Any Good Advice On Sticker Removal?

"SteveLehto" (stevelehto) 05/23/2015 at 09:00 • Filed to: None

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I have a problem I think many of you have dealt with before. In fact, I’ve dealt with it before but never had this much trouble. How do I remove a sticker from my truck?

The “Sam Galloway Ford” sticker on my truck is not a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! but you’d think it used the same technology. I bought a used Explorer !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and the only thing wrong with it that I can see is this damn sticker.

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The truck was a one-owner from Ft. Meyers so I’m guessing the old couple that garage-kept it didn’t mind the sticker. I do.

I half-heartedly picked at the corners before realizing it might be structural to the truck. A load-bearing sticker. Seriously, what kind of product is out there THAT WORKS which will remove this for me without taking off the paint?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. And if you need something to listen to as you type, here’s my recent podcast.

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HA! Thought I’d forget to plug it?

Follow me on Twitter: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Hear my podcast on iTunes: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Steve Lehto has been practicing law for 23 years, almost exclusively in consumer protection and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! He wrote !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

This website may supply general information about the law but it is for informational purposes only. This does not create an attorney-client relationship and is not meant to constitute legal advice, so the good news is we’re not billing you by the hour for reading this. The bad news is that you shouldn’t act upon any of the information without consulting a qualified professional attorney who will, probably, bill you by the hour.

jkm7680 > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 09:02

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YT probably has the best answers in this case!

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 09:07

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Do they make automotive goo gone? Then your truck will smell citrus-y

SteveLehto > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 05/23/2015 at 09:08

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I used some sort of Goo product on my M35 but that was before I was going to paint it so I didn’t care what it was going to do to the paint (if anything). Plus, the paint the sticker was on was kind of rough to begin with. I wasn’t sure how that would work on paint I wanted to keep.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 09:11

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I’ve had a habit of using white spirit/lighter fluid and an old rag to get rid of sticky stuff.

jariten1781 > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 09:12

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The industrial/pro strength “Goof-off” is the way to go...just spray wait a bit and peel. Can be time consuming, but it’ll come.

If it’s really bad you can mask it off then use a fine grit sand paper to rub off the sticker and expose the adhesive. Then soak a rag in kerosene and let it rest over the adhesive for a while. Then rub it off. That’s worked for the worst Carter era bumper sticker removals.

The other things you’ll hear are floss,heat, and “Goo Gone” (not to be confused with Goof Off, very different products). I’ve had less luck with those but others swear by them.

SteveLehto > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 05/23/2015 at 09:14

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Will that work on an old sticker like this and will it harm the paint?

SteveLehto > jariten1781 05/23/2015 at 09:15

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I think Goof Off is the stuff I used on my M35, come to think of it. But I was about to repaint and paid not attention to any damage it may have done to the paint.

I’ll take a look at that.

BrownMiataDieselWagon > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 09:17

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I’ve used WD-40 before. It’s truly a multipurpose spray.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 09:19

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I work with graphics a lot on shows, hair dryer and a plastic spackle knife can work. The old adhesive often gets soft And you can slowly start at one end. Lots of stuff can hurt the paint. I would try heat first.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 09:20

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White spirit will definitely affect the paint, so I’ve only ever used it in small amounts, with a good rinsing of water afterwards. I’d try and remove as much of the sticker as possible by force before using any white spirit. WD40 is also a possibility, that’s safer than white spirit.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 09:21

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...

Svend > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 09:23

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Most if not all tar and glue removers will remove this easily, I use AutoFinesse Oblitarate, works a treat. If you can get under one edge and gently peel back and remove as much of the sticker as you can. Then spray on a tar and glue remover and gently cut in with a cloth. If the adhesive isn’t shifting try a spraying the area and apply a piece of tissue or kitchen towel and spray more remover and let it soak a while.

You don’t want to yank the sticker as you may (if baked on) remove a section or patches of clearcote from the paint.

Also do it out of the sun as letting tar and glue remover (like any chemical) may stain the paintwork or do worse damage.

jariten1781 > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 09:25

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Yeah, I’ve used it on many many (30 plus) cars without any paint problems, but I’ve also seen people of forums claiming it did something awful to their cars. I’m skeptical it wasn’t some other abuse, but YMMV.

I always clean-strip-polish-seal after removing the stckers and never any issues.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 09:29

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Live an hour from that dealer. Can confirm those stickers are invinsible.

At least it isn’t hideous like Volvo of Ft Myers (i have to take it off next week)

Not my car but you get the idea

Justin Hughes > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 09:31

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Very careful use of a sharp blade, followed by Goo Gone and elbow grease.

I'm lucky that the only dealer marking on my car was a license plate frame.

pip bip - choose Corrour > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 09:32

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nail polish remover?

heatgun?

PNO TECH > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 09:32

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WD-40 is always my go-to for sticker removal. In really tough cases, mineral spirits and a plastic putty knife: that will get the paper off the adhesive, then you can use mild compound and soft rag-and lots of elbow-grease-to get the gummy stuff off. Mineral spirits will soften/remove wax, so reapply afterward.

I always enjoy your articles, and am glad to have a chance to give >you< info.

SteveLehto > PNO TECH 05/23/2015 at 09:40

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Thanks. I have WD40 already and will try that first since I doubt it will have any harmful effects. If that doesn’t work, I will escalate.

desertdog5051 > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 09:41

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I have taken a number of them off with a heat gun on low setting and then Goo Gone for any adhesive left. WD also works on the residual adhesive.

Moves-Like-Senna > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 05/23/2015 at 10:10

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A razor blade and the use some Goo-Gone. I actually just remove the stickers from my race bike’s rims yesterday (cheap upgrade to save weight) and now I’m off to buy Goo-Gone.

JGrabowMSt > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 10:14

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Diet Coke. Also works great on windows.

SteveLehto > JGrabowMSt 05/23/2015 at 10:19

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I’m drinking some right now.

JGrabowMSt > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 10:22

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After seeing its cleaning ability, you may reconsider its drinkability.

SteveLehto > JGrabowMSt 05/23/2015 at 10:25

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That which does not kill me makes me stronger.

Or something like that.

JGrabowMSt > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 10:27

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Just avoid harsh cleaners like citrustrip, because those will take the sticker clean off. Along with the paint underneath.

SteveLehto > JGrabowMSt 05/23/2015 at 10:31

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That is my concern. But I just hate these stickers . . .

BorkBorkBjork > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 10:37

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Awesome Toynbee reference, I assume you’ve seen the documentary on Netflix.

As for sticker removal, I would recommend Goo Gone (the citrus one). Goof Off will definitely remove paint.

SteveLehto > BorkBorkBjork 05/23/2015 at 10:41

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Haven’t seen the doc yet but I will. I was in NYC last fall and just stumbled upon 4 or 5 of them. I knew what they were but was surprised at how often I came across them.

The Compromiser > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 11:07

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DO NOT USE A RAZOR BLADE. My wife is still mad about my hood.

SirDrivesAlot (now with hybrid powerrrr) > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 11:20

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Hair dryer to loosen the adhesive, a razor blade to pull up an end, then just peel it off. I have done this several times.

Sam > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 12:14

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Goo-Gone and a PLASTIC razor blade. That’s what I use at work.

Justin > SteveLehto 05/23/2015 at 16:46

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Take a razor blade and a bottle of glass cleaner. Constantly spray the soapy fluid over the blade while gently scraping the sticker at an angle. So long as you keep it wet and don’t apply lots of force it should come off easily. Its a lot like wet sanding. This is what we did when I worked in the detail department of a large dealership.

this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata > SteveLehto 05/24/2015 at 02:33

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Buy a new rear hatch. It’s the only way.

SamfaKenessal > SteveLehto 05/25/2015 at 11:34

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Go to a detail shop and let them do it. They’ll know all the tricks and save you a lot of time and headache.

SteveLehto > SamfaKenessal 05/25/2015 at 11:35

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Makes too much sense. I hadn’t even thought of that!

SamfaKenessal > SteveLehto 05/25/2015 at 12:33

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I’m all for DIY, but this chore seems like a good one to hand off. :)

motom > SteveLehto 05/25/2015 at 16:32

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Sticker removal.. Use a portable clothes steamer (one of the little travel ones)

I used this to remove tint from windows, and it made short work of that.

SteveLehto > motom 05/25/2015 at 16:40

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Hadn’t thought of that. I may give that one a try.

NoneOfYourBiz > SteveLehto 05/26/2015 at 14:01

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http://oppositelock.kinja.com/boiling-water-…

-- > SteveLehto 05/26/2015 at 15:04

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I think a hair dryer is the best first choice. heat it up and see if it softens the adhesive enough to peel it.

If you decide to go for chemical removers, I’d lay out some aluminum foil and close the tailgate on it, to make a bib for your bumper. That black plastic looks like it could stain or dissolve easily.

Acetone would be my first stop if heat didn’t work. Hopefully whatever plastic the sticker is would dissolve in it. Modern car paint is pretty impervious to solvents - it’s a cross-linked polymer vs. the pigment dissolved in solvent type paints of the old days. But like it says on the back of most cleaning products, test in an inconspicuous area first :)

On an unrelated note, have you done any podcasts on buying cars from out of your home state? I’m in the salt belt and I’m thinking of going someplace where the used cars won’t be half-consumed by rust.

SteveLehto > -- 05/26/2015 at 15:40

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I’ll try that.

No, I have thought about that as a topic before. I wonder if I can condense my thoughts on it into 20 minutes.

Thanks.

deekster_caddy > SteveLehto 05/27/2015 at 13:22

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Warm it up with a hair dryer. Not a heat gun, that’s too much heat. But a hair dryer will help soften up the glue, very likely allowing you to just peel it off in one piece.

Jugstopper > SteveLehto 05/27/2015 at 23:21

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I have always wanted to make a Toynbee Tile!