Will Bumper Stickers Ruin Your Car’s Paint?
Bumper stickers are all the rage these days. Whether it’s to show off your political viewpoints, your family tree, or just to celebrate some of the things you love, bumper stickers are on a large percentage of vehicles. But, as fun and quirky as they may be, bumper stickers can be extremely damaging to your car’s paint if you don’t apply and remove them correctly.
In order for bumper stickers to withstand weather conditions, car washes, and just general aging, they have to have a pretty strong adhesive, but over the years, bumper stickers have become far less damaging to your paint. Either way, it’s far less risky to put bumper stickers on your glass windshield or windows rather than the paint itself.
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Any stickers that you put on your car should be marketed specifically as bumper or window stickers. Do not use normal, paper stickers on your car.
The method you use to remove the bumper stickers determines a lot of the damage, as well. If you’re not careful, and you rip the bumper sticker off too quickly, you may take some of the paint with it. There are several methods, including warming the sticker with a hair dryer and peeling it up slowly. You can also use products like glass cleaner (only if you’re removing the sticker from a glass window) or credit cards to lift the sticker.
No matter which method you use to remove the stickers, take your time. Avoid removing your bumper stickers with any sharp objects, like razors or blades. These create significant risk to both you and your vehicle’s paint.
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Sources: Cars.com
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