You know how it goes. It’s time to put your new registration or inspection sticker in place, so you pull off the old one, only to have a good portion of it remain in place. Even if you do get most of it off, a sticky residue will remain to collect dirt, and make your windshield look awful. Unless you’re lazy, don’t care about appearance, or you want your new sticker to roll up at the corners, and peel off right away, you’ll want to clean the glass, and remove every last bit before applying the new one.
Most of us will begin scrubbing with a pad, picking with our fingers, or spraying blindly with blue liquid and other useless cleaners. These methods may eventually work, but the amount of effort required will verge on ridiculous. If you would prefer to save the sweat for the gym, and completely remove any sticker from your windshield easily, then continue reading for our simple, 5 step process. Just for giggles, we’ll also include some of the commonly passed around techniques for this job for anyone that needs a laugh, or wants to struggle with removal.
You only need two things to complete this job. You may have one or the other already, but they are both powerful and versatile, so if you get them for just this job, they’ll pay for themselves in the convenience they offer. Once finished, you’ll be able to continue using them for hundreds of other tasks and they will be amazing at those jobs too.
You can get it here. Quick N Brite Cleaner is available in multiple sizes, and in two different versions. You only need a very small amount to create the diluted spray used for this job. You could literally find the change necessary to cover the cost of the spray you will create by looking under your seats.
Using the liquid will be easiest, but you can also melt the paste. Take about three tablespoons, and mix it into one quart of hot water to create an all-purpose cleaner. This spray will be awesome for stains on clothes, greasy counters in your kitchen, cleaning the dashboard in your car, and much more, but it’s also the perfect substance for melting away that registration sticker so it slides right off the glass.
Find them here. You’ll also need a high quality microfiber cloth to complete the job. You may have one already, but keep in mind, quality does matter with these. If you don’t already have one, or if you want a better one, we have a wide selection available.
The one we used in the demonstration that follows, is our multipurpose cloth. After the Quick N Brite does it’s job, it makes the perfect tool to wipe the windshield clean and leave no spots, dirt or lint behind. After this job is complete, continue to use it for windows, mirrors, walls, counters, stainless steel appliances and more. It can clean all sorts of stuff with only water as a detergent.
Before you get started, you’ll want to gather your supplies. If you had old residue on there that’s been baked in by the sun, you may want to use the paste version of Quick n Brite. For most people just cleaning the single layer of gooey sticker left by one that’s been on there for a year or two, the liquid mixture mentioned above will work just fine.
Paste is also a great option if you’re concerned about dripping, but you could also just lay your rag down when you spray on the liquid. Quick n Brite is the key to this technique, so if you’re just gonna try what you already have, you may as well continue searching the internet, and attempt method after method using vinegar and other stuff you do have at home.
For those of you not messing around, and those that just want guaranteed results, our technique that follows will have your new sticker on the window in a matter of minutes. Once you have your cleaner, and dry cloth ready, you’re all set to proceed to step one.
The first step is to peel off your old sticker. Don’t work too hard, but do try to take off as much as possible. Once your windshield looks like the one in the picture above, you will be ready to move on to step number two.
This same method will work for inspection stickers, bumper stickers, decals, and any other window sticker you have on your car. The four steps that follow will take your back window or windshield from sticky mess to sparkling clean in less than ten minutes, and with absolutely no scrubbing, or risk of damage.
Once most of the paper has been peeled away, you’ll be left with the outside frame, or some portion left stuck in place. Sometimes it’s just that annoying white layer, and sometimes it’s almost invisible, but still incredibly sticky. If you neglect to take these last parts of sticker off, dirt and dust would stick like glue, and your new sticker would have trouble staying in place.
To begin the removal process, just take your spray bottle, and coat liberally with a heavy solution of liquid concentrate. To prevent moisture from getting into vents and other areas that might be underneath, just spread out your cloth first, and it will absorb anything that falls.
If you’re applying the paste instead, use a damp cloth, or your finger to scoop some up, and then wipe it all over where the residue is. Once you finish, it should look something like the picture above. As soon as you have this done, proceed to the next step.
After applying the cleaner, you need to let it sit. Just let it soak in for a few minutes. If you don’t let it sit, then it will not have time to work, and the sticky stuff will still be tough to get off, just like when you use other cleaning products.
If you do let it sit for 1-5 minutes, the cleaner will begin to break apart the goo, and it will then lift it up, slightly off the surface. At this point, if you take your finger, and just press against it, it will begin to slide around.
If the windshield surface and sticker remnants are not quite slippery enough, allow it to sit for longer, or apply a bit more cleaner. Once you do achieve the slippery surface, it’s time to move on, and get that decal off.
Once the cleaner has time to work, the surface will no longer feel sticky. It will feel slippery as you touch it, and the stuff that used to be glued in place, will be totally movable in most places.
Proceed to use your finger to pull off the larger chunks, and continue until the surface is mostly clean. This should only take you a few seconds, and you don’t really have to worry about being thorough. Just get most of it off to prepare for wiping with your cloth.
Now that you have it mostly clean, use your microfiber cloth to wipe down your windshield, and completely remove every last spec of registration sticker. A single, back and forth swipe is usually sufficient to complete this last step, and after you do, the glass should be completely free of grime, and totally streak free and polished. Once dry, it will look like the picture above, and you will be all set to proceed with putting the new registration sticker in place.
Now that your windshield is sparkling, and there’s not one sign of anything sticky, you can apply your new registration sticker, without any worry that it will peel up, or fall off prematurely. The cleaner used is totally safe and non-toxic, so you don’t run any risk of damage.
It will not discolor any material or harm the glass in any way. It does not employ harsh chemicals to burn and fry the sticker, instead, it utilizes natural ingredients to gently and effectively break down the grime and then float it off the surface. Allowing it time to work eliminates the need for scrubbing, or straining due to inadequate products.
Now, just for fun, lets review some of the ridiculous recommendations you can find if you continue searching the internet. It’s at least good for a nice laugh, but it will also give you some ideas of what other people are using to attempt this job. We would obviously recommend that you avoid the razor blades and baby oil listed below, but hey, some people like a challenge.
Whether plastic or metal, this tool is mentioned as a good one for picking away at the glued on sticker. It will allow you to get underneath, but you may be risking damage, and who the heck would want to work that hard anyway. The thin, flat edge will provide an adequate tool to scrape and peel the sticker, but it will be tough to remove any stubborn goo with a knife alone. As a tool to get started, or as an option to scrape at a small area, it can be a good choice.
These are better used for opening boxes, but lots of folks will tell you to use a plastic or metal one to get up as much sticker as possible. You could scratch away, and pick at sticky goo all afternoon, but that sounds silly in contrast to our method above. In many cases a razor blade will be better than a regular knife thanks to the fine edge it offers. If using one to scrape a sticker off, you’ll want to use care to prevent injury, and opting for one with some sort of handle may be the safest option. Again, it would probably be difficult to finish the whole job with only a razor blade, but for small areas, or getting started, it can be a good choice.
Used as another tool for peeling stuff away, it would honestly be faster if you just pulled it out to place your order for some Quick N Brite. Instead of picking away for the next three days, you could just wait for your package to arrive, and then finish the job in as little as five minutes. When you do use a plastic edge to scrape and peel, it will produce results, but it will be tough to be thorough. The blunt edge provided by the card will be more safe than a knife, but it will also be less able to get under and lift up the pieces of sticky paper.
A commonly recommended supply, this stuff is tough to use properly for this job. If we lived in zero gravity, it would work way better, but in order to dissolve the goo as intended, you really have to saturate the material, and intense picking or scrubbing will still be necessary. Because gravity exists, it can be tough to soak the paper properly while it’s still glued to your windshield. You’ll have to apply several layers using a cloth in order to achieve the right moisture level, and begin to dissolve the goo. Rubbing alcohol does work to loosen and remove the sticky stuff, but it is better used in other places.
Similar to the rubbing alcohol, this stuff is widely mentioned, but if you don’t apply and let it sit, then re-apply, then let it sit, and then re-apply again, and again, and again, it’s not going to work. It’s nice because most people already have it, but without a good amount of effort, it will be tough to completely clean the surface. You’ll never run any risk of damage when you remove a sticker with vinegar, and you can be sure that the safe and natural cleaner will do a good job with enough effort. The problem will be similar to the rubbing alcohol in that it has to thoroughly soak the paper to do a good job, and that will be tough to do on the underside of your windshield.
Intended as a tool to loosen the really stuck stuff, this and other oils are recommended as a way to loosen stubborn goo after you have picked for a while. It can help some, but it’s certainly not fool-proof. Also, there will be a greasy residue left behind if it does work. When you saturate the stuck-on paper with baby oil it can loosen the bond with the glass, and also help to slide the sticker off the surface. You’ll want to be careful when applying it because it will make a mess on other surfaces, but if used correctly, it can help you get the job done. You will have to eliminate the oily residue afterward, and it will still take quite a bit of time and effort to pick it all off.
Not sure why anyone would try regular soap and water. If that worked, none of you would be reading this page. Skip this one unless you are a glutton for punishment. With enough effort, you can, of course get the sticky stuff off using soap and water, but it will be the picking and peeling you do that actually gets it off. Regular soaps will not dissolve the sticky residue in an adequate way, so it may be just as difficult to get the registration sticker off. If you used oil to loosen the sticker, cleaning with soap and water will help you get the greasy layer cleaned.
Have some of this at home? We didn’t think so. Who does? IF you did have some, you could try it as a solvent to dissolve the residue. You’ll want to be careful when applying it, and you may have to clean up after it when finished, but it does seem to work when dissolving sticky residues. As with any other liquid option, it will be tough to apply this to your windshield without making a mess, and it will also be tough to saturate the sticker properly in order for it to work.
You may feel silly when you drag out a blow dryer and start styling your windshield, but it may actually work to complete the job. Simple, but surprisingly effective, a hot day, or running the defroster can actually soften the goo, and make it easier to pick off. You’ll still be picking, but heat we can all come up with, and it should ease the chore if you give it a try.
Yep. People actually recommend this, and even smarter people actually try it. Just like the baby oil, it should loosen the residue, but who wants to slather food all over their car just to take a sticker off. Why not just make a sandwich while you let the Quick N Brite sit and do the work for you? It is probably the oil in the peanut butter that causes the good results that some people report because it is working in a similar way that baby oil does. The paper will get softened and saturated, and the sticky goo will release it’s bond with the windshield. You may get the sticker off, but you will definitely have a mess to clean up afterward too.
Have your own tip or fool proof method for completing this job? We would love to hear about it, and it may help others too. Use the comments section below to add your method here, or use the submit a tip link above to send it directly.
These same tools will work with similar cleaning techniques to remove sticky stuff, old stickers, and yucky residues from almost any surface. For more information about how to do it, and clean more than just your windshield, click here.
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View Comments
The best and easiest method to remove stickers from windshields is to scrape most of the sticker off with a small hand-held razor scraper for glass, then apply nail polish remover (acetone) to a paper towel and gently rub the remaining glue residue. It comes off with ease.
You might want to first place a cloth or paper towel beneath the sticker to catch any part of the sticker that might drop during the scraping process.
Good tip Mitchell. Thanks for sharing.
This seems like a pretty easy project if you have the right product, like that Quick N Bright stuff you mentioned. I'm curious, though, how well it would work on some cheap window tint? I just bought a used car and the previous owners put on some really terrible self-adhesive window tint. It is actually blurry to look through, and I want to remove it and get it redone professionally. However, it's leaving a terrible sticky residue!
Yep. It should work well to remove the residue left behind. Just make sure to let it sit long enough to break it down, and it should wipe clean easily.
I just had to renew my vehicle registration and I need to put the new sticker on my car. I had so many stickers on each other that I decided to try and clean it before putting the new one on. I couldn't seem to remove it though, and I don't know how to clean it well. Thank you for the steps! I will have to buy the cleaner and let it soak for a while like you suggested! Thank you for the information!
No problem. It'll be easy to get the glass ready once you have the cleaner in hand. After you make your windshield shine, try it on other surfaces to remove different types of sticky goo also.