The Sanitary Issue With Chalkboard Walls In A Kitchen

Chalkboard walls are a fun, trendy way to jot down a to-do list, leave messages for loved ones, or simply let your kids doodle during the day. However, if you're thinking of adding one to your kitchen, you may want to think again. Fun as these walls may be, they're also notoriously difficult to keep clean. That, in turn, creates a sanitary issue — which is not something you want around your food. Having a chalkboard wall that looks clean is just part of the battle, though. Just as chalk dust can be tough to clean from the walls, it can (and usually does) end up on floors and surrounding surfaces, too. Not ideal for an otherwise spotless kitchen.

If you think back to the chalkboard you had as a kid, odds are, you can remember that after a few uses, things got messy, real quick. Known as chalkboard ghosting, sometimes your traditional duster just won't do the trick, leaving you with leftover doodles. Alternatively, you may have that cloudy residue across the board. And, while there are certainly ways to clean that up — such as wiping your walls down with vinegar or buffing in baby oil — it really detracts from what should be a seamless way to keep up with your to-do list.

As if needing to deep clean chalkboard walls almost daily wasn't already enough of a reason why you might want to avoid having one in your kitchen, it's also vital to remember that the dust caused by chalk isn't limited to just your walls. That means the rest of your kitchen will need to be deep-cleaned constantly, too. Chalk residue on your food, utensils, and appliances isn't exactly ideal, even if it isn't toxic (especially in doses as small as dust particles). However, it's also worth keeping in mind that chalk residue in the air can be harmful to those with breathing issues or who have dust allergies. So, if anyone under your roof has asthma, this is one trend best avoided. 

All that said, if you already have a chalkboard wall in your home, and painting over it isn't an option, there are ways to use it that won't compromise the cleanliness of your kitchen, or impact your loved ones' allergies. Instead of regular chalk, grab a box of dust-free, liquid chalk markers from Amazon. These are generally easy enough to clean with a magic eraser. Alternatively, if you don't already have a chalkboard wall, this may be one trend to avoid altogether.