotless with organization--and they're free of dust! 

Ahhh, what a world exists in my head. My real office is piled with manuscripts, covered with dust--and that on top of bookshelves and desk tops that are BLACK. Think of the contrast between the desk top and the silver dust streaming down. I can tell when someone tries to sneak something out of its place. It's a security system even my dog can't override.

My cleaning rags, piled neatly somewhere, ache to fulfill their destiny, but I can never find them. WHAT TO DO?

Since my dry erase boards are part of my employment, I do try to keep wipes close by. Whether I use the dry ones with the nice spray bottle cleaner, or the wet ones that take EVERY BIT OF DUST AND INK off, I keep them (ok TRY to keep them) near the boards. The microfiber cloth folds neatly into the top of the white board stand. Sometimes it doubles as an ordinary dust cloth. Since it's washable, it doesn't matter. And I occasionally use the white board cleaner on the desk top. Don't try this at home without a test. My tops are painted and polyurethaned and don't even care if I drop acid on them. Your nice woods may protest. 

A cloth you can get tuff with!Wipes that glide over the surfaces

So why all this hooplah about cleaning stuff for a dry erase board? Trying to save you time and aggravation because those dry erase markers will shed stuff onto the surface and make a mess of what you may need to say next. Trust me, it's easier to just get the cleaner and then wipes--or just the wipes with the nice non-toxic low odor formula--and let them do their job. You'll keep the dry erase free of dust and your airwaves free of four letter words.