Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1293694
ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 Page 12 Tip of the Week: Graffiti Association Insight readers who pay attention to Facebook might have already run across this tip from an operator on the Portable Toilet Network. If you aren't a FB fan or you just overlooked it, here it is again. Situation: The operator was anticipating a lot of graffiti on his units during an upcoming event. He was looking for a way to prevent the graffiti, rather than just clean it off afterward. Idea: Clean and then pretreat the event units with a spray wax to "help curb the sharpie attacks." What They Did: The operator used a spray wax for cars—nothing special. After checking around they spent about $6 per bottle. They sprayed it on the unit walls, door, roof, and dispensers, and then wiped around the surface with a towel. Then they let the units sit for a while. Total cost was about $24 and the time spent to prepare about 100 units. How Did It Work? The wax gave off a pleasant odor. Attempts at graffiti didn't succeed when there was enough wax on the surface. The operator's team found spots where users tried "creative writing" and the wax coverage wasn't as good. Where the wax was lighter the ink stayed in the pattern of the word or drawing but wiped off pretty easily. The wax also prevented taped flyers from sticking to the doors for any length of time. Wax on the urinals tended to keep vomit from sticking as well. The operator estimates they saved three to four hours of cleaning, and the preventative process eliminated "shadows" that sometimes show when you clean up graffiti markings later. After the event, the operator's team simply sprayed down the units with power washers and set them up again for a new event. Things to Think About As with anything you might try, be sure to think about your unique situation and make adjustments. • The festival at which the operator tried this was 80 degrees F. It's unclear if anything would have been different had the temperatures been higher or considerably lower. • The conditions at this festival were dry. While you wouldn't expect rain to make much of a difference, it's worth noting that it could have its downsides. For example, you wouldn't want to treat the floor of the unit with wax. In wet conditions the unit could be slippery, leading to falls and injuries. There are commercial products on the market specifically for pretreating units to guard against graffiti. Check with your chemical and deodorizer supplier to see what the merits of each are and choose the product that's right for you. The point is this: Pretreating units can save time and money while thwarting mischief on the event site. v