Stickers can be a delightful way to decorate your windows for the holidays and show off your personality. However, when it comes to removing said stickers from your windows… That’s another story entirely. All you need to do to put stickers on your windows is to slap them on there. But when attempting to remove them, people often find themselves faced with sticker residue that stubbornly stakes its claim on your window glass.
You don’t want to leave sticker residue on your windows. It brings down their aesthetic appeal and reduces visibility. But glass can be scratched, and you don’t want to remove sticker residue in a way that will end up damaging your windows.
Fortunately, there are a variety of steps you can take in order to remove sticker residue from your windows. Bear in mind that some of these may work for you and others may not. For some people, you may end up needing a combined approach of a variety of different tactics. When in doubt, it’s always best to consult with a window cleaning professional in order to ensure that your tactics are effective and won’t damage your windows.
So! Here are some of the techniques you can utilize to remove sticker residue from your windows. Remember to test any methods on another surface before taking them to your windows, in order to minimize the chance of damage. With a bit of elbow grease and some cleaning agents, you can enjoy crystal clear, spotless windows again.
#1. Remove Stickers Slowly
A common mistake that people make when they remove stickers from their windows or any other surface, really, is to try to rip them off. More often than not, this results in that dreaded sticker residue as parts of the sticker come off while other parts stay.
What you want to do is to go about it slowly in order to get a nice, clean peel and to reduce the risk of residue. If you feel the sticker start to come apart, you can try to peel it off from another side, to minimize residue as much as possible.
#2. Soak It In Hot Water
This is a very common method to remove sticker residue, but it can be a bit challenging to do successfully when it comes to your windows. You can’t very well take the glass panes out and soak them in hot water the way that you would a glass cup, after all. But you can soak a microfiber towel in hot water and then press it to the residue on your windows. Hold it in place for a few minutes.
Then, you should be able to remove most of the residue with much more ease. A plastic scraper can help you here if your fingernails don’t do the trick, but be very careful not to use it aggressively, as you don’t want to scrape the glass.
Some articles will tell you that you can use metal scrapers or razor blades to do this, but this is inadvisable. You would need to exercise extreme caution when using metal to remove sticker residue, as it could very easily end up scratching your windows.
#3. Rubbing Alcohol Or Nail Polish Remover
If you have a family member who enjoys painting their nails, you likely have nail polish removal lying around somewhere. If you don’t, rubbing alcohol works just the same.
For both rubbing alcohol and nail polish remover, you would want to apply it to a cotton ball or towel or the like, then press it to the sticker. Give it a few minutes to work its magic, and then you should be able to more easily remove sticker residue from your windows.
#4. Vinegar, Oil, Butter, Or Peanut Butter Can Work Too
The same as you would with rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover, you would apply a bit of these to the sticker and let it sit. To help the fats work better, you can cover the sticker with some plastic wrap and masking tape. Allow it to sit for half an hour or so, and then use a plastic scraper to remove sticker residue.
Since none of these typically go on your windows, you want to ensure that you clean the glass properly with a glass cleaner once you have removed the sticker residue.
These are but 4 of the ways you can remove sticker residue from your windows. It’s always good to err on the side of caution before attempting to do anything to your window glass, as you don’t want to accidentally damage them. And when in doubt, contact a window cleaning company if you’re worried about damaging your windows or you have truly stubborn sticker residue.
If you need help with window repair or window replacement, Peak Windows is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about our window services in Northern Utah.