removing bumper stickers

December 7, 2004 9:05 AM

How difficult is it to get bumper stickers off cars? Are there any tricks? Do the stickers get more difficult to remove the longer they stay on?

I just bought a new car and am considering putting a low-key sticker on for a cause I support. However, I've never put a bumper sticker on a car before, nor have I had to remove one, so my decision on whether or not to do it will depend on how difficult it might be to remove it later.
posted by widdershins to Travel & Transportation (19 answers total)

There is a product called "Goof-Off" which is extraordinarily good at getting sticky stuff off surfaces without damaging the surfaces. You should be able to buy it at an arts supply store.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:08 AM on December 7, 2004

How to do it:

A) saturate sticker with Goof-Off.

B) start clawing at edges of sticker with fingernails or, failing that, with a plastic picnic knife (anything harder than that will scratch the paint)

C) peel back as far as you can. When it starts being difficult to peel, take a Goof-Off-saturated paper towel and hold it against the area for a few seconds, then start peeling again.,

D) After you have the sticker off, saturate the remaining adhesive with Goof-Off, wait a minute or so, then start rolling the adhesive off with firm pressure from your fingertips.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:11 AM on December 7, 2004

Goo-Gone! A little miracle. Also, that orange-based spray stuff with a plastic or wood spatula. I was a little drunk and slapped on a "Born OK The First Time" bumper sticker ... very crooked.
posted by thinkpiece at 9:11 AM on December 7, 2004

One trick I haven't tried but I've heard recommended somewhere else (or maybe even here, but I can't find it): if you don't mind putting the sticker on the metal part of the back end of the car instead of the plastic bumper, get a piece of sheet magnet the size of the sticker, stick the sticker to the magnet, stick the magnet to the bumper.

That makes it very easy to remove, and the magnet ought to be better for the clearcoat and paint than adhesive would. It also means that people who don't like your cause can just up and steal your bumper sticker, I suppose.
posted by mendel at 9:12 AM on December 7, 2004

Also, putting the sticker on the window (if the shape and size allow it) will enable you to remove it with a razor and not worry about doing anything to the paint.

(if you put a sticker on the inside of the rear window be sure it isn't layered over any of the defroster lines - scraping them with a razor will almost certainly damage them)
posted by jalexei at 9:14 AM on December 7, 2004

To me (and I'm virulently anti-bumpersticker), the window is the only reasonable place to affix one if you simply must.
posted by rushmc at 9:18 AM on December 7, 2004

In addition to the ease of removal created by sticking the sticker onto a sheet magnet, it will allow you to move it around on a regular basis, to avoid fading issues. Highly recommended, if you really feel that you need to advertise something on your bumper.
posted by Dreama at 9:20 AM on December 7, 2004

Oh, and BTW - just checking the Goof-Off site (as it looks like the perfect tool to help remove the rather large nameplate my dealer stuck to the back of my new car). If you go that route, be sure you get the "Goo Remover". A lot of their products will take the paint off as well.
posted by jalexei at 9:22 AM on December 7, 2004

Sticker Shield (or Windshield Relief) was recommended in another thread.
posted by fionab at 9:30 AM on December 7, 2004

I love Goo-Gone and use it for many things, but when it comes to taking stickers and adhesive off big surfaces, Goof-Off has no equal.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:49 AM on December 7, 2004

You know, I had good luck without the hazardous chemicals, using a hair dryer and a small chisel. Heat up the sticker and commence to peel. Comes off like butter.
posted by Miko at 10:04 AM on December 7, 2004

A lot of bumper stickers these days are using a low-strength glue so that they can peel off easily. I bought a used car that had had bumper stickers on it for N years, and they all came right off with no residue.
posted by adamrice at 10:04 AM on December 7, 2004

Response by poster: Excellent - thank you everyone. I do like the idea of making the sticker into a magnet, so I'll try that first. If not, it's good to know that Goof-Off will do the trick.

Thx again!
posted by widdershins at 11:09 AM on December 7, 2004

Wow... I've always used lighter fluid.

But then again, any cars I've peeled stickers off of have been real sh*t boxes, so I can't really attest to how safe it was to the paint.
posted by icey at 11:25 AM on December 7, 2004

Here is how we make rally ID and number backer stickers come off easy. Note that I've only used this method with stickers that were only on for a couple days. I don't imagine the wax will loose it's hold over a couple months causing a spontaneous delamination but YMMV.

1) wax and buff your car as normal (or just the sticker area)
2) apply wax to the future sticker loaction but don't buff out instead allow the wax to get hazy.
3) apply sticker
4) buff out the hazyness around the sticker. A little fresh wax can act as a solvent if you have trouble getting the hazyness out.

If your paint isn't in bad shape you can now just peal the sticker off anytime you want (a little heat from a blow dryer can sometimes help things along). If you have got bad paint and the paint-wax-sticker bond is stronger than the paint-metal bond you'll peal up the paint. If any residue is left behind a little goof-off, WD-40, or kerosene depending on what you have on hand will take it off. Be warned that the paint around the sticker will continue to fade while the paint under the sticker won't. depending on the UV exposure and duration you may be able to see the outline of the sticker.
posted by Mitheral at 1:18 PM on December 7, 2004

Is there a static sticker for the cause you support? These adhere to your window using nothing but static electricity, and come right off using nothing more than a finger naill.
posted by mosch at 2:35 PM on December 7, 2004

The most foolproof method, unless removal-agents were applied when the sticker was put on, as Mitheral described, is to soften with adhesive with a hair dryer, or (even better) a heat gun on a LOW setting. (Low on my heat gun is 500 degrees, and I'm cautious with it near any sort of paint; I wouldn't want to have the high temperature air, at 1000 degrees, come anywhere near my paint for an extended period of time)

Once the adhesive has softened, peel the sticker off. If you find the adhesive not wanting to let go, give it another blast of heat, then try this trick: get a length of string, and put it under the free end of the sticker, trying to make the string conform to the curve of your car. With a gentle, slight sawing motion, try to "cut" your way under the sticker -- be sure to keep the force vector along the plane of your paint, not down into to, to avoid scratching.

When the sticker is completely off, sautrate any remaining glue spots with your petroleum derivative of choice (Goof-Off, WD-40, and kerosene all work; I prefer WD-40, just because I always have some on hand), and rub with a soft (preferably 100% cotten) cloth to get the last bits of nasty sticky off.
posted by jammer at 3:51 PM on December 7, 2004

Response by poster: You guys are amazing - thanks so much!
posted by widdershins at 8:47 AM on December 8, 2004

Wow. The magnet idea is so simple and obvious, and something I had never thought of. My car is getting stickered up asap.
posted by drezdn at 10:33 AM on December 8, 2004