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Car windshield stickers give your vehicle a unique personal touch and can be great fun, that is until you need to get rid of them. How can you effectively remove windshield stickers without damaging your glass?
What you will need:
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Glass cleaner (Ammonia-free)
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Microfiber towel or cloth
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Sharp, clean razor blade
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Goo-Gone (or another adhesive remover)
Step 1: Clean the glass with ammonia-free glass cleaner
Dust and dirt can scratch your windshield glass, so the first step is to remove it from the surface you will be working on.
Spray the stickered area with the glass cleaner. You want to make sure you get ammonia-free glass cleaner because ammonia can dry out the rubber around your windshield, causing damage.
Some ammonia-free brands you can get:
Wipe down the area with a microfiber towel or cloth. The microfiber material won’t scratch the surface or leave behind fibers.
Step 2: Use the razor blade to peel away the stickers
After cleaning the glass, you will want to take a clean razor blade to begin the separation process. Make sure to check the blade for any dings or rust, to guarantee you won’t accidentally scratch your glass.
Safety Tip: For safety, you might want to consider purchasing a razor blade scraper so you can hold the handle instead of the blade itself.
Spray the sticker with the glass cleaner again to create a slick surface, allowing the razor blade to glide easily over the glass.
Holding the razor at a 45-degree angle, use it to start lifting up the corners of the sticker. If you scrape and peel at the same time, you can reduce the amount of sticker residue left behind.
Safety Tip: Move slowly to avoid slipping and damaging the paint or body of your vehicle (or your fingers)!
Continue until the sticker is completely removed. It’s okay if there is still sticky residue.
Step 3: Remove the sticker residue with Goo-Gone
When the sticker is fully removed, the next step is the remove the sticky residue left behind. It is important to take care of this step right away to avoid any dust or dirt sticking to the surface and scratching the glass.
Apply the Goo-Gone to the sticky adhesive. Make sure to cover the entire surface of the residue.
Goo-Gone and other adhesive removers:
Use the razor blade to scrape away the adhesive, similar to the technique used for scraping the sticker. You will see the adhesive gathering and being pushed off the glass.
Step 4: Clean the glass again with the glass cleaner
Repeat step one, by applying the glass cleaner and wiping it away with the microfiber towel. This time, you should have a nice, clean windshield to admire.
If you see spots of adhesive that still need to be removed, repeat step three and then step four until all adhesive is gone.
Other Sticker Removing Methods
Even though most people consider the razor blade method to be the easiest way to remove stickers from auto glass, there are other methods of removal:
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Rubbing Alcohol
Apply rubbing alcohol to the sticker and wait a few minutes. Peel away the sticker from the glass.
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WD-40
Peel away as much of the sticker as possible. Spray WD-40 on the remaining sticker pieces and residue and wait a few minutes. Wipe away the spray with a damp cloth.
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Ice
Hold a pack of ice to the sticker for a few minutes to cool off the adhesive and make it easier to peel away.
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Hot Water
Pour piping hot water into a bottle or container and add a few drops of liquid soap. Mix it. Pour the hot water onto the sticker a couple of times and let it soak. Continue doing so until the adhesive loosens and you can peel the sticker away.
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Baking Soda and Cooking Oil
Mix baking soda with cooking oil and apply to the sticker. Dry off with a paper towel and continue until the adhesive loosens and you are able to peel the sticker away.
For other helpful tips and tricks on how you can care for your car’s windshield and more, check out the Portland Glass blog!
