October 1

0 comments

We're an affiliate

We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Thank you if you use our links, we really appreciate it!

How to Remove Graffiti with a Pressure Washer

how to remove graffiti

Seeing graffiti on your property is irritating and makes it look terrible. Although graffiti is a form of art, it isn’t one that you want on your building. In addition, it can damage your surfaces, especially stucco or brick. However, if you have a good pressure washer for removing graffiti and a graffiti removal solvent, you can restore your building to its original form.

Some graffiti can be removed simply by the force of the water from your pressure washer, while at other times, you will need products to help dissolve the paint or markers used. When you use these cleaning products, you can reduce the pressure to apply them. Either way, you can clean the graffiti off of your surfaces.

What Supplies Do You Need?

You need to make sure that you have the right supplies to get the job done. This will make it much easier to remove your graffiti. You need:

  • Graffiti removal solvent
  • Garden hose
  • Pressure washer

The graffiti removal solvent you need depends on the type of graffiti on the surfaces. It is an easier job if it is wet paint, but you need to find solvent made for your surface and the type of graffiti. Products are made specifically for graffiti. Masonry is more porous and it requires deep cleaning chemicals, but there are solvents for concrete, brick, signs, and more. Make sure that you choose one that works with your particular situation.

How to Remove Graffiti with a Pressure Washer

graffiti

You can remove graffiti with a pressure washer. Make sure that you have the supplies you need before you start, including graffiti removal solvent, a pressure washer, and a scrub brush. Then you can follow these steps.

  • Graffiti Removal Solvent. The first step is to use your graffiti removal solvent. Make sure that you buy one that is designed for your specific surface, and spray it all over the surface. Let it soak for a few minutes. Then you should consider using a brush attachment to scrub any difficult areas. Once the graffiti starts to loosen up, you can wipe it off the surface.
  • Set Your Pressure Washer up. Your pressure washer attaches to a garden hose, and it uses high pressure to spray water and clean surfaces. Make sure that your gas pressure washer has gas and oil in it, and your electric pressure washer should be plugged in.
    Look at your pressure settings. Some pressure washers let you choose low, medium, or high, while others come with different nozzle tips to control the pressure. You should connect the hose to your pressure washer and then connect the pressure hose to the wand.
  • Choose Your Nozzle Tip. Next, you need to choose your nozzle. They are usually color-coded and differ by the degree of the angle of spray. Nozzles with a wider opening will have more water but less pressure, and those with a smaller opening have a more concentrated spray that is more forceful. For cleaning graffiti, you will usually want to use the green 25-degree nozzle tip. This will help you eliminate most of the graffiti from the surface.

  • Start Pressure Washing the Surface. Now you can start pressure washing the surface. Stand about two feet away from the surface and start with a small section of graffiti. You should check to make sure that the power from the water doesn’t damage the surface. If it is too strong, switch to a lower-pressure nozzle tip. Start on one side and keep the wand moving as you pressure wash the surface. Try to keep your strokes even and smooth, and focus on one section of the surface at a time. You should see the graffiti dissolving and moving down off the surface.
  • Stubborn Stains. If you have sections that are more difficult, you can change to the yellow nozzle to treat them. This nozzle has a 15-degree opening, which is more forceful than the green nozzle. The spray of water will be more concentrated, so be sure to test it out first. If everything is fine, you can work on the more difficult areas with this nozzle.
  • Finish up. Once you have loosened all of the graffiti, spray the entire surface from the top down. Aim the nozzle at an angle as you move it down towards the ground. Continue until you remove all of the residues from the graffiti and the surface is restored to its original condition.

How to Choose a Pressure Washer for Removing Graffiti

When you want to remove graffiti with a pressure washer the first thing to consider is whether you want an electric or a gas-powered pressure washer. A gas pressure washer is more powerful and is not constrained by a cord, but it requires more maintenance and you will need gas and oil. An electric pressure washer has to be plugged in, but many come with cords that are 30 feet or longer.

removing graffiti

Consider how else you will use your pressure washer, as they can perform a variety of tasks. You can use them to clean the driveways, patios, outdoor furniture, cars, and more. If you need to use your pressure washer in areas without access to an outlet, you will want a gas-powered pressure washer.

The power of a pressure washer is measured in pressure and volume of water. The pressure is measured in pressure per square inch (PSI), while the volume is measured in gallons per minute (GPM). You want a pressure washer that is between 1500 and 3000 PSI and 2.5 GPM or more.

They also come with different nozzles and accessories. You want to get one with at least four nozzle tips, including 0, 15, 25, and 40 degrees. You should also have a foam cannon or soap dispenser. They can have a brush attachment for scrubbing and extension wands as well, so look at your project and choose one with the accessories you need.

A pressure washer can clean just about any surface, including concrete, brick, vinyl siding, wood, metal, and asphalt. You will be able to use one to clean graffiti off of any surface you have.

Best Pressure Washers for Graffiti Removal

There are a lot of different pressure washers that you can use for graffiti removal. You can choose either a gas or electric model, and you should look at the PSI and the GPM. Ideally, you want a pressure washer that has a maximum pressure between 1500 and 3000 with a GPM of 2.5 or more. Take a look at the following options, any of which will do a great job.

Paxcess Electric Pressure Washer

The Paxcess electric pressure washer has a maximum pressure of 3000 PSI at 2.5 GPM. It is strong enough to remove graffiti from most surfaces. It can also remove deeply ingrained dirt and debris, grease, and peeling paint. You can use it for graffiti removal, driveways, patos, outdoor furniture, cars, boats, RVs, and more. It is a very useful machine.

Teande Gas Pressure Washer

This gas-powered pressure washer by Teande has a 209cc 4-stroke OHV engine. It has a maintenance-free axial cam pump, and it offers a maximum pressure of 4200 PSI at 3 GPM. This is a powerful pressure washer that can perform many different tasks. In addition to removing graffiti, you can use it to clean driveways, sidewalks, patios, siding, and more.

Mrliance Electric Pressure Washer

This is an electric pressure washer from Mrliance with an 1800-watt motor. It has a maximum pressure of 3300 PSI at 2.6 GPM. It is capable of removing dirt, grime, oil, stains, and graffiti from different surfaces. It can also keep your driveways, patios, cars, and more looking great. It is IPX5 rated and has the TSS safety system, so it will shut down when you release the trigger. This helps avoid accidental spraying.

Simpson Cleaning MegaShot Gas Pressure Washer

The Simpson Cleaning MegaShot is a gas-powered pressure washer that is built with a Kohler premium residential engine. It has a maintenance-free OEM Technologies axial cam pump. The frame is constructed with steel, and it has a 25-foot flexible nose that is resistant to kinds and abrasion. It is portable and light enough for one person to use, but it is durable and powerful enough for tough jobs, such as removing graffiti.

Tooluck Electric Pressure Washer

The Tooluck electric pressure washer comes with an 1800-watt motor, and it has a maximum pressure of 3500 PSI at 2.4 GPM. It is powerful enough for difficult stains from graffiti, as well as many other projects. You can clean driveways, patios, outdoor furniture, and more. It has an automatic TSS system for safety, so it automatically shuts down the pump when you release the trigger. It has a 35-foot cord with GFCI protection and a 26-foot pressure hose.

Final Words

Seeing graffiti on your buildings or other property can be an eyesore, but you can use a pressure washer to take care of it. It doesn’t matter whether you choose gas or electric models; both can do the job well. You should make sure that you have a strong enough maximum pressure and flow rate, and choose the right graffiti removal solvent for the surface.

You might also like our article best pressure washers to remove graffiti for recommendations.

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}