Graffiti Removal Kits

As part of the Enhanced Graffiti Management Program the City of Ottawa is currently providing Graffiti Removal Kits to citizens interested in removing graffiti from public property. These kits are only good for non-porous flat surfaces (glass, metal, non-porous plastics).


The kit is a plastic container containing 30 graffiti wipes, vinyl gloves, and City of Ottawa instructions.

Kits can be acquired by contacting and picking them up from Paul McCann (613-580-2424 ext. 13363), the Co-ordinator of the Community Pride Program.

So now you have a kit. What do you do next?

First off read the instructions...and read the label. The graffiti wipes are coated with very strong chemical and solvents, so be informed so you can be careful.


Next, find location to remove graffiti from. As these graffiti removal kits are provided free of charge from the City they are intended for City of Ottawa property and street furniture (street signs, newspaper boxes, taffic switching boxes, bus shelters, telephone booths, mail boxes, mail drop boxes, telephone switching boxes). The City does not recommend or advice you to clean Hydro boxes as they may poentially pose an electical shock danger.


If you are paying attention at home...this is a Hydro box. We advise that you don't clean this type of street furniture. We weren't paying close attention and cleaning this one.

Next you'll need your tool.

• Graffiti wipes
• Razor scrapper
• Face mask
• Vinyl gloves

First off, use the razor scrapper to remove any stickers.


Once your cleaned your surface of stickers...it's time to put on your protective gloves and mask.


Next, start with a clean graffiti wipe and start wiping away at that graffiti.


Depending on the type of ink or paint used...some marks will come off immediately. Other may need to soak a bit in the wipe solvent. And others still will need some serious elbow grease.


And some will just not want to completely come off.

The wipes pick up paint and ink fast. But there may be a lot more ink and paint on the surface than you think, so you'll likely need a few wipes to cover a heavily graffitied surface. Also, as you work away your gloves are not going to hold up very well.

So replace your gloves whenever they wear out.



For stubborn tags, like solid paint markers (which leave a thick residue), we suggest that you use a razor scrapper to remove as much excess paint/ink as possible...and then go over the surface with a graffiti wipe. You'll be surprised how much time this will save you and how effective it will be.

So what's the verdict?

Well for simple tags...very good. You can remove all traces of graffiti



But for more complex graffiti and graffiti that has had a long time to set...you may not be able to erase all traces of graffiti...but just make a really big dent.

BEFORE




AFTER