Nowadays, graffiti paints are one of the most common human interventions on monuments and historic facades with damaging results. It is an aesthetic problem but also a serious threat to the conservation of built heritage. The aim of this article is to evaluate the suitability of a hyperspectral imaging technique as a non-destructive tool to determine the most adequate method of removing graffiti paints applied on granite rocks. Different cleaning procedures were analyzed; i.e., chemical, mechanical, and laser ablation. The cleaning effectiveness was evaluated based on the degree of paint extraction and the final appearance of the stone surface. The results obtained by hyperspectral technique were compared with those obtained by optical and electronic microscopies and color spectrophotometry. These results indicate the ability of hyperspectral imaging technique to assess the paint removal and thus to evaluate the suitability of the different graffiti cleaning procedures. (c) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 41, 308-312, 2016