How to Clean Parking Lot Stencils

Cleaning stencils is one of the least fun jobs, but with a few tricks Stencilease will show you how to clean your parking lot stencils in just a few minutes at the end of the shift.

Simply put, start by applying silicone spray lubricant to your clean stencils before painting. After painting, soak your stencil in water to soften the paint. Then use a soft bristle, non-abrasive brush to clear the paint from the stencil.

Preparing your stencils:

Make sure that the stencils will lay flat. If they have been rolled up for a long period of time, lay them out on warm pavement or in the sun so the warmth will relax the plastic enough to lay flat. 

Clean stencils work better than dirty ones, clean them before use if you have time.

Pro Tip:  Before painting add a lubricant to the top of the stencil  surface to make it hard for paint to stick to it. We have tried them all, but our favorite is silicone spray. It is inexpensive, easy to use and is very effective. We have tried various cooking oils, Pam, WD 40 and even water misted on with a sprayer. All work, but silicone spray works the best. During the day this can be done in between uses.  Just spray again on top of the painted stencil, no need to wait for the paint to dry.

Painting with Stencils:

This may sound obvious, but the most important idea is to put the paint through the stencil, and not on the stencil. Paint on the stencil is wasted, might drip off the stencil while moving, and also has to be cleaned. It makes a mess.

CHECK THE TIP: Use of a spray tip that has too wide of a fan for stencil spraying or use of a worn spray tip will waste paint and create a mess. For most stenciling jobs, we prefer a tip with a 2 - 4 inch fan width (For a Graco LineLazer this is a LL5215 or LL5315.)

Clean up after use:

For water-based paints soaking in water, the layer of paint will absorb into the water and start to separate from the plastic surface. The hotter the water the better. The longer you soak your stencil, the easier it will be to remove paint from the stencil surface. Even 10 minutes will make a big difference. A kiddie pool sitting on asphalt works great on a sunny day. If you are using solvent based paints, your paint supplier can tell you the appropriate solvent to use (note: a pump sprayer is helpful here.)

After the paint is bulging and detaching from the stencil, rub with a soft nylon bristle brush. You want to avoid roughing up the surface of the plastic too much. The rougher the plastic gets, the easier paint will stick to it. After softening the paint, some use a pressure washer. This can work but too much pressure and the water can cut through the stencil and ruin it. If you try this, use a green or white sprayer nozzle and keep the pressure low.

If you get to the point where you need to scrape, then use a plastic scraper, not metal. Plastic will not cut the stencil material.

Over time the stencil will get rough and it will get a coating of paint.  The stencil is still usable as long as the paint openings are clear. Use a plastic scraper to keep the corners square.  

Make sure you store the stencil properly. It is best stored in a way the stencil can lie flat.  Either flat on a shelf or pallet or hang on the wall.