Several years ago we put the window film on our windows to help block the sunlight. It gradually faded out and has gotten scratched in several places. Today we started trying to take it off using a razor blade scraper -- it's slow and not too effective. Do any of you have any suggestions about an easier and faster way. Is there anything we get to wash it with? It feels sticky? Thanks.
You might try a hair dryer and soften it a little and see if you can very carefully peel it up that way.
Why does this sound like the same Dottie that had so much trouble with a weed whacker...
Heat the window film with a hair dryer like the first respondent advised and carefully scrape with the razor blade scraper...
Of course the windows are going to be sticky, how do you think the film stayed on ? Love ?
Use rubbing alcohol and some old cloths you are ready to throw away to clean off the adhesive residue...
~~ Evan
I am doing this as we speak. The first window I just scraped with a razor blade, major pain. I bought some stuff at Advance Auto Parts in a blue spray bottle that you spray on, cover the window with a black plastic bag and let it cook for a day (I sprayed it again a few times). It is not a magic solution but it did seem to make the film easier to scrape off. I am trying the back window next. That one is tougher since it has a defroster on it and I don't want to scrape that off. My plan is to spray and cover, scrape away everything that is away from the defroster traces, spray and cover again and see if the rest comes off without too much scraping.
I will never buy a car with window film again.
Peel it first...get under a corner and work it up until you can grip and pull it off. For the glue residue, lacquer thinner removes it easily. So do various citrus based cleaners and they don't evaporate as rapidly. Won't go *BOOM* either.
If for some reason you can't peel it, wet with water with some ammonia and let sit a while. The hair dryer thing should work too.
The window film I have on my car is actually a sandwich of 2 layers. Peeling only gets the top layer. The layer against the glass doesn't seem to have the structural strength to peel..
The rubbing alcohol worked better than Goof Off! We took a razor blade and alcohol and got it off....but it was a very thin layer. I think it had sort of deteriorated with the hot sun. Someone else told me that she hired some people to re-do hers -- and they used steel wool to take off the old stuff. Said it didn't hurt the glass at all ... when I start on the other window I may try that. Thanks for the help.
Thanks for letting us know how it turned out. Rarely happens. BTW: Steel wool comes in several different grits so to say "steel wool" will not hurt glass is questionable.
What are you using to block sunlight now?
That's what I thought. Always thought that was a no-no. So I looked and found this.
--Vic
I wasn't able to pull up. Crappy modem/router/dsl combo thing going over here. Need a new wireless router/modem.
I suspect any sw is going to produce scratches. You may not be able to see them. I clean my aquariums with a razor blade type scraper that works really well. Looks like this one
**
This is the one I use:
Did you know they have plastic razor blades? First I knew of them.
--Vic
I might have tried that awhile back but my scraper works really well.
Now I need a modem/router. Considerably more expensive. :(
right next to the display where the window film is, is a spray bottle of the adhesive remover. it works better than most all other things.
Use a spray bottle with ammonia in it and make sure you change the razor blade often. If you ever have to remove film again spray the glass with ammonia and place a black plastic trash bag on the glass while the sun is shining on the glass. IOW when the glass is hot. Leave the trash bag on for about 5 minutes and then the film will peel off. At least the top layer will. Then you can remove the rest with single edge razors (in a scarper) while spraying it with ammonia.
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