Vinyl stickers are an affordable way of car tuning. Stickers give the opportunity to express yourself, to distinguish your car from the crowd of road users, to place ads. But when the term to sell a car comes, there are difficulties: how to remove a sticker from the car without damaging the paint. The question is not so much in the removal of the nameplate, as in getting rid of the ugly stain or a halo of glue residue.
What is safe to wash off, remove the glue from the sticker from the car
The substance that glues vinyl pictures to bumpers, hoods, car doors, has great adhesion – the ability to firmly adhere to the surface of the body parts and glazing. It is not easy to wipe off the glue traces, especially if you managed to remove the old sticker from the car body. The old glue base leaves marks and defects on the paint coating.
Drivers take hold of scrapers and brushes, some people use acetone and solvent for wiping the traces. But it only makes things worse: red spots and blotches are left on the metal.
If you do not touch the traces from the sticker, the sticky film will be covered with dust, sand, lint, and the picture will be unpleasant.
The following methods are safe for the bodywork:
- Scraper or blade. The method is suitable for careful drivers, and only for glass. However, if the glazing is heated, be especially vigilant not to damage the window. Do not work on the paint with sharp objects, so as not to scratch.
- Construction hair dryer. When the sticker is heated, the adhesive base changes the structure: the picture is easily peeled off. Immediately after, wipe the place with a rag, remove the remains of the substance from the glass or body parts.
- Vegetable oil. Unexpected application of a food product gives a good effect. Moisten a napkin with oil, put it on the place where the accessory was for several hours. Then wipe the stain with a clean rag.
- Alcohol. Also only good for glass. Alcohol dries out plastic, and it damages varnish. Cover nearby vulnerable areas with a rag, spray the defect, wipe dry.
- White spirit. Widely used in the automotive industry, it’s also used to remove sticker adhesive from your car. Act as in the case of alcohol.
But the most loyal way is a special substance for removing stickers and their traces, which is sold in auto chemical stores. It contains no harmful components, damaging the factory paintwork.
Peculiarities of cleaning from different car surfaces
It is common for drivers to stick emblems on the windows, bumper, other elements. For each surface, there are different methods of how to remove sticker glue from the car body.
On painted metal parts, you can not:
- use sharp cutting objects;
- overheat the surface with a hair dryer;
- use aggressive compositions.
Such methods are good for glazing. Paint and varnish cannot withstand intense friction.
How to remove glue from a car
Car stickers are made of durable material, resistant to atmospheric agents: ultraviolet, water, cold. The emblems have a long working life – sometimes up to 5 years. The older the picture is, the harder it is to remove the glue from the sticker from the car body.
There are many ways to do it with your own hands. However, the novice owner does not have to remove the stains himself, you can go to the service.
Quick cleaning of car windows
On the windshield, car enthusiasts stick video recorders, radars, tablets. More often manufacturers use suction cups for attachment. But some companies for the sake of economy make a platform of gadgets on an adhesive basis, which leaves traces after removing the object.
In addition, the owners themselves molded on the glazing emblems. Other options: evacuation to the impound lot, accompanied by a receipt on the windshield. All these decals leave glue residues after removal: some of them are easy to clean, the others require painstaking care.
Fast cleaning of windshields is possible with auto chemical cleaners: the composition must be applied to the problem area for 3-5 minutes:
- Pitch Cleaner. Effectively copes with organic compounds (resins, poplar down) and glue traces.
- Prosept Duty Scotch. The liquid removes glue and duct tape well. But the active ingredient is solvents, so take care with rubber and plastic.
- LIQUI MOLY Aufkleberentferner. A great chemical that is safe for plastic parts.
You do not have to invest a penny and get rid of the defects with a knife, blade or spatula. Wet the area with soapy water, patiently remove the glue centimeter by centimeter.
The method of “cold weapons” has disadvantages:
- If you don’t calculate the force, you’ll damage the glass;
- Do not use on metal and plastic – possible scratches;
- When the adhesive base dries, there will be a thin film that will collect debris.
Another effective way to remove sticker glue from your car is with a drug called Dimexid. Experienced drivers use it to decontaminate the engine and remove the remains of the adhesive base of the emblems.
The method has two negative points:
- strong odor. “Dimexide” can not be used in the car interior.
- It corrodes the paint. The drug is applied only to the windows, the painted elements must be protected from contact.
Alcohol or vodka, gasoline or solvent is also easy to get rid of traces of glue. But only ethyl alcohol should be used (methyl and isopropyl alcohol can poison you). Gasoline, on the other hand, is explosive – you must work with caution.
Inside the salon, after solvent and gasoline, there is a heavy, long-evaporating smell.
Universal method
The famous WD-40 has also found its application in removal of stickers from the car body. The oil not only removes the remains of the adhesive tape, but also perfectly polishes the place of the autosticker.
Procedure:
- Wet the adhesive with WD-40 spray.
- Allow the product to work for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Rinse off the residue with a wet rag.
Even superglue lends itself to the spray. But be more careful with plastic panels. Apply Vedeshka to an inconspicuous area beforehand, evaluate the effect. If you do not find a negative effect, treat the plastic without fear.
Removing Tough Glue Stains
Old dried marks do not scrub off the first time. You can try the following method:
- Pour 70 ml of water into a glass container, sprinkle in 10 g of ammonia soda, stir. Pour 20-25 ml of denatured alcohol.
- Soak a sponge in the prepared solution and treat the contaminated area.
- Allow it to stand for a few minutes.
- Remove the sticky film with a silicone spatula.
- Rinse the area with water.
The method works on glass and polymers.
When other methods don’t work
When the adhesive base of the emblem includes rubber, removing stains is particularly difficult – nothing will help except acetone and aviation gasoline. When you have managed to remove the sticker from the car body, proceed as follows:
- Soak a sponge with gasoline, wet the defective place.
- After 10 minutes, repeat the treatment.
- Remove adhesive and tape residue with a wet soapy sponge.
If you use acetone, take care of the paintwork.
Professional Chemicals
When there are no more tricks in the arsenal, how to remove the sticker from the car without damaging the paint, buy professional chemicals. You can buy them in auto stores or order them online.
The most popular remedies:
- Meyer Chemie. Universal, good for glass and plastic. Dilute the auto chemical in water, observing the ratio of 1:10, apply with a sponge to the problem area, wipe with a dry rag. If the stain is not gone at the first attempt, increase the concentration of the substance.
- The universal product Nigrin gives good results. Use: wipe the mark from the sticker with a sponge dampened with auto chemical.
Do not forget about your own safety when working.
Materials required for work
A basic set of tools and materials depends on the method by which you intend to remove the stickers from the car.
Take care that you have:
- Water, car shampoo, and rags to wash the metal near and under the nameplate.
- A construction hair dryer to soften the adhesive base of the emblem.
- Silicone trowel to tear off the edge of the sticker.
- Autochemicals, gasoline, kerosene to clean the sticker spot. Purchased liquids should be gentle to the paintwork.
- Polishing paste needed to smooth out the divergence of paint shades on the body of the car.
Use personal safety equipment: overalls, goggles, gloves.
How to remove traces or fragments of glue from the car body and glass elements
Remove stickers from metal body parts with a hair dryer. Start heating from the middle of the picture, keep the tool at a distance of 7-10 cm from the iron. Slide the sticker non-stop, gradually advancing to the edges. Lift the autosticker with a spatula from the corner – it will come off in one layer. Old decal that has come off the metal in chunks, warm it up again.
Another method is special chemicals. Process the picture, withstand the time specified in the instructions for use, remove the accessory with a plastic object. Then work the area with gasoline, degreaser, alcohol.
Remove the nameplates from the windows with a blade or thin knife. If you failed, do the same with bodywork: heat and chemicals.
Widespread mistakes of car owners
Take your time. If you rush to remove an annoying sticker from the car on the body, it’s easy to make a mistake.
Typical mistakes are:
- very high heat temperatures;
- metal tools;
- solvents have not been tested for their reaction on an inconspicuous part of the bodywork;
- it is not taken into account that the car body paint is not factory paint – it is harder to wash off the emblems from the repainted surface;
- both chemical and heat treatments have been applied.
You should thoroughly prepare for the procedure, the blots received sometimes require repainting of the whole car.
Useful tips
Auto stickers are a widespread phenomenon. Owners have accumulated considerable experience in the issue of getting rid of pictures.
Tips from the experienced ones:
- Choose high-quality stickers. They are more expensive, but later they will be easier to remove.
- Glue the pictures on flat panels: Concave areas will be difficult to remove the sticker.
- It is considered that badges are good for decorating chips and cracks on the paintwork. But if you remove the product, you will further damage the paint.
- Do not keep stickers on the glass and body more than two years, although the pictures will safely last twice as long. With prolonged use, the glue polymerizes and shrinks: it becomes more difficult to remove the stickers from the car body.
- Radical measures – grinding glue residue with sandpaper and rubber roller is possible only if you were experienced in such cases. Otherwise, you are likely to spoil the body finally.
- Take your time: carry out the delicate procedure patiently, carefully.
- Study the labels on auto chemicals, follow the instructions on how to remove the sticker adhesive from the car.
Be aware of your own health, follow the safety rules.