Who doesn’t want their car to look great? We choose the color and model so cautiously as to match our personality, and then we customize it according to ourselves. And, a very popular way to add character to cars is embellishing them with decals. While they look great on cars, it is often difficult to remove without damaging the paint. It is also often a problem if you wish to put up your old car for sale. Any scratch or loss of luster reduces a few dollars off the offer price and sells and lines it with used cars.
So, is there any safe way to take them off while still maintaining the shine of the paint? Of course, there is. There is more than one. Here are the top 4 methods of how to remove car decals effectively.
Top 4 Methods to Remove Car Decals
These 4 methods below can answer your question “How to remove car decals effectively”. But, before that, there are two repair tips you must always keep in mind.
– Do not use any sharp or pointed objects to remove the stickers. For sure it will leave scratches.
– Do not use thinner or nail paint remover. It may remove the sticker but may also leave visible stains.
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Blow drying
the second method to remove vinyl sticker from car is simply to heat the surface of the decal at the lowest heat setting for 30-40 seconds. Keep the blow dryer at a distance of 5-6 inches from the car surface. Remember that very high heat is likely to chip the paint off. Now start peeling off the decal from a corner with the help of a rubber or silicone spatula. Remember, no sharp objects. Repeat heating, if necessary to take off the entire decal. It may not, however, be a great idea for relatively new cars and is a good automobile decal removal method that works excellently for old cars though.
Solvents
WD-40 or a lighter fluid is a good solvent to use for removing car decal. Just pour a small amount on a clean rag and start rubbing on the edges with moderate pressure. The decal will start coming off from the edges. Take it from here, peeling it off with your fingers. As for the adhesive stains, clean them with rubbing alcohol as mentioned before. If you need buffing and polishing, go for it. It will make the patch look flawless.
Kitchen cleaners
Mild kitchen/dish cleaning soaps can do the magic if you let the diluted solutions soak into the decal for a few minutes. How to remove decal from car is not a big deal anymore since you have things to remove right in your kitchen. Shampoos and conditioners also work in this case. After you let the solution seep in for a short while, you can simply pull out the stickers. Just make sure that if you are using a kitchen cleaner, it is not harsh or vinegar-based. It can damage the car paint.
Boiling water
There is one substance that answers the question “how to remove car decals” that we all know the name of but never know its use: boiling water. you can simply wet a rag with boiling water and put it on the decal but be careful, don’t let hot water burn yourself. Then keep it for a minute or so and try to peel off the decal from a corner. It should be easy here. You can also pour boiling water repeatedly over decals, just like you do for fixing car minor dents at home.
The basic idea behind all these methods removing car decal is to safeguard the paint underneath the sticker. If you take care of the riders that we mentioned in the beginning, you can do the job without any damage at all. So, peel away.
Watch more about how to remove decals with heat and without heat here.
There are many ways to remove decals from your car but keep in mind that if you use the wrong method or a method that needs some professional skills, it may damage your car. In case you are not familiar with these removing methods, take your car to a mechanic, they will help you do it perfectly.
