5 tips to help you clean and care for your shadow boards, covering everything from selecting a suitable mounting method to using the right cleaning chemicals.

Shadow boards are built to last. Made from high-quality, water-repellent materials, they are designed for durability in even the most demanding environments.

However, like any food factory equipment, how they are treated and maintained on a day-to-day basis can have a significant impact on their longevity.

This guide outlines the small habits and smart strategies that will help extend the life of your shadow boards and keep them performing at their best.

1. Evaluate Your Cleaning Chemicals 

Shadow boards are designed to withstand a wide range of common cleaning agents. However, the overuse of unnecessarily strong chemicals can still lead to premature fading or surface degradation over time.

That’s why It’s so important to select cleaning chemicals that are a suitable strength and to avoid prolonged contact time beyond what’s required for disinfection.

Another important step is to ensure your shadow boards are always thoroughly rinsed after cleaning as this will remove any residual chemicals and prevent build-up.

2. Dry Your Shadow Boards After Cleaning

Shadow boards are manufactured using water-repellent materials. This makes them perfect for use in washdown environments.

However, leaving any food factory equipment wet creates unnecessary risk. After all, lingering moisture provides an opportunity for bacteria to develop. Over time, it can also compromise even the most durable materials if it isn’t properly managed.

After cleaning, it’s good practice to thoroughly dry your shadow boards. If there isn’t one already, make sure to add a note to your site’s Cleaning Instruction Cards.

3. Clean the Equipment on the Boards

A shadow board is only as clean as the tools it holds. If equipment is returned to the board covered in product residue or cleaning chemicals, this not only risks contaminating other utensils but could also result in the transfer of the contaminating materials onto the shadow board itself.

It needs to be standard practice for team members to fully clean and inspect tools before returning them. A lot of sites will request a printed reminder at the top of their boards to reinforce this habit – helping to drive standards of accountability and employee engagement.

4. An Easy-to-Clean Mounting Method

Mounting also plays an essential role in the long-term maintenance of your shadow boards. Depending on the material of the walls at your site, magnetic mounting may be a highly effective option. This set-up will allow your Hygiene Team to remove or reposition boards when needed, making it easier to clean both the board itself and the wall behind it.

While other configurations – such as freestanding or fixed-to-wall shadow boards – will be more suitable for certain sites, the goal is to select a mounting solution that complements your cleaning processes rather than complicates them.

5. Encourage Training and Accountability

Shadow board maintenance is a team effort. The best results come when everyone understands the value of proper use and takes shared responsibility for maintaining standards. Onboarding and ongoing training should cover how to clean tools, return them correctly, and report any issues with the board itself.

It’s also important that your Cleaning Instruction Cards are up-to-date. Click here to read Phil May’s guide on what to include.

Visual reminders, clear signage, and a culture of accountability all contribute to better day-to-day care, which in turn extends the life of your shadow boards and the equipment they store.

Shadow Boards – Exposure Tests

To provide further reassurance that Klipspringer shadow boards are suited to substances commonly found in food production environments, a series of tests were carried out. Below, you can see that all substances – aside from mustard – resulted in no visible changes to the board, with mustard causing a slight change in gloss or colour, but no change to the surface structure.

Klipspringer can also supply a shadow board sample that will allow you to test the shadow board material against your products, ingredients, and cleaning agents.

Click here to request a Shadow Board Sample
Test Agent Exposure Time Result
Acetic acid1h5
Citric acid1h5
Ammonia water2 min5
Ethyl alcohol1h5
Red wine6h5
Beer6h5
Coffee16h5
Black tea16h5
Blackcurrant juice16h5
Condensed milk16h5
Water16h5
Gasoline2 min5
Acetone10 s5
Ethyl-butyl acetate10 s5
Butter16h5
Olive oil16h5
Mustard6h3
Disinfectant10 min5
Cleaning agent1h5
Cleaning solution1h5
Evaluation Scale:

5 = No visible changes

4 = Barely perceptible changes in gloss or color

3 = Slight changes in gloss or color; surface structure not altered

2 = Strong markings visible; surface structure largely intact

1 = Strong markings visible; surface structure altered

0 = Test surface heavily altered or destroyed

Shadow boards are built to last – resistant to water, compatible with most cleaning chemicals, and highly durable by design. But even the most robust systems benefit from the right care.

With a few simple practices, you can extend the lifespan of your boards, drive standards of hygiene, maintain compliance, and protect your investment for years to come.

To discuss your shadow board requirements with a member of our team, you can contact us directly on 01473 461 800 or sales@klipspringer.com. Alternatively, you can complete the form below and someone will be in touch.

If you would like further guidance relating to the solutions mentioned throughout this article or to receive a shadow board sample, the Klipspringer Team would be happy to help.