How to Clean an Eraser
Take out a blank, clean sheet of paper., Rub discolored areas on the eraser against your paper., Persist erasing until your eraser is clean all over., Use an eraser case or cover for storage., Repeat this process regularly as build-up occurs.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Take out a blank
Any piece of normal paper should do for the purposes of cleaning your eraser.
You should avoid paper with a glossy finish, as this kind will be less fibrous.
Less fibrous paper could result in your eraser gunk smearing over more of your eraser making more work for you.
Paper that is coarse and heavy will allow you to scrub it harder with your eraser without fear of tearing the paper.
Coarse paper will also cause your eraser to come apart from the eraser in flecks or eraser shavings.
This is ideal, as these shavings will part the gunk from the rest of your paper.
You should avoid writing on paper that already has writing on it, including words that have been printed onto paper with a computer printer.
The ink from the printer, from pens, or graphite from pencils could cause more gunk to build up while you’re trying to remove it.
Printer paper, while somewhat smoother than an ideal sheet of eraser purifying paper, should work well enough for purging gunk from your eraser.
This paper also has the added benefit of being bright white in color.
This will make it easier to tell when your gunk is gone and the eraser erases clean. -
Step 2: clean sheet of paper.
Inspect your eraser carefully and note the areas that are discolored.
These are the areas you will want to target.
When the dark spots on your eraser have been removed, your eraser should erase as good as new.
Rub your eraser firmly against the clean paper you have chosen and be sure you avoid crossing over the darkened marks that rub off on your paper.
Feel the eraser gunk with your fingers.
Sometimes the graphite gunk will be soft, like putty.
In this case, you might be able to cut through some of the gunk with your fingers or nails.
Be careful not to spread the gunk around or push it deeper into the eraser with your fingers.
Doing so will make your eraser cleaning more difficult. , As you scrub your eraser on the clean page, eraser shavings should come free of the eraser, and with these so too should come the graphite gunk.
Brush away shavings regularly to prevent them and the gunk they contain from re-smudging your eraser.
A drafting table or an angled desk will allow the force of gravity to help pull many of the shavings free of your paper.
You might also hold your paper flat against a wall to get the maximum gravity assistance.
You might also need to switch paper, depending on the size of your eraser and the amount of gunk built up on it.
When it becomes difficult to rub your eraser on the page without crossing one of the darkened smears, you should get a new piece of paper. , A case will protect your eraser from the drying effects of the air or the decay that can be caused by too much moisture.
But you don’t need a special case to prolong the life of your eraser! Even a normal pencil case can keep dust and other residue from negatively impacting your eraser’s efficiency.
You can find specialty eraser cases at your local art supply store or through an online retailer.
You should especially consider a specialty case if you are an artist and use expensive, high quality erasers for your art.
You might store your erasers in a tupperware container, or some other kind of clean, plastic container.
This will limit its exposure to harmful elements, like air, dust, and moisture.
Keep your erasers separate from your pencils, crayons, and pens.
These items can carry dust and grime, or in some cases can create dust and grime, that can hurt your erasers performance.
Keep a separate container for your erasers to prevent this., If you are an artist and use your eraser frequently, you may need to purge your eraser of blemishes fairly regularly.
But even occasional pencil/eraser users may have to repeat this process several times over the life of the eraser.
By purging your eraser of graphite gunk, you will save yourself money and maintain the immaculate quality of your work.
If you have a low quality eraser or a soft lead pencil that accumulates gunk quickly, you may want to carry a folded up sheet of clean paper in your eraser case to use on the fly. -
Step 3: Rub discolored areas on the eraser against your paper.
-
Step 4: Persist erasing until your eraser is clean all over.
-
Step 5: Use an eraser case or cover for storage.
-
Step 6: Repeat this process regularly as build-up occurs.
Detailed Guide
Any piece of normal paper should do for the purposes of cleaning your eraser.
You should avoid paper with a glossy finish, as this kind will be less fibrous.
Less fibrous paper could result in your eraser gunk smearing over more of your eraser making more work for you.
Paper that is coarse and heavy will allow you to scrub it harder with your eraser without fear of tearing the paper.
Coarse paper will also cause your eraser to come apart from the eraser in flecks or eraser shavings.
This is ideal, as these shavings will part the gunk from the rest of your paper.
You should avoid writing on paper that already has writing on it, including words that have been printed onto paper with a computer printer.
The ink from the printer, from pens, or graphite from pencils could cause more gunk to build up while you’re trying to remove it.
Printer paper, while somewhat smoother than an ideal sheet of eraser purifying paper, should work well enough for purging gunk from your eraser.
This paper also has the added benefit of being bright white in color.
This will make it easier to tell when your gunk is gone and the eraser erases clean.
Inspect your eraser carefully and note the areas that are discolored.
These are the areas you will want to target.
When the dark spots on your eraser have been removed, your eraser should erase as good as new.
Rub your eraser firmly against the clean paper you have chosen and be sure you avoid crossing over the darkened marks that rub off on your paper.
Feel the eraser gunk with your fingers.
Sometimes the graphite gunk will be soft, like putty.
In this case, you might be able to cut through some of the gunk with your fingers or nails.
Be careful not to spread the gunk around or push it deeper into the eraser with your fingers.
Doing so will make your eraser cleaning more difficult. , As you scrub your eraser on the clean page, eraser shavings should come free of the eraser, and with these so too should come the graphite gunk.
Brush away shavings regularly to prevent them and the gunk they contain from re-smudging your eraser.
A drafting table or an angled desk will allow the force of gravity to help pull many of the shavings free of your paper.
You might also hold your paper flat against a wall to get the maximum gravity assistance.
You might also need to switch paper, depending on the size of your eraser and the amount of gunk built up on it.
When it becomes difficult to rub your eraser on the page without crossing one of the darkened smears, you should get a new piece of paper. , A case will protect your eraser from the drying effects of the air or the decay that can be caused by too much moisture.
But you don’t need a special case to prolong the life of your eraser! Even a normal pencil case can keep dust and other residue from negatively impacting your eraser’s efficiency.
You can find specialty eraser cases at your local art supply store or through an online retailer.
You should especially consider a specialty case if you are an artist and use expensive, high quality erasers for your art.
You might store your erasers in a tupperware container, or some other kind of clean, plastic container.
This will limit its exposure to harmful elements, like air, dust, and moisture.
Keep your erasers separate from your pencils, crayons, and pens.
These items can carry dust and grime, or in some cases can create dust and grime, that can hurt your erasers performance.
Keep a separate container for your erasers to prevent this., If you are an artist and use your eraser frequently, you may need to purge your eraser of blemishes fairly regularly.
But even occasional pencil/eraser users may have to repeat this process several times over the life of the eraser.
By purging your eraser of graphite gunk, you will save yourself money and maintain the immaculate quality of your work.
If you have a low quality eraser or a soft lead pencil that accumulates gunk quickly, you may want to carry a folded up sheet of clean paper in your eraser case to use on the fly.
About the Author
Abigail Vasquez
Enthusiastic about teaching hobbies techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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