Graffiti can appear virtually anywhere, especially schools, arenas, parks and other areas where young people congregate. But even quiet, Class A offices aren’t immune. "Anything that’s standing still is a target," says Scott Williams, president of Williams Graffiti Removal, a specialty distributor in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Whether it’s written inside a stall door, or painted across an exterior wall, using the proper products and technique is key to removing the unsightly scrawls.

There are some major differences between indoor and outdoor graffiti, and different techniques in their removal.

“Indoors, graffiti problems occur in many places, but nearly always show up on desk or classroom table tops, study carrels, restroom stall doors and walls, and elevator walls,” says Phil Thornton, area supervisor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Common media include ballpoint and felt-tip pens, pencils and knife blades. White correction fluid also can be painted onto surfaces.

Different products should be used to clean different surfaces. Here are some suggestions:

  • Ordinary cleaners and disinfectants will remove much pencil and some pen graffiti.

  • Citrus-based cleaners often will work on inks on wood surfaces. To remove ink, Williams suggests spraying product on the surface, dabbing lightly and then neutralizing with water. Repeat if necessary.

  • Some foam and some paste cleaners, which remain in place until wiped off, work well on vertical surfaces.

  • Abrasive cleansers can sometimes fade scratched-in graffiti, Thornton says. However, custodians often bear down too hard with abrasive cleansers or pads, and they damage the surface, he adds. On a wood or Formica surface, this can make the spot more vulnerable to future graffiti, which could spread into the exposed, porous material. Instead, use non-abrasive cleaners and soft cloths or pads.

  • Paint softeners also sometimes can be used on painted surfaces to fill in scratches, Williams adds. However, they must be wiped in softly, instead of rubbed hard, or they will take paint off. Washroom partitions are especially prone to paint loss, he says.

If these steps don’t work, or if the graffiti is deeply etched in, re-paint the surface. Be sure to re-paint the entire partition, not just the soiled area.

However, painting should be a last resort, because it’s even harder to remove ink from a re-painted surface.
“Once you paint, you might as well keep painting,” says Williams.

Outdoor challenges
Indoor graffiti tends to be confined to desks, stall doors and other small areas, but outside, graffiti murals literally can cover an entire wall

“The horizontal surfaces often marked here are sidewalks and steps, but any vertical surface of buildings, walls or even equipment like stop signs and stop light housings are vulnerable,” Thornton says. Smooth masonry or painted surfaces are most vulnerable, he adds.

Spray paint is the most common medium, but chalk and etching also occur.

If your department is charged with removing scrawl from buildings, signs and other objects, here are some tips:

  • For exterior glass surfaces such as bus shelters, try a graffiti-removing gel, suggests Williams.

    “You need a product that won’t attack glass,” he adds.

  • Williams recommends using a high-pressure washer (1,000 to 2,000 psi) to remove most graffiti from brick. However, Thornton isn’t so sure.

    “Usually pressure washers are OK for chalk but nothing else,” he says.

  • Baking-soda-based products can help restore large areas of masonry, brick, concrete and other surfaces.

  • When removing spray paint, regardless of method, work from the outside to the center, rather than across the stain. That way, the spot doesn’t spread to clean areas, Thornton points out.

  • On any surface, using abrasive materials too aggressively can leave the graffiti’s pattern scratched or shadowed into the surface.

“There are shadow removers available, but a lot of the time, the person [removing the graffiti] just followed the outline of the graffiti, so the surface is uneven,” says Williams.

To prevent this, treat large areas instead of just the graffiti.
“No one should be able to tell you were there after the surface dries,” Williams points out.




POSTED ON: 2/1/2002