June 11th, 2010 by bbergman
Making the choice to be environmentally responsible can have positive results for the local waterways as well as your wallet. The National Marine Manufacturers Association recently published its simple steps for being an eco-friendly boater in 2010. Read the rest of this entry »
June 7th, 2010 by bbergman
Boat owners should be aware of the different steps – and environmental concerns – when it comes to repair and maintenance. The waterways are one of our most valuable resources and there are simple, but necessary, steps to take to ensure we preserve this precious asset. Read the rest of this entry »
May 6th, 2010 by bbergman
Today’s blog post continues our week-long look at graffiti clean-up. Many people wonder how sodablasting effectively and permanently eliminates graffiti from a variety of surfaces without removing the underlying paint color or damaging the surface. Or why power-washing with water or heavy-duty chemicals isn’t as effective as bicarbonate sodium is.
Some people imagine the only way you can remove graffiti for good – and forever – is by using harsh chemicals combined with multiple rounds of dark-colored paint.
When you sodablast graffiti paint from a surface – whether it’s wood, concrete, stucco or brick – it’s important to set the PSI so the impact of the cleaning material is set to the right level to do the job you need it to do. After you start with a low-level PSI, you can adjust up or down, depending on the sensitivity of your project and surface.
The fact is, a quick power wash and/or fresh coat of paint certainly wouldn’t harm the surface or do any damage to the graffiti removal process. Many sodablasting contractors, sand blasters and various other media blasters would recommend following through on those steps, esp. if your surface that was tagged is in need of a make-over (speaking of which, that could be a good time to spruce up the property, clean up the vandalism and add new life to the area!).
Sodablasting is also an eco-friendly, “green” process that is safe to use anywhere. Don’t let the dust scare you or the clean-up tasks persuade you to use an alternative. It may look like a lot, but it’s not. The dust subsides quickly and the clean-up is nothing more than washing away the baking soda and storing your supplies/materials away.
Do you know of any websites that address graffiti clean-up? Share them by shooting us an email.
May 5th, 2010 by bbergman
When was the last time you saw tagging in your neighborhood? Did it look like it was tagged by a “wanna-be” up-and-coming artist-type with more talent than attitude? Or did it resemble something you might see in a movie about hard-core, blood-thirsty street gangs?
Actually – it doesn’t matter who tagged the downtown bakery or the sidewalk in front of your Avon lady’s house. It’s a tacky and ugly form of vandalism that drives down community morale and property values.
In fact, people don’t realize that its occurrence is only half the problem – leaving it behind for the entire community to see day after day is even more damaging. It sends the message that city officials may not care about the area when tagging is not cleaned up; it makes people feel unsafe in their neighborhood – many fear the graffiti is a sign of a harmful gang that might return.
We know of many cities in New Mexico, California and Illinois – among others that rely on sodablasting to remove the graffiti in a timely manner that is affordable, safe and efficient.
Some cities and businesses even opt for a quick blast so they can paint over the offending content without leaving a “shadow” behind. We have all see areas that were repainted and have a “shadow” in place of where the offensive graffiti used to be.
January 8th, 2009 by jacobg
Any business owner knows that graffiti can be unappealing to customers, but did you know it has other sociological side effects? Recent field experiments have shown that people in an alley with graffiti are 33% more likely to litter than people in a graffiti-free alley. These studies have also shown a 12% increase in theft.
In the mid 1990’s New York started a program that would clean up graffiti, litter, and signs of vandalism. After the streets were well maintained, petty crime rates dropped. Programs like this have caught on in other major cities, Chicago for example has a city crew who removes graffiti using a truck-mounted soda blaster.
The SodaBlaster can remove graffiti in a fraction of the time required by other methods and is environmentally friendly. Soda blasting has a huge advantage over sand blasting because it is safe for almost any surface, whereas sand is harsh and can destroy many materials.
SodaBlast Systems manufactures their blasters in the USA, all of their products have a lifetime warranty, and use patented technology that insures uninturrupted blasting. They have a new website devoted to Graffiti clean-up. Check it out at BestGraffitiRemoval.com.
August 23rd, 2008 by SB Editor
Over time machinery is bound to get greasy, dirty, and dusty. For most companies this is of little concern. Grease, dust, and dirt aren’t a huge problem when you’re manufacturing ornamental Garden Gnomes. In a food plant, however, these same issues occur with machinery that helps produce, convey and package food. So how do you erase grease and grime, prevent bacteria growth and still keep your food product cleaning-chemical free?
SodaBlast Systems LLC has a line of products that are perfect for the cleaning of any machine or surface in a food plant. The SodaBlast Method:
Sodablasting uses pressurized air to propel the blasting media at a high speed, which effectively strips off contaminants. The blasting media used in SodaBlast Systems is a type of specially processed baking soda, which is FDA/USDA and Kosher approved. The blasting media (SodaClean “Maintenance Plus”) is also GRAS, so it can be used without worry in a food plant. On top of it’s excellent cleaning properties, baking soda is also a natural deodorizer, and is soft enough to not damage equipment. Since SodaClean is non-toxic and has no effect on the environment, its use helps prevent an unfavorable Environmental Impact Report.
Cleaning with SodaBlast Systems is the most efficient and cost effective, safe and environmentally friendly solution for food processing plants and equipment. To find out more go to http://www.foodequipmentcleaning.com/.