How to Easily Remove Stickers From Your Vehicle Without Leaving Any Traces

Maybe you bought the vehicle with an annoying bumper sticker or just thought that fitting some would make it look cooler; the fact is you now regret that decision. Regardless of the reason, removing stickers may prove to be difficult, particularly if they have been exposed to the elements for a long time.

To do this properly, you have to arm yourself with patience because this process is tedious even when well-prepared.

Make sure you have the right tools and chemicals

For starters, you should gather the right tools and chemicals for the job. If you don’t have long nails or simply want to protect them, you will need a plastic scraper. Then, make sure you have a couple of microfiber towels, an adhesive remover, some car wash products, and a blow dryer. The latter might be difficult to use in your car so if you don’t have one, add a long extension cord to your shopping list.

As in all cases where chemicals are involved, make sure that you do this outside or in a well-ventilated garage because breathing in harmful gases is never pleasant.

Wash the vehicle

The first thing you should do is clean the vehicle or at least the area where the sticker is fitted. Dust, dirt, and other particles might hinder the process and cause unwanted scratches.

Heat the surface

The next step is to heat the sticker using a blow dryer. You can also use a heat gun, but since it generates higher temperatures than a dryer, you should hold it a few inches away to avoid damaging the paint. If none of these options is available, you can soak a towel in hot water for this process, but it will be less efficient.

Once you have decided which method to use, move slowly and steadily around the whole area of the sticker for a couple of minutes to make sure you loosen the adhesive as much as possible.

Peel off the sticker

This is where the plastic scraper comes in handy. If you couldn’t manage to get one, you can use your nails or improvise a scraper.

Getting it all off fast and in one piece is nearly impossible, so take your time and peel it off piece by piece to avoid any scratches.

Remove the remaining residue

No matter how well you heated the area or how carefully you peeled the sticker off, some of that annoying sticky residue will still remain on the surface.

Luckily, there are numerous adhesive removers on the market developed specifically for this process. If you couldn’t find one, then you can use the legendary WD 40, which won’t damage your vehicle’s paint or windows.

Spray some on a microfiber towel, then apply it to the residue and let it soak in for a minute or two. Next, use the towel's clean end to remove the residue and repeat the process if necessary.

Finally, give the vehicle or the area you worked on another good wash to remove any remaining traces of that dreaded sticker.