How to remove tape from glass, upholstery or car body

Author: Evgeny Zhivoglyadov. Date of publication: January 24, 2022. Category: Automotive equipment.

Almost every car owner uses various gadgets to ensure a more comfortable ride. These can be DVRs, speakerphones, navigators and much more. Some of them involve mounting on the windshield using double-sided tape.

Repairing and painting individual parts of the body also require the use of tape (usually masking tape) to protect other body parts and not stain them. Regardless of what you need to use adhesive-based tape for, sooner or later a problem arises in order to remove it. In this case, it all depends on the type of glue that was applied to the glass, paintwork or plastic, as well as on the duration of its stay on the surface.

Types of scotch tape

Today, several types of adhesive tapes are used in everyday life:

• Masking tape. Since it is a paper-based tape, it is the easiest to remove. We wet the remaining glue with hot tap water and wait until it soaks it. If the adhesive base is already old, you can soak it in oil (vegetable oil will do) or drying oil. After this, simply wipe the surface with a soft cloth.
• Aluminum-based adhesive tape (mounting or stationery). Such adhesive tapes are made on the basis of aluminum foil. It won't let water or oil through, so you don't even have to try. The simplest way in this case is to pry the corner of the tape with something sharp and try to carefully separate the strip of tape. If it has been on the surface for a long time, then you will have to resort to more aggressive measures (more on them below).
• Mounting tape with rubber adhesive. As a rule, rubber comes off quite easily from glass and plastic surfaces. But, if the adhesive tape has been in place for a long time, or after removing it there are still traces of glue, then it is enough to wipe the problem areas with a regular eraser. Next, the surface is treated with a mixture of turpentine and solvent. Or you can use a degreaser (any dishwashing detergent will do).

Healthy! The hardest part is getting rid of double-sided tape. It contains a rubberized compound between two layers of glue.

The tape can also be made with acrylic glue. In this case, just as in the situation with an old tape, heavy artillery will do.

ALCOHOL

The most effective and safe methods have been used. Alcohol is one of these; you can also include cologne here (some cheap one, but with 70-80% alcohol content). The most important thing is to take ethyl, not methyl or isopropyl (you will inhale it, and even get poisoned). And I probably would personally scrub it with it. Because (pros):

• Evaporates quickly
• Leaves no odors (virtually)
• Very effective, that is, it will definitely remove the glue

BUT now it is difficult to find it in a pharmacy, only with a prescription, and even if they sell it, it will be 70% (the effectiveness is not so high). BUT there is one remedy that works well, is not expensive, and almost every owner has it

Specialized means

If we are talking about the surface of the body, then picking up the tape with a knife or blade is dangerous; you can easily scratch the paintwork. In this case, the easiest way is to use the products offered by auto chemical manufacturers. For example,:

• Laurel. The domestic company offers a lot of options for cleaning products. For example, a body cleaner in the form of a spray will cost 300 rubles. Moreover, the composition is suitable for removing tape, bitumen, insects and much more. The product should be applied to the surface for 3-5 minutes and rinsed with water.
• LIQUI MOLY Aufkleberentferner. This is a specialized sticker remover from a reputable manufacturer. True, such a composition is also not cheap - about 700 rubles for a 0.4 liter can. For this money, the car owner receives a gel composition that is suitable for any surface. It is completely neutral towards plastic, does not contain abrasive particles and is highly effective. It is also applied for a few minutes and wiped off with a soft cloth.

If problems with adhesive tape constantly arise not only in the car, but also at home, then you can purchase an industrial product for quickly removing glue:

• Prosept Duty Scotch. The product can be bought in the form of a spray (400 ml costs about 400 rubles) or immediately as a concentrate for 2 liters (costs about 2,000 rubles). The spray is of course more convenient. The composition itself is suitable for almost any hard surface. It can be used to remove glue from glass, tiles, and ceramics. For short-term cleaning, it can be applied to wood and painted surfaces. But it is detrimental to rubber.
• Kiehl Tablefit. This is a 750 ml spray that costs about 900 rubles (if you wish, you can also purchase a 5-liter canister). It is suitable for removing adhesive for all surfaces that are not solvent sensitive.
• Formula X-5. This is a universal cleaner, a can of which costs about 300 rubles. The composition is neutral in relation to paintwork and rubber, so it can be safely used to clean any surfaces. It also perfectly removes old dirt and soot.

If you can’t afford specialized products, then it’s worth seeing if you have a can of WD-40 lying around at home. This composition is known to many car enthusiasts.

Removing tinting residue from car windows

It may be necessary to remove residual glue and tint film in cases where it is necessary to obtain light-colored windows or to tint the car again. But often the remnants of tinting are firmly glued to the glass, and it is extremely undesirable to use white spirit or solvent, since the product will flow inside the door trims and can corrode the plastic and paint. To clean glass surfaces, we prepare tools and materials:

• pliers;
• stationery knife with a wide blade (approximately 20 mm);
• spray;
• soap solution.

Let's get started and do the following:

• break off part of the knife blade, wrap the blunt end with tape;
• spray the soap solution onto the glass using a spray bottle;
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• We clamp the blade with pliers (from the tape side);

• holding the pliers at an angle of 30 degrees relative to the car glass, scrape off the layer of old film and glue;

• with a good blade, the glass will not be scratched, but it is important that the working part of the knife is not jagged;
• the force has to be applied quite strongly, and when removing the film a noticeable crack is heard, but it is not the glass that is cracking, it should not burst (of course, you should not be too zealous).

This method removes tint quite quickly and effectively, although you should not forget about accuracy here. And it’s also a good idea to use not pliers and a piece of a stationery knife, but a special scraper designed for body repair.

WD-40

This universal composition constantly helps car owners in difficult situations. It is used as an anti-corrosion agent and also as a cleaner. WD-40 is based on white spirit, with the addition of mineral oils, carbon dioxide and additional inert components. A can of the product costs no more than 200 rubles.

To effectively remove remaining tape from a windshield or any other glass, we perform simple manipulations:

• We remove (as much as possible) the remaining tape with a soft spatula.
• We soak the surface with WD-40, wait until it saturates the adhesive tape and go over it again with a spatula.
• Apply the composition again and wait 3-5 minutes.
• Armed with a clean rag or a special rag for the body, we wipe off the remaining glue. You only need to move in one direction.

“Vedashka” perfectly corrodes glue, but does not cause damage. There are no scratches left on the glass, and residues of the composition can be easily removed with a clean soft cloth.

Important! Since WD-40 is a solvent, it cannot be applied to car paintwork. In addition, it is not recommended for use on tinted or painted glass.

We talked about simple manipulations with water and the use of specialized solutions. But sometimes you can save money and resort to traditional methods.

Gasoline, solvent

Both are strong solvents. Yes, they will remove the tape, I’m 100% sure, and if you have it on the glass in your apartment, this is a completely workable option. Just wet the cloth and remove the glue.

Negative sides:

• The smell, then you’ll be tormented to dissipate. Especially if you do all this in the car.
• If it gets on plastic or bodywork it may damage the paint.
• Well, it ignites quickly, both one and the other.

Other methods for removing tape marks

The cheapest way is to use what you have at home. For example:

• Alcohol. Today it is difficult to buy it in a pharmacy, but vodka or perfume will do. For processing you need cotton pads and, for example, the cheapest cologne. We wet the disc with an alcohol-containing composition and wipe the surface. If the glue has become ingrained, you need to rub it longer.
• Ammonia or ammonia solution. This is the optimal product for glass, since after treatment they will also shine. To quickly get rid of tape and pieces of glue, soak a clean, soft cloth in the solution and carefully wipe the surface in a circular motion. When finished, rinse the glass with water and wipe dry.

• Household glass cleaner. In this case, we arm ourselves with “Mr. Muscle”, Cif or any other product purchased at the supermarket. Apply it and wipe with a clean cloth in a circular motion.
• Hot soapy solution. To do this, dissolve grated soap in hot water. Quickly moisten a rag with the resulting mixture (until the solution has cooled) and place it on the sticky tape (along with the rag). We wait 5 minutes. Remove the residue with a clean, dry cloth.
• Another tape. To do this, glue a new tape to the remaining glue and iron it thoroughly. It is better to leave the tip unfixed. Immediately after this, with a sharp movement we tear off the new tape. Most of the glue residue will remain on it.
• Hairdryer. An ordinary household device for drying hair is sufficient. Heat up the hair dryer and direct a stream of hot air directly to the remaining glue. We wait 10 minutes. The glue will melt and can be easily removed with a soft spatula or removed with a rag. This option is great for double-sided tape.
• Steam cleaner. Just like with a hairdryer, you need to work with this device carefully so as not to accidentally melt the plastic elements. We turn on the steam cleaner at a distance of about 30 cm from the surface and gradually approach it. After 5 minutes, the remaining glue should soften.

• Essential oil. It removes dirt from paintwork and glass well. Simply wipe the surface with this product and rinse with water.

Some also use gasoline and acetone. The latter remedy can be more classified as one that is not recommended for use.

Chemical methods

Chemicals make dried adhesive tape soft. It is convenient to remove the sticky mass with a scraper for glass ceramics, a rubber or plastic spatula. These tools can be used to remove adhesive tape, tape and sticky marks from them. To bring the glass surface to perfect condition, you need a dry cotton rag. After rough cleaning of glue, the glass is rubbed until it shines.

Acetone

You can wipe off any remaining glue with acetone. But you need to take into account that if the solvent is applied incorrectly, streaks may appear on the glass. To prevent this from happening, rub only the area of ​​contamination with a cloth soaked in acetone.

Window Cleaner

To clean car windows and mirrors from sticky marks, use products containing ammonia. They are applied liberally to the surface contaminated with glue, wait a few minutes, and remove the remaining tape with a sponge. If necessary, the procedure is carried out repeatedly.

Vinegar

Hands are protected with gloves. Soak a rag in table vinegar and treat the sticky strips left after removing the tape. Wait a couple of minutes and try to remove it with a damp cloth. Repeat the procedure until the glass surface becomes perfectly smooth and shiny.

White Spirit

After wiping the glass with a cotton pad soaked in white spirit, it is easy to wipe off the glue, because the solvent degreases the surface.

Essential oils

Apply a thin layer of essential oil to the sticky spot. After a couple of minutes, remove the softened glue with a paper towel or napkin.

What not to clean off tape

Acetone will be difficult to remove from glass. If you perform circular movements when treating the surface, it will smear. To restore transparency to the glass, you will have to wash it for a long time with water and degreasers.

Also, do not use baking soda on the car body or glass. In everyday life, this product is excellent for degreasing surfaces, washing dishes, countertops and much more. But, soda is an abrasive that is destructive both to the paintwork of the car and to the glass.

The same applies to sponges with abrasive surfaces, various metal scrapers and brushes. After this treatment, many microcracks will remain on the glass and body.

What not to do

To remove traces of adhesive tape from glass surfaces, it is not recommended to use abrasives. They leave tiny scratches on the surface. The hair dryer should be used carefully. If overheated, the glass may crack.

Acetone must be applied carefully; it erodes the glue over a large area. Baking soda leaves scratches on the glass. Do not work with chemicals with the windows closed.

When cleaning car windows from adhesive tape, you cannot use certain materials:

• solvent 646;
• abrasive sponge;
• sandpaper.