You’re driving along, minding your own business, when you notice a random sticker on your window. What is it?
If you’ve been driving for any length of time, you know that they can be anything from the phone number of a tow truck to an advertisement for a new movie. If you’ve never seen a sticker on your window before, don’t worry. You’re not alone. I’ve seen many people searching the internet for an answer to the question, “How to remove car window stickers?”
The good news is, there are some great ways to remove stickers from your car window.
What Are The Most Common Types Of Stickers On Cars?
There are three common types of stickers you might have seen on your car. Solar window stickers. These aren’t a problem. In most vehicles, they can be easily removed from the window and even the side windows. However, they are most commonly used to secure extra “messenger” stickers. These stickers are used to identify particular packages in the trunk. Sometimes, stickers can also be used for other purposes as a reminder to apply for new insurance, for example. These aren’t a problem.
Top 10 Ways to Remove Car Window Stickers
These are ten methods that have been thoroughly tested by me, so you can get your sticker removal questions answered with some simple tricks.
1. Soapy Water
The old trick of rubbing soap on the sticker is no longer an option, but this simple technique should do the trick. After cleaning your windows, just toss the window-sticker-remover into a nearby trashcan. Just make sure to rinse the soap off your windows first.
2. Rubber Band
Rubber Band Another traditional cleaning method is to rub it with a rubber band. Just wrap the rubber band around the sticker. To remove the rubber band, pull it up and out. This should pull the sticker off the window. If you’re able to remove the sticker easily, go for it. If you struggle a bit, try the rubber band trick. Scissors There are so many different types of sticky bonds that come in those sticky binders. The “sticky binders” line the windows of just about every car.
3. Window Cleaner
Don’t try to remove sticker removal with any normal window cleaner. A product like Windex will not only not remove the sticker, but it will also damage your window. You need something with a built-in solvent system. The best ones that I’ve tried are:
- Scotch Brite Ultra Bright: If you’ve tried the paint remover method, this is a great alternative to buy. It’s affordable and only costs around $5.
- Window Maker: This is a stick-on window cleaner that you can buy at any hardware store. It’s very cheap, only costs around $4, and it works great. Doors Wipers is a great product to use to remove car stickers. It works great with even the heaviest car stickers.
4. Use a Razor Blade
Razor blades work by cutting the adhesive on the sticker from the outside of the plastic. There are a couple of different brands of razor blades on the market. I would recommend the Curved edge razor blades are a little bit more expensive, but you can find them online for a lower price. All you have to do is remove the backing on the stickers and use the blade to take them off. This method works great for getting all of the adhesives off of the small stickers and will work on larger stickers too. Check out how to remove car window stickers with a razor blade here. Using rubber bands Trying to remove stickers from the small, magnetized stickers on the side of your car can be difficult. You can use rubber bands to get the adhesive off of the stickers and give them a fresh start.
5. Baking Soda
Baking soda is what we’ve all seen on TV ads you use it to remove stains from clothes and furniture, it’s a household cleaner, and the list goes on. If you’re familiar with the products found in the laundry aisle at your local Walmart, you should have a few tablespoons of baking soda. So what’s the first step? Take about a half cup of baking soda, and mix it in with a bottle of water. It’s important to mix it into the bottle so you don’t over-compacting the mixture. Once you’ve created a thin layer, pour it on your window with a microfiber cloth or paper towel. Wait for it to dry, and then give it a good rub.
6. Use A Hair Dryer
Using a hairdryer is the quickest, cheapest, and safest way to do it.
- Turn on the hair dryer and hold it between your car and the window. Then blow it at the sticker until it starts to peel up.
- If you want to make sure that the sticker is really coming off, and not just stuck on the paint, apply the hot air dryer to the sticker. It will peel away like magic. To remove a sticker with a more permanent nature, check out our guide to removing car window stickers. Use a squeegee But if you don’t want to mess around with the air dryer, you can use a squeegee to remove a sticker, without damaging your paint.
7. Use A Paint Scraper
Let’s start by getting the most popular method out of the way. If you’re using a manual car, a paint scraper is a way to go. Use it with some caution, however. Some people have reported getting paint stuck to the scraper and potentially making it a little more difficult to get the sticker off. Use a vacuum cleaner If you have a stick-on window sticker, you can use the vacuum cleaner to remove it. The good news is that this option is fairly easy, and you can have some fun with it, too. I’ve seen people try to take a piece of cardboard and put it under the vacuum cleaner to get it to pick up more. This is not advisable. Instead, look for an attachment that has a brush on the end. Attach the vacuum cleaner to your vacuum cleaner and then place the sticker on the brush.
8. Goo Gone
Goo Gone is a chemical that can remove window stickers without damaging the underlying paint. The liquid substance is easy to use: Mix one part Goo Gone with two parts water. With a clean cloth, rub the Goo Gone into the sticker. Let it sit for a few minutes. Then, slowly wipe it off with a clean cloth. After a few minutes, the Goo Gone will soften the adhesive on the sticker. PaintShade Before you begin, you’ll need to choose a special paint shade for your car. This is important because the different color shades will affect how much Goo Gone will remove the sticky substance. When your car is cleaned, the paint can affect the Goo Gone solution. I’ve seen different car insurance providers warn their customers about the use of Goo Gone, depending on the color of their vehicle.
9. Use WD-40
WD-40 is a staple in almost any home. It’s also a great way to remove sticker residue from your windows. Just apply some WD-40 to the sticky areas. The formula can be found here. Then apply a soft cloth, wipe the stain, and then use a little more WD-40 to the cloth to keep it clean. To get rid of any stains, you can also use lemon juice. Clean your windows with a bleach solution Another way to remove sticker residue from your windows is with a bleach solution. To do this, you need to take the washing detergent and an equal volume of water and pour it onto a cloth. You can also use a sponge if you have one. Then, apply the solution to the sticky areas on the window, and scrub gently for a minute. To remove any residue, you can also use lemon juice, vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide.
10. Rubbing Alcohol
Alcohol is a wonderful way to remove everything from makeup to random lines of text from your vehicle’s window. You will have to be a bit careful when using alcohol, though. If you get a bit too heavy-handed, you may ruin your vinyl. Be sure that you don’t get any residue on your window either. It doesn’t matter how old your vinyl is or how much damage it has sustained, alcohol will completely remove it from your window. Rubbing alcohol works in a variety of different ways, including dissolving grease and cleaning ink from your windows. You can also use it to clean your windows when they are dirty. It’s great for quick cleanups. If you have an older vehicle, you can apply some rubbing alcohol to the glass. This will help to remove any dirt, grime, or wax buildup from the windows.
The Benefits Of Removing Car Window
Not all stickers are bad, and if you have any sentimental value for them, removing them will ensure your car is cleaner, and the stickers will not hang on for years to come. Instead, you’ll be left with a nice, clean windshield, and that will benefit all of you and the people that might see you while you’re driving.
Conclusion
No matter how your car is branded, your goal should always be to make it look as sharp as possible. If you aren’t aware of the procedure, it might take a lot longer for you to remove those graphics than it does for the average person. If you’re interested to remove car window stickers then try our best methods.
