Connected whiteboards have long been a firm favourite of more technologically-minded teachers and are now ubiquitous in schools all around the world. As the technology improves, it becomes more and more practical to create smaller, more portable versions of these boards--meaning that more and more teachers are using connected, mobile whiteboards that can move with them from classroom to classroom.

The one major problem with them is that, by and large, teachers and other people who use them don't know how they should be cleaned! Most professionals who use a whiteboard on a regular basis will have developed a host of tips and tricks for keeping them clean--and not all of them are suitable for use on connected whiteboards. So what can you do to keep your mobile board in great condition and working for you for as long as possible?

Make sure you're using the right kind of pen.

Some smartboards aren't suitable for use with dry erase markers, so make sure you read the small print before you start scribbling on yours! As a general rule, fully touchscreen boards are more likely to forbid the use of pens like this--so always check the manual.

Once you've ascertained that your mobile connected whiteboard is safe to write on, it's just as important to double-check that you're using the right kind of pen. Many require that you use standard or high-odour dry erase markers on them; the low-odour kind contain different chemicals and can stain or damage boards of this type permanently.

Wipe your board down little and often to keep in in great shape.

A quick wipe down with a cleaning wipe designed for use on your whiteboard at the end of every working day will make a massive difference to how clean your board remains. It won't mean that you never need to clean it properly, but it will extend the time period between incidences as much as possible!

Choose your products wisely for deeper cleans.

Not all cleaning products are suitable for use on connected whiteboards. You may have always used the same type of whiteboard cleaner or spent years developing tricks like scribbling over a stubborn marker stain to help shift it: by and large those techniques won't work here! You'll need to stick with products specifically formulated for use on interactive whiteboards and other smartboards, and make sure you're using them precisely as the manufacturer's suggest. Anything else could turn into an incredibly expensive mistake!