When the Writing Is on the Wall

You are looking to expand your business by moving to a larger commercial space, and a friend has given you a lead in the exact area you are looking to relocate. Or maybe you are meeting a new supplier or potential partner. You park your car and take the short hike from the parking lot to the building’s front entrance, noticing the well-maintained lawn and clean sidewalk. Then, about 10 feet from the door, you stop in your tracks. No way, would you buy this seemingly ideal building or feel comfortable doing business with this company! The writing is on the wall—literally.

Bad Words

Graffiti can destroy the legitimacy of a business in the eyes of clients. It ruins the professional appeal of a building and, when left unattended, speaks volumes about the care a business will take of its customers or business partners. After all, if a company can’t be bothered with its own professional image, how hard will it work to preserve yours?

The incidence—and unsightliness—of graffiti is a huge concern for many businesses, especially those in major metropolitan areas where it’s proliferation can seem almost overwhelming. In fact, many major cities worldwide are forced to spend millions of dollars to remove it from buildings, subway cars, buses, even restroom walls and fixtures. And of course, graffiti is not limited to cities. Many businesses in small towns and rural areas are seeing graffiti reach near epidemic levels.

As with most things in life, graffiti can come with a silver lining, however, at least for those in the professional cleaning industry: There are ways to successfully remove graffiti, and for those willing to accept the challenge, selling either the removal product or service can prove profitable.

Time Sensitivity

It is crucial for graffiti to be removed as quickly as possible since the longer it remains on a structure, the worse the impact.

“When spray paint is left on the wall of a building it can soak into the structure itself,” according to Pressure Washing Systems, a Chicago, IL-based graffiti-removal company. “The longer the graffiti remains, the worse the damage will be. If paint is left for long periods of time, then the removal process itself may cause some amount of damage to the structure, and there may be discoloration when the process is complete.”

Visible graffiti also increases the risks of compounding the problem since graffiti invites more of the same. Other “artists” assume marked areas are good and safe spots to create more graffiti. So what may start out as one “tagged” wall can quickly spread to multiple surfaces.

Positive Pressure

While essential, graffiti removal is not always easy and depends greatly on the surface requiring treatment. Yet in most outdoor cases, a properly used professional power washer can remove graffiti without harsh chemicals. For this reason, it is one of the leading ways to handle a graffiti problem.

“We’ve found 210 degree F water sprayed at a minimum of 3.5 gpm [gallons per minute] at 4,000 psi [pounds per square inch] to be highly effective at lifting and vaporizing adhesives and marks especially when a fast, light, portable method is needed,” says Bill Loenhorst from Hydro Tek Cleaning Equipment Manufacturing in Redlands, CA. “Many times, this combination of heat and pressure can lift unwanted paint in a controlled manner with minimal damage to the base surface without the chemicals or sand blasting that can damage certain surfaces.”

Sometimes, more than one wash is necessary. Also, in worst-case graffiti scenarios, even careful pressure washing can strip portions of the original paint. Obtaining matching paint for post-pressure washing touchups can help building owners avoid having to repaint the entire building.

Beyond Water

Scott Jarden, president of The Bullen Companies, a Folcroft, PA-based manufacturer of anti-graffiti products, suggests one of the best ways to make power washing more effective is to take proactive measures before graffiti appears.

“One of the ways to improve graffiti removal is to use a water-based polymer sacrificial coating that is removed each time the heavy cleaning or pressure washing is done,” he says. “There also are epoxy and other coatings that will create adhesion barriers to paints and other typical graffiti markings.”

When graffiti demands more than water, Tina Galluccio from Canada-based manufacturer Avmor Ltd., recommends still keeping safety in mind. “One way to effectively remove graffiti is by selecting a product that contains organic amines or green solvents,” she says. “It is preferable to use a sustainable product that has low VOC’s [volatile organic compounds] and that does not contain methylene chloride or butyl. Avoiding these hazardous ingredients will help protect the health and safety of the user and the environment.”

LinkedIn to Expertise

In search of more real-world answers to the graffiti question, I posted the question to the 21,600 (and growing!) members in the “ISSA-The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association” LinkedIn group. Below are just a few of the in-the-field suggestions they provided, all appropriately prefaced with “depending on the surface” and the recommendation that whatever method you choose, you test a small area of the surface to be cleaned first.

Like Galluccio, LinkedIn group member and facility hygiene consultant at Valley Janitor Supply, Ken Dietz, emphasizes environmental and health concerns.

“If you want to stay with a product or method that is more sustainable and safe, there are methods I have seen work very well,” he says. “One is a cream type product that can be used with a microfiber towel. It has a zero health rating and works very well. The second one would be the eraser-type sponges. Although they can’t work on porous or rough surfaces, they do a good job on painted and smooth surfaces.”

Health care professional and ISSA LinkedIn contributor Terry Van Soosten says the first step is to determine the graffiti’s base: “For oil-based, most chemicals can damage the lungs so look for something with no- or low-odor,” he advises. “Some products contain a high solvent orange that is less harmful. For water-based, use a heavy alkaline detergent and water pump sprayer, then a pressure washer if it is on the out side.” For inside walls, Van Sooten also recommends a graffiti-removal sponge.

Joel Globerman, another ISSA LinkedIn group member, independent contractor, and former college administrative superintendent of buildings and grounds in the New York city, NY, area, points to an additional consideration: “Another issue is flammability,” he says. “The older chemicals used were actually a derivative of paint thinner. They were hazardous to use and had a strong odor, making them prohibitive for indoor use. My recommendation is products made from soy esthers. They work on ink/paint graffiti, have no odor, and are not flammable. Unfortunately, some attack plastic, but I know a least one milder one is made that can be used on that, too.”

Worldwide Solutions

As noted earlier, graffiti is a global issue, which leaves cleaners worldwide searching for the best removal solutions.

ISSA LinkedIn group member Igor Gavranovic, managing director at Questa Services in Sydney, Australia, believes that while power washing is most often effective, sometimes something stronger than water is required. “On porous surfaces, you have to use a high pressure machine, and graffiti-removal chemicals are strong in composition and can damage a surface if used in excessive amounts,” he says. ” But if it’s a small amount of graffiti, a chemical on its own could be sufficient. For anything else, a combination of chemicals used with a high pressure machine is best solution”

ISSA LinkedIn group member Kaizer Isaac, a facility service contract cleaner based in Johannesburg, South Africa, contends that when it comes to graffiti removal, patience is a virtue. “Some graffiti can only be removed by solvents [which requires] paying attention to color fastness of the surface and having patience since enough chemical contact [dwell time] is essential to dissolve graffiti and allow easy pick-up,” he says. “There’s several solvents available, glycol ethers remove water-based polymer sealers [and there is] methyl chloroform/ketones, etc.

For more rugged surfaces, ISSA LinkedIn group member Oliver Wakefield, director at All Clean Services, Birmingham, United Kingdom, is completely convinced that a soda blaster is the way to go.

“I have done graffiti removal for years and had always used a water and chemical process, which was hit and miss on profit margins due to not knowing what the finished result would truly be,” he says. “I invested in a soda blaster and used a fine grade of glass on graffiti on brick work by chance one day, and I have never looked back.”

Wakefield admits soda blasters require a somewhat substantial investment and enough business to see a return on investment. “However, it is the way forward and once more people realize soda / glass will change the cleaning market for the better,” he says.

Back in the United States, Mark Odom, owner and general manager of building contractor Mainstreet Property Services, Inc. in Chipley, FL, suggests, “On urethane doors, mirrors, ceramic hand dryers, etc. [a lubricant like] WD-40 is about the fastest and won’t harm surfaces. Steel wool and a solvent are effective but be aware as others have said it may get dicey if you get into the original surface. Acetone and lacquer thinner are all great products as long as you are very aware of what type of application is needed based on what the graffiti is on.

Yet Odom admits there are times when “crying uncle” just may be your best option: “If it is on a painted surface such as a wall or sheetrock rather than fight the stain/graffiti, we just give them a painting quote.”