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How To Remove Glass And Bumper Stickers
Remove Glass And Bumper Stickers. Regretting having stuck an 'I love..' sticker on your bumper? No worries, follow this guide and you'll get it off in no time.
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You will need
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Step 1:
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Check and think ahead
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Whether your sticker comes off easily or not depends on its age, where it is on the car and the quality of the adhesive.
An old sticker has usually become yellow and the surface is often cracked due to hardened out glue. Brittle stickers will only come off by using heat.
It's quite possible that when you take off an old sticker from a painted area the colour underneath will be different to the rest of the car. Polishing the area can often help in this situation, but there might still be a shadow. If the sticker is on a painted surface, you have to decide what´s worse - the outdated sticker or a shadowy patch.
Glass stickers come off more easily and of course, you'll have no paint issues to deal with.
Whatever you do, though, do not use any sharp objects or metal sponges as they can seriously damage both painted and glass surfaces.
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Step 2:
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Create a secure working environment
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Let's start by making sure the vehicle is on a flat and levelled surface, away from traffic and any inflammable materials.
Put on the handbrake and put the gear stick into first gear. In automatic cars place the gear stick in the parking position. -
SAFETY WARNING
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A SAFETY WARNING ! Work in a well-ventilated area away from sparks or open flames. Do not smoke -you are dealing with inflammable liquids.
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Step 3:
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Try peeling off the sticker
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Check if the sticker can be peeled off with your fingernails. Your nails will not damage the car's paint or the glass, but you have to be very careful to avoid damaging the sensitive skin under your nails.
You might be lucky and the sticker will come off in one piece.
It is more likely, though, that it wont come off or will crack into small pieces. If that's the case, don't waste your time, move on to the next steps.
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Step 4:
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Heat up the sticker
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Heat will soften the hardened glue, so heat up the sticker's edge with a hair-dryer for two minutes.
Direct the heat at the sticker with circular motions so you don't stay in one spot for too long. Make sure you keep the hair-dryer at a distance of at least 3 cm, as you don't want to damage the paint or the glass. Bubbles will appear on the sticker's surface and it will become visibly softer.
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Step 5:
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Remove the sticker
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Now pick up the plastic spatula and carefully remove the sticker. If it still won't come off in one piece,Keep directing the stream of hot air onto the part that is still stuck on the car. Direct the air into the space moving up between sticker and the surface until all remaining bits peel off easily. Make sure you don't burn your hand !
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Step 6:
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Remove any residue
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The residue can be removed with a cloth that has a little alcohol on it.
Apply a little alcohol on the rag. Wipe off any remaining glue.
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Step 7:
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Heat up the residue
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If the remainder of the sticker is too hard to remove, reheat it with the hair dryer: The residue should then be easier to wipe off with the rag.
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Step 8:
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Remove residual grime
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Wipe off the grime with a clean part of your alcohol-drenched cloth
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Step 9:
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Wipe the area clean
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Take the unused, clean cloth and wash the alcohol off. That way, you have no aggressive substances left that might damage the paint.
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Step 10:
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Polish the surface
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Apply a spot of wax or car polish on the third cloth and carefully polish the surface. Too much rubbing could damage the clear coat over the paint work.
And that is how to remove glass and bumper stickers the Videojug way.
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