Graffiti Abatement
Tools and Techniques

Introduction

I have been asked by persons reading the Anti-Graffiti Web to develop a page describing graffiti removal methods. This page is an attempt to meet these requests. I want you to know however, that I am NOT an expert in the use of chemical solvents. I encourage every political jurisdiction developing a cleaning program to spend time training volunteers in the proper use of a graffiti fighter's tools. I cannot assume responsibility for anyone's injury when using suggestions from this document. Your city public works department is probably your best source of information!

Our city has found that there are products other than caustic aerosol solvents that may be safer to use. We are exploring the use of those products. The products you use are up to you. How and who uses the products is what you need to consider important. many of the better anti-graffiti products require special handling or training which is why you will find that companies who sell these products sell direct to cleaning companies or to city, county, or state departments of public works.

Please submit your own suggestions and ideas and I will post them here for the world to see!

The following are some suggestions for a graffiti fighter's tool kit:

1. aerosol solvent
2. clean cotton painters rags
3. trash bags
4. 10 gallon plastic buckets with lids
5. inexpensive paint brushes, rollers, and paint containers
6. paint matching various surfaces around your neighborhood
7. paint scraper
8. dust mask
9. safety glasses
10. Federal Safety Orange Identification Vests
11. kitchen cleaner and water in spray bottles.
12. Carry a 5 or 10 gallon container of pure drinking water and a clean cup to splash water in your face or to wash your hands in the event you are accidentally splashed with chemicals.
13. Carry a two way radio or cellular phone for emergencies. The new Family Radio Service radios lend themselves to this kind of use.

Solvents and Cleaners

There are a number of graffiti removal products on the market. It can help to become familiar with each one. Learn about use and safe handling. Some of the more well know solvents available at major hardware stores can be hazardous to your health. Using a respirator is probably safer than using a dust mask. Breathing this stuff is obnoxious and NOT healthy.

You need to be aware of wind conditions. You need eye and breathing protection when you use it. Rags used with solvent should be discarded properly. DO NOT KEEP FLAMMABLE RAGS in containers in your vehicle or garage.

Know the product you are using and HOW TO HANDLE AN ACCIDENTAL INJURY when using the product.

These are the products I use and were purchased at ACE Hardware:

GOOF OFF The Ultimate Remover Atlanta Sundries, Lithonia, GA 30058

Extremely flammable

Vapor Harmful

Eye and Skin irritant

Always use safety goggles

Damages plastics, vinyl, automotive paints

Use solvent resistant gloves

Contains Xylene

GRAFFITI REMOVER "GOOF OFF Brand" Atlanta Sundries, Lithonia, GA 30058

Extremely Flammable

Vapor harmful if inhaled

Use with adequate ventilation

Eye and skin irritant.

Contains Xylene and Toluene

Some of the markers the vandals are using are not permanent. I have been able to clean some signs with soap and water.

Our Graffiti Task Force is considering the use of a potentially easier to use product called United 256 by United Laboratories. It is a citrus based product that is not as hazardous as a solvent. I do not have personal experience with the United brand products but I understand the United products are popular with graffiti abatement groups.

Clean Cotton Painters Rags

These rags are cheap. I like the cotton variety because they seem to clean better than smoother, shinier fabrics. Your hardware or paint store sells these by the pound or packaged.

Trash Bags

I have trash bags to put old rags used with solvents as well as trash I find in the areas where I am cleaning graffiti. I tend to buy very cheap brushes and rollers so I don't bother cleaning them. Having a trash bag gives me a place to throw away the yuk before I get home.

10 Gallon Painter's Buckets with Lid Attachments

My painter neighbor told me about this nifty gadget. At larger hardware and paint stores you can buy a screw on (child proof) lid adapter for a 10 gallon paint bucket. In the event I don't have trash bags I keep rags and solvents in the bucket so the fumes don't permeate the car. I can keep my graffiti supplies safely packed away using the buckets.

Safety Glasses

Safety glasses keep paints, solvents, and dust from entering the eyes. Always use caution. Never compromise eye safety.

Paint

I get paint from various places. Often times the jurisdiction responsible for the property will provide volunteers with paint. That has been the case with my City of Pleasant Hill, and the Easy Bay Regional Parks Department. Anytime their property near my home is tagged a crew from my neighborhood is dispatched to paint over the damage. This kind of cooperation is essential to successful abatement. The government agencies will often provide other painting and cleaning supplies.

Make sure the paint you are using DOES NOT CONTAIN LEAD.

Safety Vests

Our city graffiti task force wears a simple orange vest that says "GRAFFITI MANAGEMENT TEAM" on the back. The vest identifies you to the public and police, and it acts to alert people and drivers to your presence. We wear it for safety and identification. It also gives you good press with the public! Chances are you may pick up new volunteers who see you working and stop by to say hello.

Cleaning Smooth Surfaces

Test an inconspicuous area of the surface with your cleaning material. Most modern signs clean quickly. I like to start my cleaning with soap and water first and then proceed to solvents.

Using Solvents and Cleaners

Test surfaces with your solvent or cleaners BEFORE you use the substance over a wide area. There are some silk screened surfaces (like some newspaper racks) that can be removed by the wrong cleaners. Contact vendors responsible for these devices and encourage the vendor to use more durable methods. Read the instructions on the can. Some solvents work better if applied with a cloth. Others must be sprayed on the damage and allowed to sit until the paint has absorbed the solvent.

Signs

Some early model traffic signs use a press on lettering that can be damaged with conventional solvents. Replacement is often the best option for these signs.

There are signs whose paint is removed by any cleaning or scrubbing action. One of the best examples are old California freeway signs. The green paint on these signs begins dripping off as soon as the solvent hits. When you try to rub the graffiti off the sign paint comes with it. Often you just end up covering the sign lettering and the graffiti with green slime. In this case your only abatement recourse may be to wait to have the sign replaced.

Have your city experiment with press on plastic coatings. A city crewman rubs a laminate over the sign. When the vandal paints the sign the city removes and replaces the laminate. This is a great idea for signs that are frequently attacked.

Cleaning from Rough Surfaces

Many times paint on a rough surfaces causes permanent damage. The character of the surface will change because it is virtually impossible to remove all of the paint from any porous surface. A perfect example is a freeway sound wall or any cinder block wall. You may be forced to paint the wall -- the entire wall. Simply framing the damaged area leaves you (and the vandal) with an ugly blotch. In my neighborhood when a sound wall panel has been vandalized the ENTIRE panel is painted. Eventually, every panel will be painted so the entire wall will have the same appearance. Cites that can invest in scientific methods of graffiti removal will benefit from products like those offered by CompuColor Graffiti Systems. Using spectrophotometers, CompuColor can match the color of the existing wall and mix paint on the spot for immediate coverage.

Our city has experimented with pressure water washers, washers that use water and sand, and the wire brush. Pressure washers can actually etch a cinder block wall, further hastening the wall's demise. The wire brush is limited in effectiveness as well. Pressure washing never completely removes the vandalism because of the porous surfaces involved. A hazy remnant of the graffiti still remains.

Elbow grease and the wire brush.

An inexpensive wire brush is excellent for removing paint from many surfaces. The surface will look like someone has wire brushed it but the vandal's message will be history. Any surface where you use a wire brush should be a surface, that will over time, weather back to the original color or texture. Every graffiti fighter needs a simple wire brush in their toolkit.

Use the wire brush on:

telephone poles

street curbs

some rough metals

smooth stone surfaces

decorative rocks

wood fences

concrete

You would be surprised how fast a vandals message can be removed from a telephone/power pole using the wire brush! (Note: In California, Pacific Gas & Electric Company does not want persons cleaning ANY PG&E equipment. Report graffiti damage to PG&E equipment to PG&E for cleaning.) I'm certain that the power company would like to remind everyone NOT to disturb the ground wire that may be on the pole.

Other Graffiti Cleaning Products

Your experience with these products may be different. Please let me know how each has worked for you and I will add your comments to this chart.

This list has not been updated since 1997. SInce it is 2007 feel free to send me your company name, address, telephone and link to have it added to this list of products. I still get email so why not?!