How to Remove and Reuse an Inspection Sticker from a Windshield

HOW TO REMOVE AND REUSE AN INSPECTION STICKER FROM A WINDSHIELD An inspection sticker is obtained after a vehicle undergoes a car inspection procedure that is mandatory according to the national and sub-national government laws. It is self-adhesive and serially-numbered.

Its presence on a car’s windshield and windows indicates that the car has passed the test for safety and emissions according to the regulations that govern the aforementioned.

They are required to be placed at the bottom left corner of the windshield. The left side here is according to the view from inside the car, while on the outside it would appear to be on the right-hand side.

As a driver and car owner, you may come to a point where you will need to remove your inspection sticker for proper placement on the windshield or reuse it on another windshield. With the challenge of its efficient adhesive made to last for a long time, you need a proper guide on how to remove it.

How to Remove Sticker from Windshield

There are several methods that you can employ to remove sticker from car window without damage. Find five methods listed below.

Use of ice

This technique requires a bag of ice.

What you do is you place the ice on the sticker for some time, long enough to cool the sticker.

After this, take a razor blade and gently peel off the sticker (emphasis on ‘gently’) from one edge and then raise or pull up the sticker gently until it’s completely removed from the car windshield.

This works because when you apply ice to the inspection sticker of your car window it weakens the glue as it attempts to freeze it. In turn, it eases the process of removing it.

Use of heat

Heat is the direct opposite of cold but works just as efficiently as ice when you apply it to vehicle stickers that you intend to remove and reuse.

Applying heat can help to get a sticker off car window without ruining it. The heating device here should be a hand dryer. A hand dryer can also serve as adhesive remover for car window.

In this case, the heat, like ice, lessens the adhesive grip of the sticker on the car. After applying the heat, work your way with a razor blade, reapply heat when and where necessary, such as when the sticker attempts to tear, and continue pulling it gently until you completely remove it from the windshield.

Use of WD-40 lubricant

The WD-40 lubricant is a multipurpose lubricant whose uses are not only directed towards preventing rust and degreasing, but also serves as a windshield sticker remover.

The work isn’t a tasking one in using the WD-40 lubricant to remove car decals.

Start by peeling a little bit of the sticker from one edge of it off the windshield from a corner and spray the WD-40 sufficiently while you continue peeling off the sticker until it is completely off.

Thereafter, wipe the WD-40 lubricant from the sticker with a warm cloth.

Take note that this isn’t to promote the WD-40 lubricant as other multipurpose lubricants within your reach can also work.

Use of alcohol

The use of alcohol on the sticker is another effective way of removing stickers and decals from car surfaces.

Rubbing alcohol on the sticker works pretty fast due to its chemical make-up.

Using a paper towel or cotton ball, soak an alcohol with it and use it to dab on the sticker so it absorbs the alcohol.

After holding it on the sticker for some minutes remove with a blade or any other sharp object from the corners.

Wipe off the residue from the windshield or windows with alcohol and a paper towel.

 Use of adhesive remover

An adhesive remover as the name implies is a product that is meant to lessen an adhesive grip. It will make the work easy and quick. Luckily, you would not be needing a razor blade to remove the sticker from your windshield.

You can use an adhesive product to remove a car sticker by simply spraying it onto the sticker. After that you can leave it for a few minutes. Some names to look out for when it comes to adhesive remover brands are Goo Gone, AutoGlym, De-Solv-It® etc.

Other methods to on how to remove and reuse an inspection sticker from a windshield

Cleaning agents such as dishwashing liquid, baking soda, etc. also serve to loosen adhesion on stickers.

You can apply them to stickers by dabbing with a cloth, paper towel, or cotton ball. And then leave to sit for up to 5 minutes before peeling off the sticker or decal from the windshield.

Key points to note

• Apply care when using a razor blade if your inspection sticker happens to be on the rear window of the vehicle to prevent damage to the defroster wires.
• You can always place your car sticker on another surface and then remove from there to make it lose some adhesive grip before putting it on your car. This way, you can easily remove it from the car when the need arises.
• After successfully removing the sticker or decal from the car window, you may have to enhance the sticker’s adhesive again for reuse.
• With an autoglass cleaner, wipe off any adhesive remains from the windshield after removing a sticker or decal.

Conclusion

With the methods mentioned above, we can safely say drivers and car owners are covered when they have a need to remove a wrongly placed sticker for reuse.