Stickers on Car Window

How to Remove Bumper Stickers

Stickers on Car Window

Not long ago I was speaking to a customer of ours whose bumper sticker had….well let’s just say it had been vandalized. The point is she was mortified to be seen driving around with the (now obscene) sticker on the back of her car, but she had no idea how to get rid of it. Eventually she found the time to swing by and we removed it for her. But it got me thinking about how many people probably don’t know how to remove bumper stickers on their own. Thankfully it’s not hard to do if you have the right tools. Read on to find out how. 

You’re going to need a hair dryer (a heat gun would be ideal if you can get your hands on one), some mineral spirits, and a soft cloth. Hold the hair dryer about 6” away from the surface and blow heat directly onto the sticker (a heat gun should be held 12” away). Heat the entire sticker, moving from side to side to avoid overheating a single spot. After a few minutes the corners of the bumper sticker should start to curl up. Grab one of the corners and begin to slowly pull it straight back (not up, but back against the sticker) while keeping heat on the surface.

Once you’ve pulled the sticker off there’s the nasty little business of the adhesive residue left behind. Your best bet here is to get it off with some mineral spirits. You can get mineral spirits at Home Depot or other hardware stores, any art store will carry it as well. (If you’re lucky you’ll have some lying around in the basement or garage.) Dab some onto a microfiber cloth and gently wipe the area. Should come right off. Wipe the area down with a little water and wipe dry. The area underneath the sticker will probably look a bit faded and dull. Polish it up a bit and apply some wax and you’ll never know the sticker was there.

So that’s it. A quick, easy, and safe way to remove bumper stickers. Got any questions? Let us know in the comments!

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