Prevention better than cure
December 1st 2007

Cleaning up gum and graffiti costs the UK hundreds of millions of pounds a year.And it comes back as fast as it can be removed. But Paul Dowling, of Si Laboratories technical field support division, says prevention makes the job easier and less costly

Graffiti and chewing gum removal is a very costly and time consuming business – graffiti removal is estimated to cost anything from £200 million to £1 billion a year in the UK, and there's an estimated three and a half billion sticks of discarded chewing gum to clean up each year at an approximate cost of 10p a stick. Chewing gum is now classified as contamination refuse and by definition must be cleaned up.

Graffiti in particular causes a blight on areas,making them look unattractive and rundown. Graffiti that is racial or offensive in other ways further escalates the problem and puts added pressure on businesses and local authorities to get the slogans removed quickly.

Conventional removal methods

A range of conventional methods are available to tackle both graffiti and gum deposits.Techniques to remove gum include scraping, freezing, burning, pressure washing, steam injection, and chipping.However, these methods can stain and damage the surfaces being treated, whilst also causing disruption to pedestrians.

In the case of graffiti, fewer remedies are available, and once again all have drawbacks. Painting over the affected surface is often not viable, sandblasting and pressure washing can damage the surface and the vast majority of chemical removers on the market can, due to their aggressive chemical nature, easily damage the surface, and are not user friendly or environmentally sensitive. Most are hazardous and toxic so care must be taken when applying them and protective clothing must be worn.

For both graffiti and gum removal, all these processes are very labour intensive and once one area has been cleaned up it doesn't take long for it to be defaced again, with the whole cleaning process having to be repeated.There is a better solution that will benefit both cleaning contractors and the people who employ them.

New developments

New developments in the industry mean that the inefficient and laborious methods of tackling graffiti and gum could soon become outdated.Working on the adage that prevention is always better than cure, Si Laboratories have launched two new products to provide permanent and safe protective coatings, enabling graffiti and gum to be repelled from, and not stick to, a surface, eliminating the need for complex removal techniques.

Graffiti Shield is easy to apply to any surface and once cured will provide permanent protection against graffiti contamination. Being chemically benign, it is safe to use and will have no effect on the environment. All the usual graffiti materials can be easily washed away with soap and water, and the most difficult paints – the ones that are specifically designed to be permanent – can be quickly tackled with a special remover which removes these paints in seconds, whilst not damaging the permanent protective coating in any way.

Graffiti Shield creates a non-stick surface to which paint, crayon, inks and magic markers cannot adhere. It can be applied to all metal, alloy, concrete, plastic or painted surfaces and will not break down from UV exposure. It will also protect street signs or metal furniture against corrosion.

Gumm Shield prevents chewing gum from sticking to a surface.

Instead, the gum rolls up into a ball and dries out,making it easy to sweep up.Gumm Shield is non slip, invisible and provides permanent protection, again offering considerable savings in time and money. It's easy to apply, non toxic and odour free and can be applied to a range of hard surfaces, including concrete, tarmac, brick, paving blocks and slabs.Gumm Shield will stay in place and continue to work effectively for the lifespan of the surface to which is it applied. It has the added benefit of repelling algae, grease, oil, fats and tyre marks.

Contractors already using these new products are seeing an increase in business, rather than a reduction, as some might have initially feared. For once a customer has seen the benefit of applying a permanent solution they are calling back the contractor again and again to protect more areas. Contractors are still called upon to remove graffiti and gum on protected areas, however their job is now much easier as the gum or graffiti can be simply brushed or wiped away.

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