All blackout films for cars, sooner or later, must be replaced. In fact, over time, two very feared symptoms may appear, discoloration, from black to a purple hue, or the formation of annoying air bubbles. The change in tone is caused by the non-metallic dyes present in the film which deteriorate over time. Instead, the formation of air bubbles indicates that the adhesive used to attach the film to the glass is deteriorating. Since the first bubble appears, many more will follow, and if you try to remove them simply by pulling, you will only create a sticky mess that will take hours to fix. Read this article to learn how to remove the tinting film from car windows in the correct way.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Sun and ammonia
This technique requires a hot sunny day. If you live in an area where the weather is too cold to heat your car's windows, move on to one of the following techniques.
Step 1. Cut out two black garbage bags into the shape of the glass
Wet the outside of the car windows with soapy water and cover them with plastic sheets. Lay them out carefully so that they adhere perfectly.
Step 2. Protect with a waxed sheet all the internal surfaces of the car placed near the glass you are treating:
speakers, lights, fabric surfaces. Wear a protective mask and spray ammonia all over the surface of the film. The vapors of ammonia are harmful, and the body of each individual, when exposed to them, reacts differently.
Step 3. When the film is completely wetted with ammonia, cover it with other dark garbage bags
In this way, the heat of the sun will be absorbed by the black garbage bags and together with the ammonia will melt the adhesive of the film, which can then be removed easily.
Step 4. Remove the film
Use your fingernails or a razor blade and start peeling off the film from one corner, trying to remove it in one piece. Be careful not to interrupt the heating elements of the rear window. In the meantime, continue to wet the film with ammonia and use the razor blade to remove all the film residues that do not come off.
Step 5. Remove any glue residues by rubbing with very fine steel wool soaked in ammonia
At the end, clean the entire treated surface with absorbent paper, before it dries. Now take out the external garbage bags and thoroughly clean the windows with a suitable cleaner.
Method 2 of 5: Steam
This is perhaps the easiest and fastest way to remove the film from glass.
Step 1. Buy a steam cleaner, you can find it on the market at a price between 20 and 30 euros and it will save you a lot of time
Step 2. Fill it with water, turn it on and start treating the entire surface of the film
Step 3. After a while, the film glue will soften and you can remove it as if it were cellophane
Step 4. After removing the film, remove any adhesive residue using a suitable product
Method 3 of 5: Soap and newspaper
Step 1. Wet the glass to be treated using a sponge and soapy water, then cover the entire surface with newspaper
Leave it on for about an hour and keep the paper moist, continuing to wet it every 20 minutes.
Step 2. With a razor blade, or a sharp spatula, peel the blackout film off the glass
If you have any difficulties, reapply soap and water and wait half an hour before trying to remove the film again.
Step 3. This method is very simple and effective, simply by passing the razor blade over the film, in fact, you will be able to remove it in a few minutes without effort
Method 4 of 5: Use heat
If it's not a sunny day, or if it's not hot enough, and if you don't want to use dangerous tools, such as razor blades and ammonia, use a simple steam cleaner and soften the film for easy removal. Alternatively, use a hair dryer, but be careful, as it will produce a lot more heat than steam.
Step 1. Start heating an area a few inches, near a corner of the film, until you are able to lift it using your fingernails
Step 2. Remove the film while continuing to heat it, before lifting it, to soften the glue
Try to remove it gently, without using too much force, to avoid breaking it or, worse, leaving the sticky layer on the glass.
Step 3. Remove glue residue using a towel
Try to dab the glue with the towel so it sticks to the fabric, avoiding rubbing. Use steam to help the glue stay soft.
Step 4. After removing the film, and the glue residues, clean the glass thoroughly using a suitable product
Method 5 of 5: Moisten and scrape
If you are unable to use other methods, or if you have a small area to treat, this system may be for you.
Step 1. Make a small incision in the film with a razor blade to create a pocket from which you will then begin to remove the film
Step 2. Start peeling off the film, you will not be able to remove it in one movement, most likely it will start to shatter into several pieces
Step 3. Spray the sticky side with soapy water
Step 4. Remove the adhesive layer using a razor blade
Make sure you remove it completely.
Step 5. Once done, clean the glass thoroughly with a glass cleaner
wikiHow Video: How To Remove Blackout Film From Car Windows
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Advice
- If you use a razor blade to remove the film from the windows, know that it will quickly lose its sharpness, so you will certainly need more than a pair to finish the job.
- Try using a heat lamp (with a power of about 500W). Keep it about 30cm away from the glass and make sure the film is wet with ammonia and covered with a plastic sheet. Heat it for about 30-45 minutes and try to remove the blackout film in one piece, preventing it from breaking. The glue residues on the glass can be removed using a non-carbon razor blade, wetting it with soap and water.
- When you want to remove the film near the heating elements of the rear window, use masking tape to lift it, rather than scraping it with a razor blade. Remove any glue residues using ammonia or a glass cleaner.
Warnings
- When cleaning the windows, do not get too close to the defroster heating elements, they are very delicate, if you were to remove them from the glass, they would stop working.
- In the event that you damage the heating elements of the rear window, or the radio antenna (in some cars it is printed on the rear window or windshield), you can rebuild them using paint that conducts electricity, this is a difficult process, but not impossible.
