Firstly, is the wall painted or unpainted?
]]>This is perhaps the most common question asked of us so we thought we'd dedicate this page to an answer on how to remove graffiti from walls.
Firstly, is the wall painted or unpainted?
If the wall is built with unpainted brick, stone, masonry or concrete follow these basic steps.
For typical graffiti tags, flood coat with Bare Brick, Stone & Masonry Graffiti Remover three times (at roughly 3-minute intervals), wait another few minutes then rinse with a small pressure washer.
Agitation as you apply this product can be of great assistance. Continued experience with the product will enable the user to judge how many applications are necessary for varying surfaces and particular spray paints. On older/thicker graffiti, patience with dwell time is the key. Keep the graffiti wet with the product, as long as possible before rinsing.
Removing Graffiti with Doug's Pressure Washing
For some inks/dyes ( such as magic markers) and some spray paints (especially reds), Feltpen Fadeout might be needed to fade away residual stain during or after removals with Bare Brick Stone & Masonry Graffiti Remover. This can ensure you achieve perfect results without leaving a shadow.
Read TDS sheets for more detailed instructions or contact us for expert advice on your job before starting.
If the wall is painted see instructions below.
For smaller graffiti on a painted wall use Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover (or Graffiti Safewipes) . These products are designed to dissolve and suspend graffiti on a painted surface so you can wipe it away with a DAMP toweling cloth and avoid re depositing the graffiti back into the painted surface and causing smears or smudges.
If it’s larger graffiti on painted walls, it may be possible to remove the graffiti using our products, although it is usually far quicker and easier to match the color and paint it over. The trick to painting over graffiti professionally is having the ability to color match, and use tools that can be easily cleaned on the job, such as High Volume Low-Pressure Spray Guns (HVLP), mini rollers, and paint pads. Often this will yield the quickest and best results.
You only need to color match any given wall once, and from then on you can keep that color for future paint overs, if needed. Very often, building owners or managers have the exact color you need to spray their wall (stored under a kitchen sink or in their garage) so don’t be shy to ask given the opportunity.
Standard graffiti block-out colors you choose might include Navajo White, Sound Wall Tan, Cinderblock Gray, Concrete Grey, Old Wood Fence, New Wood Fence, Mission Brown, Forest Green, Electrical Box Green, Brick Red, City Beige, Country White, Fire Hydrant Yellow etc.
If you would like to remove graffiti from a painted wall follow these steps.
i. Start up your pressure cleaner, making sure that it is running low pressure on warm to cold temperatures, and thoroughly saturate the graffiti area.
ii. Using a soft nylon broom and a rectangular bucket containing Bare Brick, Stone and Masonry Graffiti Remover, quickly apply and agitate about 10 square feet of the graffiti until approximately half disappears (the graffiti is dissolving and running).
iii. Using low pressure, quickly rinse this treated area, and thoroughly wet down ahead to repeat the same on the next section. Approximately 95% of the spray can graffiti should be gone. If you find that it is affecting the underlying paint, you will have to shorten your initial application time. The reason you stop at approximately half dissolved is that the rinsing tends to remove another 50% more than you have.
iv. Carefully spot clean any uncleaned areas using Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover. If the dissolved graffiti has stained the wall, a dilute application of Feltpen Fadeout will return it to its former glory. With this technique never use hot water (It could blister the underlying paint)!
For maximum graffiti resistance we generally recommend World's Best Graffiti Coating on walls made from brick, stone, concrete, masonry and other natural building surfaces such as timber. This product is also suitable for stucco and coated surfaces. To learn more click on the link below.
1) If graffiti is not coming off easily, you're doing it wrong! You may require a change of tact or use of another product.
2) If you can't remove a little bit of graffiti, then you're not going to remove a lot. TEST FIRST before applying product to an entire job. This way you can determine if you’re on the right track before embarking on full scale removals.
3) If you're working hard, you're doing it wrong. Forget the scrubbing, blasting and any other abrasive measures. Put simply, either your products are working or they’re not. Any problems can be taken care of with the right technique.
Removing Graffiti from Brick Walls with Western Mass Prowash
Click on any of the icons below for how-to's & more
World’s Best Graffiti Removal products have been depended on for decades for the removal and protection of historic buildings and monuments. The following notes will address the most common products and techniques used in the removal of graffiti from historic masonry surfaces.
Museum of Fine Arts in Santiago, Chile was expertly cleaned & restored by Alerta Graffiti using Vanish Paint & Graffiti Remover.
Firstly, it is worth noting that all graffiti eventually fades. Some ink and felt pen markers can be gone in days and some spray paints can fade significantly in a year. Household paints may fade within 10 years. Consequently, It’s much better to take your time and test first rather than attempt removal techniques that will cause permanent damage. As a rule soda or sandblasting and other abrasive cleaning techniques are not an option for cleaning historic buildings. Any pitted, sanded or damaged surfaces can be TEN times harder to remove graffiti from than undamaged surfaces.
The main product used in removing graffiti from historic masonry, brick, stone, granite, marble, and limestone, and other natural building surfaces is Bare Brick Stone & Masonry Graffiti Remover (BBSM). It is highly effective and designed to rinse at lower pressure to avoid the presence of insoluble salts being left in the masonry. The advantage of this unique product is that it penetrates and encapsulates the graffiti all around turning it into an emulsifiable soap that is easily rinsed away.
Steaming hot water is almost always preferable when rinsing already dissolved graffiti from historic masonry and can be extremely important on marble and limestone or when lower pressure is desired on masonry and mortar joints.
Any building which has suddenly been washed (even with clean water) after being dry for many years can give rise to what we call ‘secondary efflorescence’ which appears as soft fluffy ‘salts’. This in itself is not harmful and will disappear quickly, never to return. This is not to be confused with the production and consequential rise of harmful salts which cause the spalling of masonry surfaces.
In our experience, we have never witnessed such a resulting outcome unless the building has not been rinsed properly, or is situated in a repetitive wetting and drying situation.
Generally, graffiti shadows can be avoided by flood coating with Bare Brick Stone & Masonry Graffiti Remover several times and leaving it on for extended dwell times.
Still, if a threatened shadow persists follow the notes below.
If the graffiti was from inks, dyes, boot polish or ANY color spray paint with RED pigments in it (for example reds, browns, oranges, pinks, purples, etc.) apply Feltpen Fadeout thickly and reapply if needed. You can also cover it with black plastic so it stays wetter longer. Once you see the stain begin to fade it will disappear completely. Reapply until it appears that no more fading will occur. See “Working with Feltpen Fadeout” and Feltpen Fadeout TDS sheet for further instructions and illustrated examples.
For black and blue spray can paints that are threatening a shadow you should first apply several flood coats of BBSM, and consider a coat of Transgel on top, overnight. This will help keep it all wetter longer and dissolve graffiti more thoroughly. Only do this if it is safe from the general public. Consider wrapping a plastic sheeting and employ a guard if you have to.
In the morning, use very hot water with a pressure washer. You may have to use the gun quite close to the surface so as to avoid prolonged time in gunning in one spot only. Keep the tip moving very fast around, over, below and above the graffiti shadow.
On limestone it is not uncommon to see a residual shadow, even after extended dwell times with BBSM. This type of stain can be easily removed using a diluted muriatic solution. Use 4 parts water; 1 part Muriatic (stronger dilutions can be utilized.
a. Wet surface down thoroughly before applying).
b. Brush on the acidic solution, agitate with a brush, and rinse off with a pressure washer.
c. Repeat as needed.
This technique will ultimately fix the problem and you should be left with a perfect-looking wall like this example above.
Please Note: Limestone, granite and marble are valuable substrates and ideally need to be protected when used in areas susceptible to graffiti.
4G Surface Guard and World's Best Graffiti Coating are ideally suited for the protection of natural stone buildings from graffiti, grease, grime and pollution. These products are designed to be virtually invisible on natural building surfaces. Please see several prominent case studies here.
Hot Tip! For contractors offering World's Best Graffiti Coating a rate of approx. $1 per square ft. (supplied and applied) for World's Best Graffiti Coating can add great value to a job and will prevent any staining issues from occurring in the future. You may even consider guaranteeing a graffiti free building by including free removals for a period of time after.
1) If graffiti is not coming off easily, you're doing it wrong! You may require a change of tact or use of another product.
2) If you can't remove a little bit of graffiti, then you're not going to remove a lot. TEST FIRST before applying product to an entire job. This way you can determine if you’re on the right track before embarking on full scale removals.
3) If you're working hard, you're doing it wrong. Forget the scrubbing, blasting and any other abrasive measures. Put simply, either your products are working or they’re not. Any problems can be taken care of with the right technique.
Click on any of the icons below for how-to's & more
When removing graffiti from metal the first thing you want to notice is whether it is coated or uncoated metal.
For powder-coated metal, and factory painted metal surfaces use Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover or Safewipes as instructed.
Read how to remove graffiti from . . .
When removing graffiti from metal the first thing you want to notice is whether it is coated or uncoated metal.
For powder-coated metal, and factory painted metal surfaces use Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover or Safewipes as instructed.
If there are inks or dyes that have left a stain on the coating these can be removed with Feltpen Fadeout. This can be true for some spray paints including reds and any color with red in it. (For eg: browns, oranges, pinks, etc).
You can add a little more Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover over the top and agitate to speed things up. This technique can be especially helpful on metals that have been coated with a “direct to metal” oil-based paint. Alternatively, leave the Feltpen Fadeout on longer to do its job. Once you see the stain fade a little, you will fade the lot.
For larger graffiti on walls and factory finished coated surfaces such as security blinds and garage doors we normally start with Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover, but if it’s proving to be slow going you can add some Heritage Graffiti Remover or Bare Brick Graffiti Remover to your Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover to pep it up so it dissolves the graffiti faster.
This small business was tagged on overnight and looking back to new the next morning by using the World's Best Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover. Pro tip! The sooner you remove graffiti off of a tagged surface, the better.
Another useful technique is to wet the surface down first and then brush on/broom on Heritage Graffiti Remover in sections. Agitate with the brush as you apply it and push it in a bit between coats with a soft green scourer. Then rinse away with cold water pressure is sections.
Some graffiti on painted metal siding may need to be color matched and painted over. A High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP) spray gun is an ideal tool for this work because you can spray accurately, change colors and clean your tool quickly in the field.
When removing graffiti from uncoated metal surfaces there are a variety of techniques that can be helpful depending on the type of metal surface you care cleaning.
Chrome and Anodized metal surfaces are generally sensitive to PH and can darken or stain if you use any cleaner or remover that contains alkaline. For this reason, we normally use Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover which is PH neutral.
If you are removing thicker old paint that has been brushed or rolled on or hardened spray can paint you can use Transgel and leave it on to crinkle up the paint so you can pressure wash away.
Transgel left on for 30 min followed by hot water pressure wash removes old paint from aluminum flashing . Courtesy of Texas EnviroBlast.
When removing graffiti from galvanized steel surfaces such as light poles and other architectural pieces we use Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover or Safewipes for smaller graffiti such as street poles etc.
For larger jobs or baked-on spray cans we often see Bare Brick Stone & Masonry Graffiti Remover used. There is a possibility that some galvanized surfaces may darken slightly but this is not usually noticeable. Still, it is always worth removing a little before coating up larger areas.
When removing graffiti from stainless steel use Bare Brick Stone and Masonry Graffiti Remover. This product is used daily on stainless steel commuter trains like the one below. Apply, agitate and rinse with a pressure washer.
For the removal of thicker paints or very hard sun-baked spray paints use Transgel Paint and Graffiti Remover.
If you are removing graffiti from bronze, brass, or copper we recommend using Bare Brick Stone & Masonry Graffiti Remover followed by a rinse with a pressure washer. These metals are typically not reactive to the remover.
Many historic bronze statues have been cleaned perfectly using this method. Sometimes removers such as Vanish or Transgel are used for thicker paint bombs or spills.
Corten steel has become an increasingly popular material as an architectural feature and is recognized by an even bloom of rust on the surface.
When removing graffiti from Corten steel try to fully dissolve the graffiti as much as possible using Bare Brick Stone & Masonry Graffiti Remover followed by a hot water pressure wash.
For larger or older graffiti on Corten steel, it is hard to remove it without affecting the patina or rust so make sure you remove it a little before coating up whole areas. If you end up leaving the rust off it will come back over time especially if it is frequently exposed to water or moisture from landscaping.
Graffiti covers Corten Steel
Once the rust finish is back to normal we recommend World’s Best Graffiti Coating to protect it from happening again. Worlds Best Graffiti Coating has been specified on corten steel public sculptures placed in areas susceptible to graffiti.
A water-soluble and cost-effective system to make its graffiti removal system easy-to-use - and highly effective.
1) If graffiti is not coming off easily, you're doing it wrong. You may require a change of tact or use of another product.
2) If you can't remove a little bit of graffiti, then you're not going to remove the lot. TEST FIRST before applying product to an entire job. This way you can determine if you’re on the right track before embarking on full scale removals.
3) If you're working hard, you're doing it wrong. Forget the scrubbing, blasting and any other abrasive measures. Put simply, either your products are working or they’re not. Any problems can be taken care of with the right technique.
Click on any of the icons below for how-tos & more
DO:
DO:
DON'T:
Click on any of the icons below for how-tos & more
These are the four basic steps for cleaning up smoke affected areas on brick or stonework:
These are the four basic steps for cleaning up smoke affected areas on brick or stonework:
Things to be aware of...
Any brickwork that has suffered such intense heat that it has cracked or the mortar joints have turned red/brown will never respond to any treatment within that area. The brickwork may have to be replaced.
Burnt plastics often respond to Methylene Chloride solvent type paint removers like Polystrippa. Please choose to use products like these at your own risk.
Interior surfaces such as plastered walls, paintwork can be treated as instruction #2 but by using a much weaker detergent mixture (1:20 water). Any smoke affected paintwork nearly always requires repainting.
An areas failing to respond to any of the above may respond better to acidic detergents as the burnt by product residues may be different compounds than expected.
These instructions are only to be used as a guide only and any job must be thoroughly investigated as to the sustainability of using such techniques BEFORE commencing any work.
Watch World's Best Detergent Concentrate remove caked-on soot and smoke damage from a park's barbecue brick wall. The detergent begins working instantly, making removal a breeze.
Click on any of the icons below for how-tos & more
Feltpen Fadeout (FF) is designed for the final removal of stains left from inks, dyes, boot polish, and red spray cans. It has so many useful applications and can make ALL the difference in the final stages of your removal jobs so you can leave them looking perfect.
We like to think about it as ‘the missing link’ in professional removals! You won’t always need it, but when you need it, you REALLY need it.
Feltpen Fadeout (FF) is designed for the final removal of stains left from permanent markers, inks, dyes, boot polish, and red spray cans. It has so many useful cleaning applications and can make ALL the difference in the final stages of removals, to help ensure you achieve perfect results in the end.
We like to think about it as ‘the missing link’ in professional removals! You won’t always need it, but when you need it, you REALLY need it.
Use Feltpen Fadeout for final removal of permanent markers, inks and dyes that stain porous masonry, brick stone, concrete & tile.
Use Feltpen Fadeout for the complete removal of red spray can paint (includes all colors that include red such as purple, pink, orange, brown). Use it before or after rinsing Bare Brick Stone and Masonry Graffiti Remover.
Any spray paint that changes color with an application of Bare Brick Stone & Masonry Remover will respond very well to an application of Feltpen Fadeout. Keep an eye out for color changes; some greens turn gray and oranges black etc., when you notice them, it's time to use Feltpen Fadeout to fade away the paint while it's dissolving.
It is also brilliant for the removal of most organic stains from all building surfaces. These include stains from plants and leaves, tree sap, and organic dyes.
Here are a few tips.
After removing as much felt pen marker as possible, one may get away with applying just one application of FF and obtain good results (this is most likely because it was an easy magic marker/felt pen). However there are a few permanent markers which may require several applications.
If you've applied FF a couple of times and it's starting to fade, then you are on the right track, but you need to change your technique. Remember, once the FF is dried it stops working so try to work in the cool of the day or in shaded situations.
Wet the wall up with water first and apply as much as possible before leaving it. If possible cover the area with black plastic sheeting. This is especially important when working in the heat.
After every third application, pressure wash the area being treated and continue reapplying the FF until the shadow is gone.
Our expression "the longer the wetter, the better" has never been more important.
Dilute 4:1 for the removal of blood stains and urine. 10:1 for the removal of mold and mildew. 20:1 for building and car wash-downs.
Clips Courtesy of Graffiti Busters
1) If graffiti is not coming off easily, you're doing it wrong! You may require a change of tact or use of another product.
2) If you can't remove a little bit of graffiti, then you're not going to remove a lot. TEST FIRST before applying product to an entire job. This way you can determine if you’re on the right track before embarking on full scale removals.
3) If you're working hard, you're doing it wrong. Forget the scrubbing, blasting and any other abrasive measures. Put simply, either your products are working or they’re not. Any problems can be taken care of with the right technique.
Click on any of the icons below for how-tos & more
When working with Bare Brick Stone & Masonry Graffiti Remover or Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover, dwell times sometimes need to be 2-3 times longer to yield the same results. It's often helpful to leave your remover on much longer than that before rinsing.
]]>The main thing to remember is when temperatures fall into the 40°'s and 30°'s, spray paints, inks and crayons take much longer to dissolve.
When working with Bare Brick Stone & Masonry Graffiti Remover or Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover, dwell times sometimes need to be 2-3 times longer to yield the same results. It's often helpful to leave your remover on much longer than that before rinsing.
It also helps to keep our products indoors and even inside the car before applying them, so they are at room temperature when you're ready to use them.
During the winter months we will sometimes apply Bare Brick Stone & Masonry Graffiti Remover several times and then leave Transgel on over the top for hours or even overnight before pressure washing. This will keep the graffiti wet much longer and make it easier to rinse completely the first time. Transgel eats through all the thicker bits of graffiti crinkling it up, while Bare Brick penetrates and dissolves it from behind.
Of course, pressure washing in freezing conditions is a tricky exercise and we recommend reserving larger projects for the Spring if that is an option.
For signs, trucks, trailers, and other sensitive surfaces, you may need to leave Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover on for several minutes before coming back to agitate and wipe away. Sometimes lightly abrading the surface with a soft scourer between coats will help the remover penetrate and begin dissolving it faster.
Hot Tips! A hot water pressure washer/steam cleaner makes a HUGE difference in graffiti and paint removal. Sometimes you might want to spray a wall down first in order to heat up a section of graffiti before removing it. Our friends at NYC Power Wash suggested filling up a bucket with hot water, and leaving the bottle of product in it so that it warms up before use.
Gorilla Property Services in Calgary, Canada use Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover in freezing conditions.
NYC Power Wash uses Bare Brick Stone & Masonry Graffiti Remover in the middle of winter.
1) If graffiti is not coming off easily, you're doing it wrong. You may require a change of tact or use of another product.
2) If you can't remove a little bit of graffiti, then you're not going to remove a lot. TEST FIRST before applying product to an entire job. This way you can determine if you’re on the right track before embarking on full scale removals.
3) If you're working hard, you're doing it wrong. Forget the scrubbing, blasting and any other abrasive measures. Put simply, either your products are working or they’re not. Any problems can be taken care of with the right technique.
Share this Article
Click on any of the icons below for how-tos & more
Marketing and advertising used to be a vertical thing. That is, you paid someone to design your logo, and an advertisement, and you placed it in a journal, local paper and you sat back and waited for the phone to ring. Now we’re in the digital age and the opportunities are enormous. If you don’t believe me then stop reading this because this is how we all met.
Nowadays advertising has turned ‘horizontal’ where a shoulder to shoulder experience via Facebook, YouTube, Linked-in and hundreds of other networking sites allow you to stay in contact hundreds; if not thousands of people daily with new offers or information. Your aim should be to become the most desired expert in graffiti removal in your area.
Here are a couple of must do’s:
1. Get your name right from the beginning. Make sure, that whatever you call your business describes exactly what you do.
Hint: Names like ‘PB Enterprises’ or ‘Jack’s Cleaning’ may mean very little to anybody looking for anything.
2. You need to call or message your local potential customers.
Assuming that you’ve got your name right, your image/appearance right and that you are shaved, shampooed and ready to ‘root, shoot and electrocute’ then an introductory message creating some form of intriguer on a new and better way of removing graffiti is sure to catch their attention.
For example, an introductory letter/flyer to future clients should take on the following form -
We call it the ‘cringe, confidence and call offer’ factor.
First comes the cringe factor such as;
“Are you paying too much for graffiti removals?” or
“Did your last graffiti remover leave a worse shadow than the original graffiti?”
You get the drift…
Follow this with some confidence in the way you do it, like....
“Our World’s Best Graffiti Removal System makes sure that every job is perfect in half the time, at half the cost…without a ghastly shadow or risk of damage”.
Then your offer:
“Use our services, and if the wall gets hit within two weeks we will do it again for free” or
“Every third tag is free this month”.
Take advantage of social media. It can be user-friendly and it's free to get your name out there. Post your success stories on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube or even TikTok. Tell a story and be clear, include ways in which customers can reach you.
According to marketing company Later, a post with at least one hashtag averages 12.6% more engagement than posts without a hashtag.
Here are a few recommended hashtags to post after you share your visual and caption:
#grafffitiremoval #graffitiremover
#removegraffiti
#pressurewasher #pressurewashing
Don't forget to tag us using #worldsbestgraffitiremovers (or/and our handle @graffitiremovers). We love to share your success stories on our social media platforms.
Click on any of the icons below for how-tos & more
Firstly, know who your customers are, and those that will be future customers. This is important.
If you don’t know, then you will waste endless hours and money marketing yourself.
Likely customers are commercial letting and management companies; real estate companies with rent rolls; shopping center management; rail authorities, cities, boroughs, councils and surprisingly other cleaning companies.
Firstly, know who your customers are, and those that will be future customers. This is important.
If you don’t know, then you will waste endless hours and money marketing yourself.
Likely customers are commercial letting and management companies; real estate companies with rent rolls; shopping center management; rail authorities, cities, boroughs, councils and surprisingly other cleaning companies.
No one will have your expertise, I can assure you.
Whilst you are building up your graffiti removal business you will be asked to perform many jobs outside this particular trade like smoke damage, crime scenes, paint removal, greasy floors, grime on buildings, paving cleaning, gum and grunge. As always, we are here to help. Check out advice for all types of jobs here.
World's Best Graffiti Removal Products in Action
1) If graffiti is not coming off easily, you're doing it wrong! You may require a change of tact or use of another product.
2) If you can't remove a little bit of graffiti, then you're not going to remove a lot! TEST FIRST before applying product to an entire job. This way you can determine if you’re on the right track before embarking on full scale removals.
3) If you're working hard, you're doing it wrong! Forget the scrubbing, blasting and any other abrasive measures. Put simply, either your products are working or they’re not. Any problems can be taken care of with the right technique.
Click on any of the icons below for how-tos & more
So, you’ve got your Starter Pack, you’ve read the book, eaten the pie, got the T-shirt and now you’re ready to start making money.
How are you going to charge for this sort of service?
Graffiti removal is actually fun and when you are doing something you love then it is never work. This makes things tricky when figuring out how to charge for jobs. You need to use your discretion which gets easier with experience.
So, you’ve got your Starter Pack, you’ve read the book, eaten the pie, got the T-shirt and now you’re ready to start making money.
How are you going to charge for this sort of service?
Graffiti removal is actually fun and when you are doing something you love then it is never work. This makes things tricky when figuring out how to charge for jobs. You need to use your discretion which gets easier with experience.
Here are a few pointers which should help guide you in the right direction:
The team from GRS (Graffiti Removal Services Inc.) in Sacramento CA celebrate after cleaning graffiti from an entire pedestrian bridge in Oakland CA.
Developing a square foot rate is helpful to you and your customer. It helps your customer by making the cost more predictable. It also helps you as with a little practice you’ll be in and out of jobs very quickly and often short-changing yourself with your old time and materials formula. It can also ultimately help you in employing someone else to do the work with you in the long term.
If you intend on taking our advice, in billing by the square foot, you need to have a standard ‘call out fee’ which may include the first several square feet (say 5-10 sq.ft.) or 1 square yard. This will vary depending on the travel distance involved. We suggest around $90 within 5 miles of your base.
The second square yard or 10 square feet can be $30 and subsequent sq. yards/feet $25. This way the client will know exactly how much to expect before you arrive, and avoid any unwanted arguments.
Remember that filled in bubble writing, multiple tags on top of each other or graffiti on previously sand/soda blasted surfaces can significantly add to the time, and product required.
For example, your rate may need to double on filled in bubble writing or spray can mural removal. You may also need to reduce your rate for jobs which required a color match and a paint over, as you may be bidding against professional painters.
Jobs on historic buildings are worth a lot more because of the boffins and regulatory authorities. Be warned. They take 5 times longer than normal graffiti. If you don’t win them then nothing is lost except prestige in your trade. However bad business is worse than none at all.
In order to calculate the total square feet, draw an imaginary box around each tag.
Multiply the height x width to calculate the square footage of each box.
Where there are multiple tags, add the sq. footage of each box together to estimate the total price for the job.
60ft wide x 10ft high = 600sq ft
On larger removal jobs, such as the one pictured here, we always recommend establishing a modus operandi by removing a few square feet perfectly, before embarking on large scale removals.
Click on any of the icons below for how-tos & more
There are many types of bathroom partitions including stainless steel, powder-coated steel, and plastic.
Graffiti from spray paint, most pens and wax crayons, as well as boot polish, can be cleaned quickly and easily using Graffiti Safewipes, Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover or Bare Brick, Stone & Masonry Graffiti Remover.
There are many types of bathroom partitions including stainless steel, powder-coated steel, and plastic.
Graffiti from spray paint, most pens and wax crayons, as well as boot polish, can be cleaned quickly and easily using Graffiti Safewipes, Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover or Bare Brick, Stone & Masonry Graffiti Remover.
Magic marker stains on powder-coated or painted bathroom stalls can always be cleaned perfectly using our Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover/Safewipes followed by Feltpen Fadeout.
Feltpen Fadeout may also be effective on a plastic surface but is often too slow, requiring long dwell times and several applications. In these cases, it might be better to fog mist and disguise any remaining stain.
Remove markers marks using Graffiti Safewipes or Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover. Then follow with a damp cloth. Courtesy of Graffiti Busters LTD.
On indoor restroom surfaces, Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover or Graffiti ‘Safewipes’ leaves a pleasant citrus smell behind. The orange oils in these products have been shown to kill household germs including gold staph, as well as deodorizing. They can repel insects and kill flies in bins too.
On outdoor playground equipment where there are heavy amounts of spray can, we recommend using our Bare Brick, Stone & Masonry Graffiti Remover. Apply by brush or broom and agitate, one or two flood coats at 3-minute intervals, and then rinse thoroughly with a pressure washer. It often helps to use a scourer and push the graffiti remover into the plastic when dissolving graffiti. Small amounts of graffiti can be wiped away with a damp cloth after they are dissolved.
When removing heavy spray-paint on plastic playground equipment use BBSM. Brush on, wipe off and rinse off with a pressure washer. Courtesy of Graffiti Busters LTD.
When using a pressure washer to rinse, a cold water pressure wash works most of the time, however hot water will definitely leave the play equipment looking like new and is always preferable if you have access to one. Ink markers will wipe away quite easily using Safewipes or Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover (brush on, wipe off).
Removing magic marker stain from bathroom ceiling with Feltpen Fadeout. Courtesy of Graffiti Busters LTD.
Graffiti from boot polish markers (which can be identified by broad strokes and drips) can often be cleaned using Feltpen Fadeout first. Brush on, and leave on for several minutes before rinsing with a pressure washer or stiff-bristled nylon brush and water.
If you have tried all these techniques and are still staring at residual ink stains on the plastic then you may have no choice but to recommend either removing the panel, or planing/slicing/sanding off the affected area.
In the case of outdoor play equipment, you could leave the balance of the stain to the ‘elements’ as UV Sunlight and rain eventually fades all graffiti, or choose to color match and paint over. Many times the residual stain from a felt pen will disappear after a couple of weeks.
World's Best Sensitive Surface Graffiti Remover and Graffiti Safewipes remove spray paint from playground.
100% Volunteer run SoCal Trash Army removes all traces of graffiti from playground structure.
Click on any of the icons below for more how-to's and advice
Because there has been an irreversible chemical reaction to the glass, there isn’t a cleaner that will remove these tags. However, most can be removed ‘mechanically’ through buffing and polishing. Specialized equipment is available for this job.
Glass windows and signage can be protected with optically clear laminates and films. In the event of graffiti, these are peeled away and replaced.
For other types of graffiti on glass please view "How to Remove Graffiti and Spray Paint from Glass".
1) If graffiti is not coming off easily, you're doing it wrong! You may require a change of tact or use of another product.
2) If you can't remove a little bit of graffiti, then you're not going to remove a lot! TEST FIRST before applying product to an entire job. This way you can determine if you’re on the right track before embarking on full scale removals.
3) If you're working hard, you're doing it wrong. Forget the scrubbing, blasting and any other abrasive measures. Put simply, either your products are working or they’re not. Any problems can be taken care of with the right technique.
Click on any of the icons below for more how-to's and advice