Removing painted line markings can be difficult, time-consuming and, in some cases, seemingly impossible to do without damaging the surface. In this blog I walk through a recent clean and debunk a few common myths and methods that are either ineffective or, worse, potentially harmful and dangerous.
The call-out
Last month a corporate client asked for help removing a mistakenly applied “Deliveries Only” marking. Due to a communication mix-up, the maintenance team had painted the wording in the wrong place. They tried several chemicals but couldn’t shift it. The facilities manager then emailed
With extensive experience in graffiti removal, I was confident we could handle it and accepted the job. I met the client at an office complex in Solihull, inspected the marking referenced in the email, and discussed the brief with the site contact.
Why others turned it down
Several local contractors had declined the work. In my view, this was largely due to a lack of training on how to use the right detergents effectively and safely — and not having the correct tools for controlled, non-destructive removal.
The method that worked
I used a specialist detergent sourced from Pureseal, followed by 70 °C high-pressure water. This combination allowed me to lift the paint cleanly. The entire removal took around 30 minutes.
