How to Remove Bumper Stickers
Lots of people like to share ideas with their fellow motorists, from political messages to proud pronouncements of their offspring's education success. But when the time comes to sell your vehicle, bumper stickers containing slogans that do not align with a potential buyer's outlook or belief system automatically put a big, black "X" next to your car on their shopping list.
The good news is that, unlike a tattoo, a bumper sticker is easy to remove. To remove a bumper sticker, you will need to heat the sticker so that the adhesive holding it to the car softens and starts to melt, or you will need to use some kind of lubricant to loosen the sticker from your car's paint or plastic bumper. Below, we'll guide you through the steps for how to remove bumper stickers.
Use Heat
By applying heat to a bumper sticker, you can soften and melt the adhesive bonding it to the car. Using a hair dryer held about 6 inches from the sticker, heat a corner of the sticker so that you can peel it up from the surface using your fingernail or a single-edge razor blade.
Next, apply heat to the entire sticker to prepare it for removal, and gently peel the corner of the sticker back across the face of the sticker. Continue applying heat as is necessary to keep the adhesive soft and loose. With patience, the sticker should peel off without any trouble.
Use Lubricant
An alternative to using heat to remove a bumper sticker is to use a lubricant, such as a spray bottle of WD-40 oil.
To get started, peel back a corner of the sticker with your fingernail or a razor blade. If using the latter, be sure not to accidentally nick the paint. Spray the lubricant on the corner of the sticker to loosen the adhesive, and begin peeling back across the face of the sticker. Do not simply pull the sticker up.
Work slowly, applying lubricant as you go, and the bumper sticker should come off without trouble.
Cleaning Residue from the Paint
When the bumper sticker is successfully removed, some residue from the adhesive will remain on the car's finish. Clean the area with an adhesive cleaner that is safe for automotive paint.
Stickers on Windows
When removing a sticker from glass, whether on the inside or the outside of the car, you will not want to use the methods outlined above.
If the sticker is on the outside of the glass, or if it is on the inside and is not placed over defroster wires, you can use a paper towel or rag soaked with a solvent such as nail polish remover to first begin softening and dissolving the sticker. Take care not to let the solvent come in contact with the car's paint, as it can damage the finish. Using a straight-edge razor blade, scrape the sticker off the glass. Clean any remaining residue off the glass, and you're done.
If the sticker is applied to the inside of the window across defroster wires, you cannot use a straight-edge razor blade or a solvent to remove the sticker. Instead, try a specialized product such as Goo Gone and nothing more than a rag and your fingernail to remove the sticker so as not to damage the wires.
The good news is that, unlike a tattoo, a bumper sticker is easy to remove. To remove a bumper sticker, you will need to heat the sticker so that the adhesive holding it to the car softens and starts to melt, or you will need to use some kind of lubricant to loosen the sticker from your car's paint or plastic bumper. Below, we'll guide you through the steps for how to remove bumper stickers.
Use Heat
By applying heat to a bumper sticker, you can soften and melt the adhesive bonding it to the car. Using a hair dryer held about 6 inches from the sticker, heat a corner of the sticker so that you can peel it up from the surface using your fingernail or a single-edge razor blade.
Next, apply heat to the entire sticker to prepare it for removal, and gently peel the corner of the sticker back across the face of the sticker. Continue applying heat as is necessary to keep the adhesive soft and loose. With patience, the sticker should peel off without any trouble.
Use Lubricant
An alternative to using heat to remove a bumper sticker is to use a lubricant, such as a spray bottle of WD-40 oil.
To get started, peel back a corner of the sticker with your fingernail or a razor blade. If using the latter, be sure not to accidentally nick the paint. Spray the lubricant on the corner of the sticker to loosen the adhesive, and begin peeling back across the face of the sticker. Do not simply pull the sticker up.
Work slowly, applying lubricant as you go, and the bumper sticker should come off without trouble.
Cleaning Residue from the Paint
When the bumper sticker is successfully removed, some residue from the adhesive will remain on the car's finish. Clean the area with an adhesive cleaner that is safe for automotive paint.
Stickers on Windows
When removing a sticker from glass, whether on the inside or the outside of the car, you will not want to use the methods outlined above.
If the sticker is on the outside of the glass, or if it is on the inside and is not placed over defroster wires, you can use a paper towel or rag soaked with a solvent such as nail polish remover to first begin softening and dissolving the sticker. Take care not to let the solvent come in contact with the car's paint, as it can damage the finish. Using a straight-edge razor blade, scrape the sticker off the glass. Clean any remaining residue off the glass, and you're done.
If the sticker is applied to the inside of the window across defroster wires, you cannot use a straight-edge razor blade or a solvent to remove the sticker. Instead, try a specialized product such as Goo Gone and nothing more than a rag and your fingernail to remove the sticker so as not to damage the wires.
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