Power Steam: steam and high pressure for graffiti removal

The removal of graffiti has become, especially for municipal administrations, a recurring and very expensive problem. The practical and efficient solution is the use of the URBAN CLEANING unit.

In fact, there are many cities throughout Europe in which the municipalities and companies specializing in the cleaning of public spaces use these machines to clean up the spray paint that soils walls, surfaces and street furniture of any material.

The URBAN CLEANING Torpedo units are professional washing machines that combine the power of high pressure water with the sanitizing action of hot water and steam, allowing cleaning interventions without the use of detergents and chemical additives. A solution that improves the quality and working conditions of the operators, respecting the environment and reducing intervention costs.

PTC Italiana, specialized in the creation of systems dedicated to Urban Cleaning, produces a complete range of autonomous hydrodynamic units for professional and urban washing, designed for lifting with forklift forks and designed to be installed on vehicles and trailer units, professional trailers approved for road traffic.

DISCOVER THE ITALIAN PTC RANGE DEDICATED TO URBAN CLEANING

If street-art has made murals a recognized and appreciated art form all over the world, it is not the same for unauthorized graffiti: for the most part real scribbles, made by vandals and uncivilized people armed with spray cans spray paint, which soils public and private structures, walls, shutters, windows, bins and furnishings of all kinds and materials.

Removing them, however, has always been a big problem, above all for the protection of the surface smeared by the graffiti. Both classic mechanical methods, such as scrapers and sandpaper, and the use of chemical solvents, almost always leave scratches or halos where action must be taken to erase the graffiti.

Furthermore, these methods require very long interventions, therefore an expenditure of time and effort for the operators and contact with substances that are irritating and harmful to the skin, eyes and respiratory tract. Furthermore, the application of detergents and chemicals leads to a dispersion in sewers which causes environmental pollution.

With the Urban Cleaning Units, on the other hand, pressurized water and steam act as a delicate blade that is as effective on graffiti as, at the same time, delicate on the surface to be cleaned. When the operator holds the lance and lets the pressurized water jet out, in fact, it seems to see a scraper that removes the entire layer of “unwanted” paint, leaving the soiled surface untouched.

The strong point of the PTC range of Urban Cleaning Units is the Power Steam system, based on the use of steam and a lower pressure than the water jet. This system, for example, is used by the Torpedo model, which uses a temperature not exceeding 150 degrees and a maximum pressure of 200 bar.

In this video you can see how, in a test carried out near the Pisa railway station in 2022, a Torpedo Compact Power Steam by PTC completely eliminates, in just a few passes and without any residue, a graffiti created on a smooth marble wall.

Although initially it seems slower than it can be done with procedures involving chemical products, steam allows you to eliminate any form of pollution and effectively remove all traces of paint even from the most porous walls.

In another test carried out in Milan on a rough marble wall, for example, where a chemical product has left paint residues, the PTC Torpedo Power Steam was able to eliminate all traces of the graffiti.

Another great advantage of using steam is that, in addition to marble and reinforced concrete walls, it can act on statues, porches and other delicate objects without the risk of damaging them but with the same accuracy as a pressurized water jet.

However, high pressure water can also remove graffiti, and can be used on materials sensitive to the heat of the steam. For example, in public parks, with the right pressure you can act on wooden games and structures dedicated to children, elements among the favorite “preys” of graffiti artists.

Using steam or water, Urban Cleaning Units can be used for urban cleaning beyond graffiti removal.

In fact, PTC’s Torpedo machines are widely used for cleaning and sanitizing benches from dust, soil, moss and guano that deposit daily and can become a problem for those who use public outdoor spaces.

Furthermore, it is widely used in cemeteries, where a single operator equipped with a torpedo is enough to clean from tombstones and tombs marble, granite and other delicate surfaces from moss and other natural deposits thanks to the high temperature produced by the steam jet. As this test carried out with a Torpedo Mini E shows.

Finally, again with a Torpedo Mini E, in addition to graffiti removal, metal or wooden gates and fences can be cleaned and painted, thanks to the power of the pressurized water and the high temperature of the steam.

PTC Urban Cleaning Units are convenient to carry and practical to use.

They are available in 2 types:

• TORPEDO COMPACT: skid unit, transportable with a van or a truck, powered by a diesel engine
• MINI TORPEDO: units equipped with autonomous wheels, which can be moved by hand, powered by an electric motor.

Finally, in addition to various kits of washing lances and weeding or scrubbing tools, they are equipped with special guns for high temperatures which allow the water to pass outside the knob, preventing the operator’s hand from getting hot.