How do I remove a vinyl sticker?

Do you have old, damaged stickers left on your car, water bottle or laptop? Here at Carstickers.com we use top grade vinyl stickers that come with air-egress technology to keep the sticker removal process fast and simple. However, not all companies use this type of sticker, so we wanted to provide you with this handy guide to help you remove any sticker from any surface.

To start, it is important to note what kind of material your sticker is stuck on. Materials such as glass or stainless steel will allow you to use different techniques and tools than a laptop or car door while removing a sticker. For example, we would not recommend using a box cutter or excessive window cleaner on your car paint or electronics. While there are many wacky tips and suggestions for how to remove stickers from peanut butter and mayonnaise to baking soda and vinegar, we have found over the years that this simple step by step method will remove almost any sticker.

Method 1: Heat

STEP 1
Using a hair dryer or other heat source, heat the sticker slowly, starting in the middle and working your way out to the edges. Be sure not to heat the sticker too fast as you might accidentally burn or melt the adhesive onto the surface underneath.

STEP 2
Using a plastic card such as a gift card or hotel key, start at one corner and gently push the sticker off of the surface. It is important to have a firm grip on the card and apply enough pressure to remove the corner.

STEP 3
Grab the corner of the sticker and pull it towards the rest of the sticker. The lower the angle here the better. If you pull the sticker at a 90 degree angle there is a higher chance of ripping or tearing the sticker and leaving more residue on your material’s surface.

STEP 4
After you have pulled off most of the sticker using heat and the plastic scraper, spray the area with window cleaner. Then use wet wipes or a soft cloth to rub off the remaining adhesive. If the sticker was pulled off of car paint then buff the area with car wax.

Method 2: Rubbing Alcohol

STEP 1
The materials you will need for this method will be a +90% based rubbing alcohol, some cotton balls, and a plastic card or razor blade.

STEP 2
Dab the rubbing alcohol on the cotton balls. Once they are wet but not overly soaked, rub the surface of the sticker until it starts to soak up some of the rubbing alcohol.

STEP 3
Let the sticker sit for 5 to 10 minutes while the rubbing alcohol soaks in. If you notice the surface of the sticker is to dry, just add some more rubbing alcohol while continuing to let it soak. When you’re ready, simply pull off the sticker!

STEP 4
Using your plastic card or razor blade (only use a razor blade on hard surfaces such as glass), scrape off any remaining sticker and adhesive.