How To Remove Window Tint | Complete Guide
How to Remove Window Tint is a question among many vehicle owners today. Tinted windows are an astonishing thing. They protect you from harsh sunlight and enhance style & privacy. Nevertheless, nothing in this world is permanent, and the theory applies to window tint, as well. You will want to remove the tint after its lifespan, but you don’t know how to do it rightly. Don’t end with a sticky, huge mess; we are here to guide you with the whole window tint removal process.
Reasons to Remove Tint?
While many reasons are there for you to come across this “How to Remove Window Tint” question, we can highlight the three prime reasons here. Each of these reasons comes with unique challenges and difficulties to overcome.
Aesthetic Reasons
Once you loved tinted windows, but now you may hate them. The tint may be in pristine condition, but you don’t want it on the vehicle shutters now. Removing the tint can be more challenging in this case as it is in good condition and the adhesive is at its strongest.
Bubbling
One of the most common causes of window tint becoming utterly useless. Bubbling film looks horrible, and you can’t even fix it. On the other hand, you can’t “just remove” the bubbling tint; it can lead to an unattractive mess.
Discoloration
Even the world’s best window tint fails in terms of losing its original color. The color fades away means the tint’s ability to block UV rays also diminishes. A discolored tint is useless, and there’s no way to repair it. Replacement is the only solution.
How to Remove Window Tint?
Two effective DIY methods are the solution to this requirement. Those techniques are removing tint with Heat and Scraping.
The Heat Method:
Subjecting the tint to heat is an excellent method to loosen the whole tint, but you will have to scrape some parts of it. Using heat rightly minimizes the need for scraping to a greater extent. Below are the top three DIY heat methods for your question, “how to remove window tint?”
Heat Gun or Hairdryer:
- Using a hairdryer or heat gun is a convenient DIY way to remove the tint. However, you have to pick a corner to start the removal process.
- Hold the heat gun or hair dryer about two inches from the window tint until the glue melts to lift one edge with your fingernails or another tool.
- Angle the heat source in a way that the heated air hits where the tint film meets the window; you can slowly peel it off as the glue gets melted.
- Use a clean cloth, such as a towel, to rub away the strong adhesive.
- Once the glue is removed completely, wash the windows with cleaner.
Steam Cleaner:
Using a steam cleaner is perhaps the best way to remove window tint. Hold the steam flow at the window for several minutes, and the glue gets melted to a point where the tint easily comes off. A powerful steam gun can speed up the process to a greater extent.
If you were worrying about How to Remove Window Tint, then watch the below video.
Solar Peel:
A warm sunny day is another choice to remove the old tint. You need a spray bottle of soapy water, two black plastic garbage bags cut to the shape of your vehicle’s window, a spray bottle of ammonia, and a tarp.
- Spray soapy water on the outside of the window and cover with one bag (make sure it is flat.)
- Cover the interior surfaces with a tarp for protection.
- Spray ammonia on the inside of the vehicle’s window (make sure you wear a protective mask as ammonia fumes can lead to adverse side effects.) Cover the window with the other garbage bag before ammonia dries out.
- Let the window bake under direct sunlight for about 20 minutes and remove the bags.
- Find a corner of the loose film, and gently peel it off. You can use ammonia to keep it moist.
- You can use a non-metallic scraper to get rid of any remaining film or glue.
How to Remove Window Tint: Scraping Methods
You can scrape off the tint, but it is a risky method in terms of possible damages to the expensive vehicle window. Scratching the glass while using a sharp blade can cause permanent damage to the window. Anyway, scraping is also an effective solution to get rid of old and discolored window tints. Use a non-metallic scraper for plastic windows.
1) Peel & Soak: While this method may be the slowest, you can safely remove the window tint without causing damage to the window. Use a razor blade and carefully cut the edge of the tint. You can peel off the film now. You can use soapy water to wash away the glue.
2) Old Newspapers: Can you find answers to your question “How to Remove Window Tint” through newspapers? The process is as simple as A, B, C. Wet the window tint with hot soapy water and cover with newspapers. Let the window soak under direct sunlight for at least an hour. Spray more soapy water every 20 minutes. You can now remove the Tink without any hassle. If you feel that the glue is still hard, then soak the window for another 30 minutes.
Closing Thoughts:
How to remove window tint is not a concern anymore. The methods explained in this post are DIY techniques but highly effective. Make sure you don’t cause damage to the window, especially when you use metal blades for scraping off the tint.
You can leave the task to a professional if you are not confident about DIY window tint removal; it’s a matter of choice. Think and choose the tint color. Some vehicle owners get second thoughts on the color that they picked, leading to unnecessary window tint removal even when the film is in sound condition.