Quad City Times - Davenport,IA,USA are looking at a new tool to crack down on graffiti in Davenport are considering using it in their campaign to rid the city of graffiti. http://www.qctimes.com/internal.php?story_id=1029370&t=Hometown+News&c=73,1029370

Soda blaster easily cleans graffiti
By Jama Clark
The Davenport Police Department and United Neighbors Inc. are looking at a new tool to crack down on graffiti in Davenport. The two groups invited Austin Colcord, president of the Wizard Blaster, based in Eugene, Ore., to demonstrate his Soda Blaster machine. The machine uses a sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, and water mixture to wash away spray paint from cement walls, metal Dumpsters, traffic signs, aluminum siding, ceramic tiles, wood and any other surface you can imagine. The machine works like a sand blaster, but uses a substance similar to baking soda to wash away the paint. The concentration of soda in the water can be adapted for the surface being sprayed. For example, a high content of soda would be used when blasting on a surface such as cement, aluminum siding or a Dumpster. The soda level would be lowered if washing a painted wood surface or a traffic sign to keep from removing paint you want to keep there. The soda blaster also can be used without water when removing mold from inside a building. The soda is safer and more environmentally friendly than sand when washed down the drain because it raises the pH level in waste water and speeds up the decomposition process, Colcord said. The soda also is safe to use in schools and around children because it is a food-grade product and the only safety gear required during use is ear and eye protection.  “If United Neighbors and city leaders decide that this is a product beneficial to the city, we will seriously consider purchasing it,” Police Chief Mike Bladel said. The Soda Blaster costs $5,000, not including the compressor, but Bladel noted the Public Works Department already owns a compressor that could be borrowed when needed. The device would mean Davenport residents would have access to free removal of graffiti from their property year-round. The blaster would belong to the city, but would be used by United Neighbors, a local group helping crack down on graffiti in the city. Currently, the city uses a paint-over method of covering up graffiti, but it is not possible to paint in freezing temperatures. The Soda Blaster can be used regardless of temperature, so the amount of visible graffiti will not go up during the winter as it does now. During the demonstration, an older muscular man, a young woman and an elderly woman all used the blaster with no problems, and the results were the same regardless of who was using the product. “It was so easy,” said Jay Johnson of United Neighbors. “There was barely any kickback.” Members of United Neighbors said the time needed for removing graffiti would be cut down and the group could remove more graffiti than they can now. If the city decides to buy it, the device could be in use by the end of summer. Jama Clark can be reached at (563) 383-2202 or at jclark@qctimes.com.