Bumper stickers are a great way to show who you are, what you stand for, and in general decorate your car to reflect your personality. However, you may at some point want to remove bumper stickers.
Personalities and causes that you want to support can change.
Whether it’s an outdated sticker for an old Presidential election or some other worn out placard that no longer matches your interests: whatever the reason, it’s time to get rid of it.
But bumper stickers, by their very nature, are hard to remove. They can stand up to wind, rain, and mud; they adhere to the surfaces to which they are applied, and they are not willing to give up their real estate easily.
If you made the choice to place your stickers on the glass of your car or truck, you can’t just take a paint scraper or other tool and attempt to remove the sticker by force. First, you have to loosen the adhesive, and there are four different methods that work well for removing stickers from auto glass.
Soapy water
Mix your favorite brand of dish soap in warm water, and soak a rag or cloth in the warm, soapy water. Hold the dripping rag on the sticker for one minute to soak through the plastic and heat the adhesive. This method is not the most effective to remove bumper stickers, but it does not run as many risks as the next method.
Use soap and water to help remove Bumper Stickesr from windshield
Boiling water
The water does not have to be at a full rolling boil for this method to work, but it does need to be pretty close to boiling. This also, obviously, increases the risks of burning or scalding yourself while you remove bumper stickers, so please take proper precautions and use common sense. Wet a rag in the boiling water and lay it over the sticker. Leave the hot rag in place for at least one minute and then peel the sticker away, starting at the corners. You can also finish up by using a plastic scraper, unused credit card, or spatula to remove any remaining adhesive residue.
WD-40
Apply some WD-40 to a rage and rub the edges of the sticker. Peel from the corners and remove the remaining adhesive residue by the same methods as described above. You can also finish up by wiping the area where the adhesive was with a clean rag dipped in rubbing alcohol.
Blow dryer
You can use a blow dryer to melt the adhesive and make it easier to remove the sticker. Make sure to only use the dryer on low, however, as higher temperatures can damage your car’s paint job. Hold the dryer, on the lowest setting, at least six inches away from the sticker and let it heat up for at least 30 seconds. Then begin to peel the sticker from the corner, making sure to keep the blow dryer on to keep the adhesive pliable. Finish up by removing any remaining residue by scraping as described above and cleaning the area with rubbing alcohol.
Some more how to remove bumper stickers notes
- NEVER use a razor blade or other unprotected sharp metal tools. These can damage your glass.
- The rubbing alcohol is only to remove the last residue of adhesive and clean the glass overall once the sticker is removed. Vinegar may also work to help remove residual adhesive.
- A specially-formulated glass cleaner would also work for removing the last vestiges of sticky residues.
- Use eye protection when working with household chemicals, and keep tools and solutions away from young children and pets.
- Use common sense. Bashing the sticker will not work, and neither will frustration. Take your time.
- Place the window with stickers in direct sunlight, and let the sun help you heat the adhesive. It will make your life easier.
Clean Windshield
