The 5 Best Ways To Remove The Inspection Sticker From Windshield

Removing inspection stickers from car is not as easy as you think. They are glued there to stay permanently until they expire.

When you want to remove inspection stickers, you will need to be smart because even using herculean effort won’t help.

Use the 5 best ways to remove car inspection stickers safely and easily.

Is It Illegal To Remove The Inspection Sticker?

Yes, you can remove it if your inspection sticker was expired. But if it is missing or has a wrong position, you should remove it without damage and reuse it.

How To Remove The Inspection Sticker From Windshield To Reuse

Tip 1. Use a Razor and Goo Gone

This is the best way to remove inspection sticker without damage.

What You’ll Need

• Clean new razor blade. Please don’t use a rusted blade since it may scratch your screen.
• A microfiber cloth
• Goo Gone adhesive remover.

Read more: Is Goo Gone Safe On Car Paint?

Process

Step 1. Spray Goo Gone on the piece of microfiber cloth.

Step 2. Wipe down the area around the sticker. This helps get rid of any sand and particles that could scratch the glass while you’re removing the sticker.

Step 3. Now spray the Goo Gone on the sticker and the area around it. This helps the razor blade glide over the glass more easily without scratching it.  

Step 4. Starting from the outside edge of the sticker, use a clean razor to peel off the sticker with a free hand. Ensure you’re going slow and being in control of the razor blade. Avoid holding the razor at an angle perpendicular to the glass or straight against the glass. Instead, keep it at a 45-degree angle. Continue peeling the sticker while cleaning the razor, and spray more Goo Gone on the area when it gets dry.

Step 5. After getting off the initial layer of the sticker, you now have to deal with the adhesive residue that’s left. Spray again the Goo Gone adhesive cleaner on the residue and allow it to soak for about 1-3 minutes. The longer you leave Goo Gone adhesive cleaner on the residue, the better it breaks it down.

Step 6. Use the razor again to peel off the residue and then wipe it off with the fiber cloth. 

After all the sticker and the residue has been removed from the glass, use hot, soapy water to wash the surface. 

You can buy Goo Gone sticker remover, new razor and microfiber cloth below:

Tip 2. Use Isopropyl Alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol is an effective sticker remover on cars that leaves no residue or other stuff like grease. When you’re worried about damaging your paint with razors, fingernails, or sanding, isopropyl alcohol comes to your rescue. It doesn’t need any of the sharp tools to remove the sticker. Following these simple steps will help you remove stickers from the car windshield with ease. 

What You’ll Need

• Microfiber wash cloth
• Isopropyl alcohol

Process

Step 1. Start with washing the area to remove dirt and any particles that could damage the glass while working. 

Step 2. Soak the microfiber wash cloth and soak it with isopropyl alcohol.

Step 3. Put the soaked microfiber wash cloth over the sticker and allow it to stay there for at least 5 minutes. 

Step 4. After the five minutes have elapsed, remove the wash cloth from the area. The sticker and glue should dissolve on their own. If there’s still residue left, you can repeat the process from step one to get more desirable results.

Buy Isopropyl Alcohol and microfiber towel below:

Tip 3. Use WD-40

If you want to remove inspection sticker glue from the windshield, then WD-40 is the best choice.

Either way, WD-40 has been proven to be an effective and safe method to remove stickers on your car’s windshield. It only takes 1-5 minutes of your time, and then you will have a clean and glue-free windshield glass surface. 

When using this method, remove as many stickers as possible using your fingernails or a clean razor. 

Process

Step 1. Spray the sticker and the area around it with the W-40, and allow it to soak in the remaining glue residue for at least three minutes. 

Step 2. Use a microfiber piece of cloth and gently rub the area in circular motions until the residue disappears completely. 

WD-40 has proven to be an excellent product for such tasks over a long time. 

Buy WD-40 below:

Tip 4. Use Ice

Using Ice and a soft cloth is the easiest way to remove inspection sticker. Cold works perfectly when it comes to weakening the glue on a glass surface. Here is how you can remove stickers from your car by using ice cubes and a soft cloth.

Process

Step 1. Add ice cubes in a plastic bag and rub them over the decal for some minutes. Take a clean and sharp razor blade to peel off the sticker from the windshield. 

Step 2. Use the soft cloth and soapy water, wash the area to remove any sticky residue that may have been left behind.

Tip 5. Use White Vinegar

White vinegar is another affordable and environmentally friendly option to remove an inspection sticker without ripping it. The advantage is that it’s readily available in most of our homes and you will not have problems finding it.

Process

Step 1. You will need a paper towel, white vinegar, and an old credit card or scraper that can gently remove the sticker. 

Step 2. Apply vinegar on the paper towel to soak, and then drench the entire sticker with it. Leave the paper towel for a few minutes, say at least five minutes. This will allow the white vinegar to work on the glue and adhesive stickers. 

Step 3. After five minutes, use the old credit card, razor, or any other scraper that can gently peel off the sticker and the residue.

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Conclusion

Inspection stickers often expire, placed on the wrong side of the windshield, or even in positions that block your side mirror view. Sometimes, you will also need the stickers to reuse them in case you’re changing your windshield. However, inspection stickers don’t come off quickly.

However much energy you can apply, you will always have sticker residue on your windshield. This is so annoying if you don’t know how to remove them. Fortunately, you can use any of the above methods to remove inspection stickers from your car. All these methods take between 5-10 minutes, and you will have a clean, sparkling windshield surface.