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A lot of folks spent many hours sprucing up around the convention center so top world leaders would have a good impression of Hawaii.
APEC is gone and now the graffiti is back, but the cleanup crews get the last laugh on this one.

24/7 security around the convention center during APEC deterred graffiti. But now this.

"Security for APEC was here til Sunday evening midnight. And Monday morning I drove by at 5:00 a.m. and it was already there. So, in a matter of five hours," said Jean Remigio from Diamond Parking Services.

But there is good news in the fight against graffiti. It took just minutes to remove the vandals' work, using alcohol and paint thinner.

Just before the APEC meetings got underway a number of folks cleaned up the area, with G.P. Roadway Solutions putting on the finishing touches.

"The Saturday we did this project here I think the Lieutenant Governor was here, Peter Ho, from Bank of Hawaii. There were several dignitaries here helping with the painting and stuff. And we just added on the final coating which is the micro-guard," said Bill Paik of G.P. Roadway Solutions.

And that micro-guard acts as a shield that won't allow graffiti to stick, but it's not cheap.

"The cost of the product is about $125 a gallon, compared to paint which runs about about $ 30 to $40. So, the cost of this product is about three times more than paint," Paik says.

And using the paint thinner and alcohol won't affect the sealant, or the buildings paint.

"I think if you put it on. I think the beauty about the product is that once you put it on you would have to abrade it off. So paint won't stick to the product," Paik says.

And Paik says the sealant should give a decade of graffiti protection.

"Luckily we have friends like Mr. Paik who offer suggestions on what we can do to combat this because this is going to happen no matter what," Remigio says.