The first facility my wife and I worked in was a behavioral modification group home. One of our most used tools were the white boards, that we used for posting daily and weekly scores, chores, laundry days, and a host of other information.

We used permanent markers to draw the lines on the boards and to post permanent information i.e. titles, headings, etc. The only problem was, that about once a month one of the kids would spray the boards with white board cleaner, glass cleaner, alcohol or some other liquid that would make our boards look like a tie-died t-shirt. My wife would spend about three hours re-drawing lines and re-writing all the headings and stuff.

This ritual ended, when a good friend shared this tip with me. Instead of using a marker to draw your lines, go to your local auto parts store and buy a roll or two of 1/8 vinyl pin-striping in your favorite color, and lay out your boards with it. Vinyl pin-striping won’t run when sprayed with cleaner and is very durable. On our boards we also printed out all headers, titles and permanent information on full sheet computer labels. We then cut them out, glued them to the board, and covered them with stick-on laminating sheets that we bought at the local office supply store. Even after a full year, our boards still looked good.

Additionally, by using a magnetic whiteboard that are now affordable (I paid less than $15 for my last one at Wal-mart), you can make your whiteboards look even nicer. Print or write your names and common information on magnetic labels that can also be purchased at Wal-mart or any office supply store. Then you can rearrange your information easily with out have to erase and rewrite it each time. See my article on the Racing Behavioral Chart for an example.