How to remove stickers from your car windscreen

Although the days of displaying a tax disc in your windscreen are a thing of the past, there are other stickers that you might need to display.

From blue badges to parking permits and national trust memberships, there are a number of stickers that you might still need to put in your window/windscreen, or you might just choose to add a decorative sticker to the rear windows.

When the time comes to replace or remove these stickers, the adhesive residue can be tricky to get rid of which is why we’ve rounded up our top 5 tips to help you.

Please note that some of these suggest using a sharp razor blade to help remove particularly difficult stickers. You should be extremely careful when using any kind of blade and for the methods described should ensure it's clean and you use it at an angle, remaining steady and patient as you do so, to ensure you leave no scratches or marks.

Alternatively, you can use the clean edge of an old bank card or an ice scraper instead of a razor blade in any of the methods below.

1. Window cleaner

In first place, we have your classic window cleaner.

You can use some household window or glass cleaner spray to help remove the sticker.

Once you’ve let the liquid soak into the adhesive residue you can then use a cloth to rub at the spot with a firm pressure until it's all removed.

Alternatively, if the sticker's still fully attached, you can very carefully use a sharp razor blade to slowly peel it off the window.

2. WD-40

Many of us already have a can of WD-40 in the garage somewhere as it’s such a versatile product and can be used for a whole host of things, from loosening a screw to keeping your sewing machine’s wheels turning or greasing your bike chain, and it can even be used to clean.

Although it’s typically used as a lubricant, it's also a degreaser and water disperser and therefore a useful tool when dealing with a stubborn sticker.

You’ll first need to remove as much of the sticker as possible and then spray the WD-40 onto the area. Give it a couple of minutes to soak into the sticky residue and then use a damp cloth to wipe it away.

To do this we recommend using either a few ice cubes, in a bag to avoid the melting ice making a mess in your vehicle, or an ice pack and holding it against the sticker.

After a few minutes the adhesive should be frozen and using a razor blade or the edge of a clean card you should be able to peel the edge of the sticker off enough to get a grip on it and then remove it completely.

With any of these methods, we recommend wearing appropriate hand and eyewear to protect yourself. Work in a well-ventilated area, with the vehicle windows open to ensure you don't suffer from any side effects.

You might need to repeat this a couple of times on particularly sticky areas.

3. Adhesive remover

As the name implies, an adhesive remover is a product specifically designed to remove adhesive residue. We've put it in third place, because it's likely you won't already have this at home like some of the other products and would need to make a special purchase.

There are a lot of different removers available on the market; Goo Gone, De.Solv.It and Auto Glym are the 3 biggest brands with the widest range of products.

With these you simply follow the directions on the bottle which normally involves spraying the remover onto the sticker, waiting for a few minutes and then peeling the sticker off. You should be able to do this without any tools.

4. Rubbing alcohol

Rubbing alcohol, also knowns as isopropyl, can also be used to remove a sticker from your windows.

You’ll just need to apply the rubbing alcohol and leave it to dry and then once this is done you should be able to peel the sticker away. Use a razor blade or edge of a clean bank card to ensure it’s all removed.

5. Ice

Another way to remove a sticker from your window is to freeze the adhesive, which will make it lose its grip and become easy to peel away.

To do this we recommend using either a few ice cubes, in a bag to avoid the melting ice making a mess in your vehicle, or an ice pack and holding it against the sticker for a few minutes.