Over the past twenty years, graffiti has become a growing problem for many U.S. cities. In recent years, graffiti writing has spread to neighborhoods in rural and suburban areas. Some continually have to resort to San Antonio sandblasting although it causes a lot of wear and tear to the exterior of buildings. Others attempt to deter vandals by applying San Antonio coatings to the targeted walls. Some communities have even found a way to transform vandalized glass into art. Whatever methods used to clean up the mess or discourage graffiti artists, serious action must be taken to control this widespread problem.

There are several different methods to remove paint left by vandals on the walls of buildings. The type used will depend upon the material and texture of the wall’s surface. Aiming at the side of a building with a high-pressure spray full of tiny crystals essentially scrapes off paint in addition to the top layer of wall to which it adheres. However, there are a couple problems with this method. First, even on a newer building, the treated surface always looks cleaner than the surrounding surface. Second, it’s impossible to remove all of the paint from rough or porous surfaces so, even after cleaning, the paint may still be somewhat visible. A second method uses abrasive cleaners that come in powder form and are a mixture of baking soda or pumice. The abrasive is mixed with water and applied with a high-pressure sprayer. This method is especially effective on a metal surface. The powder is inexpensive and readily available, but renting professional spraying equipment is expensive. It’s also a slow process so, oftentimes a cleaning crew is brought in to complete the job.
Using strong, chemical solvents are trickier to use because they can irritate the skin and eyes. In one such method, sodium hydroxide commonly known as lye, is applied to the surface of a building as a paste over which a backing is applied and the lye is left on for a period of time to eat the paint. Simply pull off the backing and the paint comes off with it. But because workers must deal with the paste while it is wet, evaporation can become a problem. This method is not without complications. Because the paste can dry out quickly, only small surface areas can be worked at a time. In addition, lye leaches into wood and stains it, therefore wood surfaces cannot be painted for 60 to 120 days or the new paint just end up dissolving.

A soybean-based gel solvent is the newest product available and is a safer option because the solvent is nontoxic and has no odor or harmful vapors. It may be brushed or rolled on and while it slowly evaporates, it buckles or dissolves paint in a couple of hours. Then, the surface can be easily rinsed off while the paint and the gel is allowed to safely wash into the ground or a storm sewer without harming people, animals or the environment. Hopefully, the speedy and constant removal of graffiti will discourage public painters from ruining our towns and cities.