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.
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.
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.
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. [1] X Research source [2] X Research source
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.
You’ll want to choose a finer grit sandpaper for your eraser purifying purposes. Grit ratings range from extra coarse (36 grit) to extra fine (320 grit). Too coarse a grit should be avoided, as it will remove more eraser than is necessary and shorten the life of your eraser. [3] X Research source In a pinch, you might be able to use an emery board or nail file in place of sandpaper. However, gunk can get caught in the ridges of your board/file and may be difficult to remove.
You may be able to more precisely apply your sandpaper by bending it around a finger (or several fingers) and using the rounded edge to rub off the blemishes. You also might have success with using a corner or edge of your sandpaper to rub the blemishes free. As you rub your eraser with sandpaper, shavings will come free, removing the blemishes along with them. Keep an eye on your sandpaper as you purify your eraser. If gunk begins to buildup on the surface of the paper, you should switch to a new section of the paper. You may want to apply your sandpaper to your eraser over a garbage can. The grittiness of the paper will cause shavings to come free easily. Be careful not to remove more than is necessary. As soon as the gunk appears gone, your eraser should be clean. [4] X Research source
Specialty eraser cases can be bought at your local art store. Normal cases can usually be found in the stationery/office supply section of your local general retailer, or even at office supply stores. You can keep a small square or several small squares of sandpaper in your eraser case to remove blemishes from your eraser as they arise. Simply take some scissors and cut your sandpaper down to a size that will fit in the case. [5] X Research source [6] X Research source
Using a light hand to remove blemishes with your sandpaper will allow you to get the cleanest and most consistent use from your eraser. Removing blemishes will also extend the usability of your eraser, helping you to get the most out of it.
Rubber erasers can come in many sizes, shapes, and colors. The most common of these is the classic pink eraser that you are likely familiar with seeing at the end of your pencil. These work decently for graphite pencils. Gum erasers are softer than normal rubber erasers. These have a tendency to crumble when used, but this is completely natural for this kind of eraser. Gum erasers are often brown or semi-transparent in color. These are ideal for graphite pencils. Vinyl erasers are sometimes called plastic erasers. This kind is ultra-tough and can tear through paper rather easily. You can expect this kind of eraser to remove most markings from paper – including ink. They are most often white and erase very cleanly. [7] X Research source [8] X Research source
To further test your eraser’s ability to do its job, you can take a piece of normal paper and write a short message or doodle in pencil. Then use a clean looking patch of your eraser to attempt and erase the writing. If it smears or does a poor job, your eraser might be at the end of its life. Before decided your eraser has outlived its usefulness, you may want to use some medium-fine grit (180 grit should suffice) sandpaper to take off the outer skin. Sometimes the inner parts of the eraser will keep potency even after the outside of the eraser has hardened.
