To step outside and find graffiti or ‘street art’ adorning your freshly painted garage door, garden wall or even motor vehicle is disheartening to say the least and downright frustrating.  Likewise the ‘doodles’ that sometimes appear on internal walls and furniture courtesy of young offspring.  And irrespective of whether this graffiti is by aerosol paint can or marker pen it is virtually impossible to remove.

So it’s good news for us and even better news for the planet that a product has been developed that has been proven to remove oil and water based paint and marker pen from virtually any surface with a formula that is water-based, low in volatile organic compounds and safe to use.

The Lift Off collection of stain removers contains Lift Off 3, Lift Off 4 and Lift Off 5 – three products that have been specifically formulated to effectively remove paint and marker pen graffiti from everything from brick walls and painted timber to furniture and carpet.

Lift Off 4 removes oil and solvent based paints from all surfaces such as concrete, brick, metal, plastic and glass while Lift Off 5 removes acrylic and water based paints including acrylic enamels and overspray from clothing, upholstery, carpet, brick and concrete.

Should the graffiti be ink or dye-based, such as pen, nail polish or ink, then Lift Off 3 will be the solution for complete removal from surfaces such as clothes and carpet to painted walls and fabrics.

All products work well on most surfaces, including painted surfaces.  They require a minimum of elbow grease and will not degrade or bleach the surface to which they are applied.

The Lift Off range of products – there is a total of five dedicated stain removers – was developed by US-based Gregg Motsenbocker, chemist and inventor who, after years of researching the science of stains, found they can be divided into five distinct categories according to their components.  He then developed and patented a remover that specifically targets each category of stain, recognising the fact that there is no one product that will successfully remove ALL stains or ALL graffiti.

The entire range of Lift Off products is biodegradable, water-based, low in odour and has none of the usual smells of solvents or ammonia.  Each remover can be used on any surface without fear of damaging or degrading the surface or the environment. 

Only a small amount of product is required to remove a stain - simply spray the stain thoroughly with the appropriate Lift Off – wait 60 seconds – then wipe with a clean towel or soft cotton cloth or rinse off.

All Lift Off stain removers work on all surfaces, from highly porous such as brick and concrete to the most delicate fabric and upholstery.  The manufacturers recommend a small section of the area to be treated be tested first.

The Lift Off products were originally designed for use by cleaning contractors – Lift Off 4 and 5 is currently one of the most frequently used products by the Janitorial Association of California – so are an extremely effective means of stain and paint removal for the home.

Lift Off  3, 4 and 5 are available in 650mls size bottles (RRP $19.95) and are available nationally from all Bunnings stores as well as most hardware and paint outlets nationally.

Lift Off is distributed throughout Australia by Flood – call 1800 226 113 for details of local stockists.