by simply washing with water since it is nonherbicidal and fully biodegradable it may be washed directly onto lawn or other shrubs with no adverse consequences in interior areas or other areas where washing with water is not practical the compositions may be removed with a resilient spatula putty knife rag or sponge thus requiring essentially no water since the by product of the paint remover composition of the present invention and a paint or stain is water soluble the invention is also ideal for use as a paint brush or roller cleaner and restorer the paint brush or roller can simply be soaked in the paint remover composition until all paint is removed the brush or roller can then simply be rinsed with water the paint remover composition of the present invention has been found to be especially useful in removing deteriorated coatings from aluminum surfaces and concurrently aiding in preparation of the surface for a new coating by etching the surface the composition has also been shown to be effective in etching epoxy painted surfaces in preparation for re coating the paint remover composition has also been found to be effective for a variety of industrial uses including removal of hard lime dust buildups 4 to 24 hours removal of asphalt lumps and splashes from equipment.