How to remove Decals from cars (that have been baked on by the sun)

A common question I get asked is “how do I remove decals from my car or truck that has been baked on by the sun over many years?”

Well these that are baked onto car, truck or bus surfaces are the hardest decals to remove because the cellular compound of the decal, sticker or advertising label has changed and become a much denser substance.

I am bias in this view, though the only way to remove these decals are:

a) metal razor blade (only an option if the car is going for a re-spray as due to the toughness of the decal, you are 99% likely to scratch the surface). Please be careful as metal blades cut skin easily and due to the harden decal, a lot of force is needed to remove the decal

b) Wonder wheel that is attached to a drill (FYI - I don’t believe its possible to remove decals by using rubber compound products, just using your hand, as the rubber compound needs high revolutions with light pressure to actually wear away the decal)

c) Chemicals, heat guns or plastic blades won´t work as the decal has become too hardened and can´t penetrate the molecular structure of the decal (However, these products can work on decals that haven’t been on the surface long)

Hence if you are removing the decal for the purpose of replacing it with another decal or sticker, or just like it to be removed, then I would recommend the Wonder Wheel (see the demo at www.decalstickerremover.com) for how it works.

If you are having your car, truck or bus re-sprayed, then a heavy duty metal scraper can work, though please take caution due to the dangers of cutting yourself.

Happy decal removing

P.S - I am planning on getting some video footage of the Wonder Wheel working on decals that have been baked on cars, trucks and boats from the sun, so people can get an understanding of their efficiency. The video will also include the time it took to remove the decal as some people don´t believe how fast it works until they have had a demonstration given

Decals change the look of a product, making it the talk of the city. Not only is it easy to apply but also it saves money by not hiring a professional auto graphic to install. Vinyl decals are so easy that you can do it at home!

Decals, stickers and vinyl have always added a zing, be it in decoration or advertising. But with time, it starts to loose its texture and glamour. So removal becomes necessary. But proper methods of removal is essential so as not to distort the surface and the paint on cars, trucks, walls, floors and other areas.

Some of the traditional methods for decal removal are-

a. heat guns

b. metal razor blades

c. toxic and non-toxic chemicals

The above options can work, though are labor-intensive and potentially harmful (some chemicals have react adversely to your skin).

Heat guns are used heat the temperature of the adhesive, making the decal easier to remove. But high heat from heat guns can sometimes melt the surface on which the vinyl or decal has been installed.

Metal razor blades are used for getting underneath the decal and peeling. This can harmful as it may scratch the painted surface of your car.

Some chemicals are expensive and can ruin the surface as well as if the painted surface is a re-spray( and if it’s not done properly then it will be embarrassing for you to have inconsistent colors on your vehicle). These methods have been around for years and do work, but need care and prior experience to remove decals, vinyl or graphics.

So how do you make removing decals easy? by using the alternative way

Wonder products have launched a modern and innovative technology to wipe out decals without affecting the surface and its texture. Mr. Peter Nobbs (our Chief ‘Decal Remover’ Officer) is the exponent behind the discovery of Wonder Wheel and Wonder Blade.

The Wonder Wheel is used to remove decals on bigger surfaces like cars, trucks with its unconventional, yet very effective spinning wheel technology.

The Wonder Blade is made out of plastic and is designed for smaller surfaces!

Decals add a style element to your petrol tanks and other small surfaces. Likewise vinyl letters have also gained immense popularity as a home décor item. Vinyl letters are used to decorate walls, adding a color to your otherwise whitewashed rooms. Vinyl letters are easy to use and can be glued on wood plaques, glass, picture frames and tile squares.

With the craze for funky car exteriors and looks, people are inclined more towards applying graphics to their cars and vehicles. But when the decals become old or worn, out they need to be removed.

Great care needs to be taken when attempting to remove decals as its very easy to damage the surface or tarnishing the paint unless you use the right tool.

So what is the simple technique to remove decals or vinyl lettering from smaller surfaces?

Peter Nobbs of Wonder Products has a solution to this. After much racking of the brain, Peter has found an easy way to remove graphics. Like Wonder Wheel, the Wonder Blade removes smaller stickers, decals and vinyl letters from petrol tanks, walls, floors, etc. Decals or vinyl letters fade away with time and reflects an antique look! However with Wonder Blade, one can simply peel off the decals or stickers from small surface.

The Wonder Blade works with the help of a blade made out of plastic and is user friendly which what makes it so unique… being made of plastic, it won’t scratch the surface (unlike metal razor blades that can turn jobs into disasters)

The Wonder Blade can be used on all surfaces. It is small and easily portable. You can carry it in your pocket too! Unlike some other products, the Wonder Blade does not use any chemicals which can cause skin irritations. The Wonder Blade is safe to use as it does not scratch the surface like metal blades. You will never have to put your extra strength to make it work.

For the Wonder Blade, simply click in the plastic blade and it’s that easy to start getting the job done. With Wonder Blade you can finish the job of decal removal swiftly and without any hassles. You can check out our videos at www.decalstickerremover.com to see how easy it is to remove decals, stickers, graphics and vinyl letters.

There are a number of ways to remove decals and stickers and depending on what the surface is, will make different tools better than others.

The main 5 techniques to remove decals and stickers are:

1) Heat gun or Hair Dryer

2) Chemicals / Residue removers

3) Razor blades

4) Plastic blade (e.g. Wonder Blade)

5) Rubber tool (e.g. Wonder Wheel)

1) Heat gun - One of the most used tools to remove Decals.

Pro’s:

- suitable for steel, glass and some painted surfaces (be careful of re-spray’s as the paint may react inversely).

- suitable for small to medium sized areas

Con’s:

- doesn’t remove residue or goo left on by Decal

- be careful of natural products (e.g. wood) as can heat can inversely with natural products)

- can be a little slow as takes time to heat up decal and remove

2) Chemicals/ Residue removers (e.g. eucalyptus oil)

Pro’s:

- excellent at removing goo or residue left over after a decal has been removed (and preparing a surface for a new decal)

Con’s:

- normally doesn’t penetrate the decal surface. You need to perforate the surface so the chemical can get under the Decal

- potential adverse re-action to skin contact

Overall: better tool to use after the decal has been removed to clean and prepare the surface

3) Razor blades

Pro’s:

- excellent for surfaces that don’t scratch easily (e.g. glass)

- cheap option and easily available

Con’s:

- never use on a painted surface or some stainless steel surfaces (very easy to scratch the paintwork and ruin a job)

- more suited to smaller areas (takes a long term to do a large area)

- doesn’t remove residue or goo left on by Decal

- potential to cut yourself / have staff injured

4) Plastic blade (e.g. Wonder blade)

Pro’s:

- excellent for painted areas or stainless steel (as doesn’t scratch the surface)

- made of plastic so can not cut yourself

Con’s:

- doesn’t remove residue or goo left on by Decal

- more suited to smaller areas

5) Wonder Wheel

Pro’s:

- excellent for large areas or decals that are very old and baked on

- removes most of the residue and goo

- one stop solution

Con’s:

- need to ensure the tool is moved across the surface (holding the wheel in 1 spot for too long can mark the painted surface). Not suited to some natural surfaces (e.g. wood)

- requires a drill to be used with

Overall, there are lots of options depending on the job. The overall finding is that if there is a large job (e.g. remove decals from a bus or truck) then the Wonder Wheel is the best tool to use (plus it removes most of the residue at the same time). As a tip, if you need a natural product to remove the goo or adhesive, try Eucalyptus oil (it’s cheap and doesn’t contain the nasty chemicals some other the goo removers on the market contain)

Why is it, that such as popular and widely used product, that is sooo easy to apply, is so hard to remove??

You know what I’m talking about. Whenever there is a job to remove decals, vinyl lettering, car transfers or stickers, it’s always a hard task….. But there is help.

But first, the three main issues with removing decals is:

A) not scratching the surface

B) takes too much time and hence makes job that seem profitable when quoting, unprofitable when you finish the job

C) removing the goo / adhesive afterwards (and next post I’ll tell you about a product that you can buy at most supermarkets, that’s very cheap that removes goo and adhesive very easy.

So, to make removing decals easy and safe we recommend:

1) try and avoid using METAL razor bades (especially on any painted surface)

2) always test your method of removing decals in a small discrete area first (often re-sprays mean some chemicals aren’t appropriate and can ruin the paintwork)

3) always add an extra 25% to your quote when removing large areas of decals or vinyls. Decals that have been baked in the sun for years can take longer and add time to the job. (Keep in mind that reflective decals are use much thicker material and hence also take longer to remove)

4) Always, always make sure you clean the surface after the decal and make sure it has dried properly.

So next week I’ll talk about the different ways to remove vinyl and decals and the pro’s, con’s and other things to look out for

www.decalstickerremover.com