Graffiti can now be removed in minutes without damaging underlying art

Michele Baglioni at the University of Florence in Italy and his colleagues have developed a system that allows cleaning agents to remove just the top layer of paint, which is only a few microns thick.

Depending on the thickness of the paint and its age, graffiti may be ready to be removed just a few seconds or a few minutes after the hydrogel is applied. But each removal operation is unique, and the cleaning material must first be tested on a small area of the graffiti to establish the optimal application time.