Removing a sticker from a car can be much more difficult than initially thought – especially given that bumper stickers are usually attached for years. Many of us are guilty or either at attaching a bumper sticker at college to pledge allegiance to your school, or asserting support during a political campaign that is now long since over.
Unfortunately, when they have been put on, it takes far more than a couple of strong fingernails to peel them off. They are likely to have stuck fast onto your car’s bumper, dash or windshield and it can be incredibly troublesome trying to remove them if you do not know how.
Here we look at how to remove bumper stickers either by using adhesive remover for car or otherwise. We also investigate how to remove glue from glass as well as how to remove stickers from glass, where they can leave so much residue that your windows rarely look clean. The following steps makes how to remove stickers from car an absolute breeze, though it is important to follow them carefully.
How To Remove Stickers from Car
Firstly, you’ll need the following items depending slightly on where the sticker is being removed from. Different tools are needed for glass than the tools needed for bumpers and other parts of the car to protect the car’s paint job. Not scratching your car’s paint is imperative, so make sure you compile your tool kit with the approatie implements so that removing a bumper sticker leaves your car in good shape as opposed to full of scratches and scrapes.
So ensure you have all these items:
- A hair dryer (used to loosen the glue)
- Razor blade (to be used on glass)
- Credit card or similar (to be used on a car’s body work)
- Clean, colourfast clothes (to be used on both glass and body work)
- Glass cleaner (to be used on both glass and body work)
- Detailing spray (to be used on both glass and body work)
- Adhesive remover for car or tree sap remover (to be used on both glass and body work)
What To Do:
- Initially, car owners will need to clean both the sticker and the surrounding area to ensure that it is free from dirt. Better still, take your car through the car wash just before attempting to remove bumper stickers. This in itself will help loosen the glue on the sticker through the heat of the water.
- Next, use your hair dryer on the sticker on the hottest setting the appliance has. The air needs to be directed just a few inches from the sticker, but never touching the sticker or the car’s paint job. If the hair dryer touches the paint, it could be in danger of leaving a mark.
- Then, after a few seconds, move the hot air around the entire sticker so that the edges start to become loose. Whilst this is not always easily seen, a few seconds is all that should be needed. Remember to remain patient during this step as it can make a real difference to how easily the sticker is removed.
- Get your credit card of similar and use that to start trying to lift up the edges of your sticker. Fingernails can also help start this part of the process, but often a card is all that is needed.
If you trying to remove glue from glass or remove a sticker from the glass on your windshield, you can use your razor blade or box cutter. Do not use a blade on your car’s paint under any circumstance. Your windshield will be able to take a little more pressure than your car’s paint will.
- Continue pushing underneath the sticker using the card or box cutter until it is completely free from the surface of your car. Stickers will often break apart during this process so don’t be alarmed if you have to remove your bumper sticker in several stages – it is quite normal and will still result in the complete removal of the bumper sticker itself.
- Stickers, especially ones that have been there for a long period of time, will often leave sticky remnants behind. To remove these, steps 1 to 5 can either be repeated or you can buy specialised adhesive remover for car to do the job. Oddly, tree sap remover will do the same thing.
To use these solutions, all that is needed is the clean, colourfast clothes in your kit with a few drops from the bottle. All that is then needed is some gentle pressure to rub away what is left from your bumper sticker. If the remnants are on your windshield the box cutter can be used again to gently tease the residue from the glass.
From here, bring your car’s paint job up to standard, or the windshield, by giving it a quick clean with glass cleaning spray on another colourfast cloth. From there, your car will be as good as new for you to put the latest political message on your bumper, should you want!
Removing a bumper sticker from a car is therefore fairly easy if you have the correct implements and tools to hand. Do not try to take shortcuts when removing them as it can damage your car’s paint making it far more expensive to fix than if some patience was employed in the first place. It should not take long to remove stickers from cars but it does pay to take time and care over the process.
Sources:
- Sticker Removing 101 – Removeing Stickers Is Easy! – instructables
- How to Remove a Sticker From Your Car – cars.com
