To factor the expression \( 45w - 36 \), we start by identifying the greatest common factor (GCF) of the two terms.
- The coefficients are 45 and 36. The GCF of 45 and 36 is 9.
- We can then factor out 9 from the expression:
\[ 45w - 36 = 9(5w - 4) \]
Thus, the expression factored as a product with a whole number greater than 1 is:
\[ 9(5w - 4) \]