How to Get Graffiti Off the Sidewalk

Fresh Paint

• 1

  Add 1 gallon warm water and 1/2 cup dishwasher detergent to a bucket. Let the dishwasher detergent dissolve.

• 2

  Dip a stiff broom into the cleaning solution and scrub the graffiti. Work the dishwasher detergent and water into the sidewalk in a circular motion.

• 3

  Attach a pressure nozzle to a garden hose and spray the sidewalk. Continue to scrub and spray the sidewalk until the graffiti is no longer visible.

Dry Paint

• 4

  Spray the graffiti on the sidewalk with oven cleaner. Let the oven cleaner sit on the graffiti for 15 to 20 minutes.

• 5

  Rub the oven cleaner into the sidewalk with a stiff broom.

• 6

  Rinse the sidewalk with a garden hose to remove the graffiti and oven cleaner.

Stubborn Fresh or Dry Paint

• 7

  Spray the graffiti with a commercially available graffiti remover. Let the graffiti remover sit on the paint for 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the brand. Graffiti removers are chemical paint strippers specially formulated for cleaning paint off masonry surfaces.

• 8

  Twist a pressure nozzle onto a garden hose. Direct the stream of water at the graffiti to wash it off the sidewalk. Repeat if necessary.

• 9

  Rinse the sidewalk thoroughly after eliminating the graffiti to remove the graffiti-remover residue.