How to outsmart toddler destruction

So, two Christmases ago, my parents very kindly bought Dhari an easel with a chalkboard on one side, a whiteboard on the other, a big paper dispenser on top, and a handy tray to keep crayons, markers, chalks and paints. We wisely put the paints and markers out of Dhari's reach, but left the chalk and crayons in their respective trays.

Dhari decided to completely cover the whiteboard with crayon.

It stayed like that for nearly two years. I tried hot soapy water. What a joke. I tried heavy duty bad chemical cleaning agents. Don't make me laugh. I considered scraping it off with a razor. Luckily, I didn't have one. I gave up.

Until, after trawling the internet, I found a handy hint for removing crayon from chalkboards. I thought, this must work on whiteboards too! And it totally did. I was so impressed with how easy and effective it was, that I took pictures halfway through so I could share my tiny victory with you! Sad, I know.

This is the whiteboard, halfway through my cleaning rampage. The entire thing was covered, corner to corner. Dhari's favourite colour, as you can see, was black.

So, how did I do it? I set my hairdryer on low heat, held it over a small area for a few seconds,

and wiped it off with a paper towel. No scrubbing. Just wipe clean. Because it's just wax, isn't it? And wax melts when you warm it.

Shiny and new! Why on earth didn't I think of this before?

Sadly, as we had to clear the flat of a load of stuff to make it presentable enough to sell, the freshly cleaned easel ended up being relegated to the grandparents' house for now. Uncle Dom has really enjoyed drawing penises on it though (with the correct drawing implement, of course).