What’s the Best Way To Remove Car Stickers and Decals?

Stickers and decals are a little bit like tattoos for your car: They may seem like a good idea at the time, but as the appeal wanes a few years down the road, you may be wondering how to get rid of them. Removing car stickers and decals is easier than erasing tattoos, but the process can still be time-consuming, and there’s always the chance of damaging the car’s finish.

We asked a couple of car detailing professionals for best practices for doing this job correctly. Robert Harper is the Director for Product Development and Support at Ziebart International Corporation, and Isaac Lee is the Senior Vice President at San Diego-based Soapy Joe’s Car Wash. Together, these pros have you covered, whether you need to remove a googly eye decal from your side window, a 2016 political sticker from your door or that outdated “Baby On Board” bumper sticker.

You Need To Soften the Glue

“Stickers or decals that have been on any painted surface for a year or more will definitely be more difficult to remove than those that were stuck on more recently,” advises Harper. The glue tends to harden with age, and you’re not going to make much progress until you soften it, and if you use a solvent, you need one that won’t damage the paint.

Both Harper and Lee recommend Goo Gone, a commercial sticker lifter, but if you don’t have any on hand, Harper also recommends mineral spirits or even white vinegar in a pinch. You can also soften the adhesive by heating the sticker with a hair dryer, says Lee. “Also keep in mind,” says Harper, “that stickers tend to block the sun’s UV rays enough that after a year or more, the rest of the paint may be faded enough that the paint behind the sticker may be brighter, or even a different shade than the surrounding paint.”

Use the Right Scraper

Put away your metal putty knives and paint scrapers, which are almost guaranteed to damage paint and scratch glass. “Use something made of either plastic or wood, so you don’t damage the painted surface,” advises Harper. “You can use a Bondo spreader, a hard plastic squeegee or even a sharpened popsicle stick.” A Bondo spreader is a plastic implement that comes with that brand of auto body filler. It’s similar to a plastic putty knife, which you can also use. Lee adds: “Make sure the scraper is small, about the size of a utility knife, but with a large handle to prevent slipping.”

Stickers vs. Decals

Decals are designed for windows, so unlike stickers, they are transparent, and they don’t have adhesive. Electrostatic attraction adheres them to smooth, flat surfaces like window glass, and removing them seldom involves scraping. You can usually work up one edge of a decal with your fingernail or, if necessary, a scraping tool, and once the edge is free, you can grasp it and pull off the decal.

According to Lee, express car washes frequently place radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on windows to store and transmit maintenance information. These can wreak havoc on tinted windows when removed, and he says the job is best handled by professionals. To avoid this problem, Lee’s company provides special exterior weatherproof tags that avoid the tint.

How To Remove Stickers From Painted Surfaces

Tools

• Plastic or wood scraper.
• Sponge or rag.
• Hair dryer.
• Spray bottle.

Materials

Solvent (Goo Gone, Goof Off, mineral spirits or white vinegar).

Procedure

1. Moisten the sticker with a solvent. You can either spray the solvent from a spray bottle or apply it with a sponge or rag.
2. Work a scraper under one edge of the sticker and push the scraper underneath. Pull any part of the sticker that lifts with the other hand. If you’re lucky the whole sticker may come off in one piece, but if it’s been there a long time, it will probably break into smaller pieces.
3. Apply more solvent as needed to loosen stubborn adhesive. If you’re having trouble, use a hair dryer to heat the sticker and soften the adhesive.
4. Moisten the adhesive residue with more solvent after the sticker is gone and rub off as much as you can with a rag. Lee warns that you might not be able to get all of it, “which is why we recommend turning to the professionals for a final top off in an express car wash to ensure all trace of decals is washed away.”

How To Remove Stickers From Glass

Tools

• Stainless steel razor blade.
• Mechanical blade holder.
• Spray bottle or sponge.
• Lint-free rag.

Materials

• Glass cleaner.
• Solvent (Goo Gone or orange oil).

Procedure

1. Moisten the sticker by spraying it with a solvent or soaking a sponge with solvent and holding it over the sticker. Lee recommends Goo Gone or orange oil while Harper’s choice is window cleaner.
2. Scrape the sticker off the glass with a stainless steel razor blade once the adhesive becomes soft. “It’s very important to use stainless steel blades for scraping automotive glass,” says Harper. “Carbon steel will scratch glass. Stainless steel will not.” Also, Harper strongly recommends putting the blade in a blade holder for protection and better control.
3. Clean the glass after the sticker is gone using glass cleaner and a lint-free rag.

Removing Stickers From Bumpers

“Most bumpers on today’s vehicles are painted,” says Harper. “Even if they are chrome, the same procedures should be followed as for painted surfaces.”

About the Experts

• Robert Harper is the Director of Product Development and Technical Support at Ziebart International Corporation, an internation auto protection service based in Troy, MI.
• Isaac Lee is the Senior Vice President of Soapy Joe’s Car Wash, voted the best car wash in the San Diego area for 2023.