Tips to keep board games and cards clean

Most game makers these days are savvy enough to know their main customers are children and to make their games as indestructible as possible. Plastic parts and pieces are easily cleaned, but when game boards are made out of paper, the cleaning can get much trickier. Here are some tips to make it simpler.

• Wipe them off with a sponge or cloth dampened with a solution of mild dishwashing liquid and warm water.
• Rinse by wiping them over with a clean, damp sponge or cloth.
• Air dry completely in a countertop dish drainer or on a tea towel folded on your kitchen counter.

• Try rubbing gently with a pencil eraser to remove any marks that are likely to come off that way.
• For general cleaning, wipe with a cloth or sponge dampened only with water (wrung out as much as possible beforehand). You want to avoid soaking the paper, which could damage the board or cause it to buckle.
• If the game board's colours begin to bleed, stop.
• If you need more cleaning power, try wiping with the soapy solution mentioned above for plastic parts.
• Pat the board dry with a clean, white cloth.

• Rub each card on both sides with spirits of camphor (available from pharmacies).
• When they're dry, sprinkle the pack generously with talcum powder and shuffle thoroughly.
• Repeat the powder treatment from time to time to keep the cards smooth and grease free.