How To Remove Car Window Tinting: Step By Step Guide

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You may like to remove car window tinting if it has started to tear off or it has faded.

Window tint on cars is usually applied for privacy and protection and after some years it changes color or just wears out and requires removal.

It is useless to remove car window tinting without following any set rules as it does not get off so easily and you might end up with a sticky mess.

But there are certain sure shot ways on ‘How to remove tint from car windows’:

Use of Black trash bag for Removing Tinting from car windows

Remove Car Window Tinting

Image Credit: YourMechanic

The rear window of the car carries tiny and delicate defrost lines just below the tinting. These lines can be easily damaged if you use improper technique of removing tint from car window. Here is a proper procedure for removing window tinting :

Things needed: Razor blade, spray water bottle, a thick trash bag and a Squeegee

a. Take the trash bag, preferably black, and cut it open to form a large sheet that is larger than the window from which the tinting has to be removed.

b. Spray some water on the exterior of the window and place the trash bag over it. Smoothen up the bag with hands making sure that there are no wrinkles. Make the plastic trash bag the exact size of the window by trimming the edges.

c. Next, peel off the plastic from the window. Now you have to spray water on the interior part of the window. Now again place the plastic trash bag over this side. Smoothen it up like you did previously.

Remove Car Window Tinting

Image Credit: instructables

d. Now it is time to leave the car with the heat turned on to maximum setting. Try to park your car under direct sunlight for even better results. Turn on the rear defroster of the car and leave the bag stuck on to the window for about an hour.

e. After an hour, take the razor blade and start peeling off the tint from a corner. This should be done slowly and carefully.

f. Use long and firm motions to pull off the tint and the plastic bag.

g. Once done, clean the window with a dry soft cloth.

Use of Heat Gun to remove car window tinting

Remove Car Window Tinting

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Heat Gun is a common tool for removing tint from car window.

Things needed: Heat Gun, Scrub Pad, Liquid adhesive remover

a. On the outside of the window, use the heat gun to warm the surface. The heat gun should not be used on the inside of the window since there is a danger of melting the tint to the window. Place the heat gun about 4-6 inches away from the window and apply heat until the surface is warm to touch.

b. Starting at one corner, peel the tint from the inside of the window. Be careful to peel off the entire tint in one piece as breaking it up would mean more hard work later on in removing many broken pieces. To keep the adhesive pliable, reheat the outside once again.

c. You can use razor for this purpose also. It is important to place the razor at an angle so that the window is not scratched.

d. After the whole tint comes off, apply the liquid adhesive remover on the window and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. Then scrub it gently with a scrub pad.

e. If need be, reapply the remover and scrub once again until all traces of adhesive are wiped away.

f. Clean the window finally with window cleaner or paper towel for that sparkling, clear window.

Also Read: 25 Car Cleaning Hacks to keep your Car Spotless

Use of Hair Dryer to remove car window tinting

How To Remove Car Window Tinting

Image Credit: YourMechanic

Another cheap and easy way for removing tinting from car windows is to use the hair dryer. For this you will need a good quality hair dryer, adhesive remover, cloth, razor blade and spray bottle.

a. Take the hair dryer and get into the car facing the window from which the tint has to be taken off. Turn the dryer on and put it to maximum setting. Fire the heat at one corner of the window from a distance of about 2 inches so that the tint loosens up.

b. Next, slowly peel off a corner of the tint and pull it off gently and carefully with your fingernail or razor/blade/knife so that the whole sheet comes off and is not broken.

c. After the tint has been removed, spray some adhesive remover on to the window and scrub it with a scrub pad. You can also use a razor blade to scrape off the remaining adhesive, if any.

d. Wipe the window with a window cleaner afterwards.

Removing factory window tint

How To Remove Car Window Tinting

Image Credit: subaruforester

Factory window tint is hard to remove since it is made up of two layers. The first layer may come off easily by following the previous mentioned methods but the second layer will stay behind.

You can try to pull both the layers at once but it might result in breaking of the tint or stuck pieces of tint that will be harder to remove.

However, there is a way to solve this problem. You will need ammonia, plastic tarps, spray bottle, razor blade, electric tape, cloth, window cleaner and scrub pad for this purpose.

Removing Tint from Car Window

Image Credit: autodeets

a. Use a spray bottle to spray water on the outside of the window and cover it with plastic.

b. On the deck and on the car seats, lay a plastic tarp. Cover the dashboard with plastic. Now spray ammonia on the inside of the window. You may have to wear a face mask to save yourself from the harsh smell of ammonia.

c. After the whole surface is covered with ammonia, cover the window with plastic and secure the plastic with some tape.

d. Leave the car in direct sunlight for about an hour, so that ammonia can do its work more effectively.

e. After an hour, remove the plastic from one corner of the window and start to peel off the tint.

f. You can spray some more ammonia on the corner and then use the razor blade to pull off the tint corner.

g. Once the corners leave the tint, use both hands to carefully remove the full tint sheet at once. If the tint gets stuck at some place, again use ammonia and peel it off with the razor.

h. Like in the previous methods, after the tint is removed, use the adhesive cleaner to clean the window and dry with a soft cloth.

Use of steamer for removing tinting from car windows

Removing Tint from Car Window

Image Credit: autodeets

Fabric Steamer is another easy tool for removing tint from car window. You will need hand gloves, fabric steamer, adhesive remover, cloth and razor for this purpose.

a. Fill the fabric steamer with water and turn it on.

b. Apply the steamer heat on to one corner of the window from a distance of one inch. After about a minute or so, the surface of the window will get warmed up and the tint would loosen up.

c. With your gloved fingers, try peeling off the tint very carefully. Continue to steam the surface with steamer with the other hand. As you feel the tint coming off, put the steamer aside and take off the whole tint in a single sheet using both the hands.

d. Lastly, clean the window with window cleaner and wipe it off with dry cloth.

Also Read: Benefits of Car Waxing and Steps to do it

How to remove car window tinting from side windows

Removing Tint from Car Window

Image Credit: mobiletechtraining

The tint on the side windows is easy to remove and it can be easily be done by using a soapy water. Here is the procedure for the same:

a. Spray soapy water, preferably warm, on the side window and leave it for some time.

b. Make a cut on the tint using a razor.

c. As you cut the tint, slide the razor slightly underneath the surface of the tint so that the tint’s edge is departed from the window.

d. Now hold the tint and pull it off carefully.

e. Scrape the left over adhesive with scrub pad and adhesive remover and wipe the surface dry.

‘How to remove tint from car windows’ now has easy answer with so many different methods at your disposal. You just need a little patience in order to remove car window tinting at home and you can get the job done amazingly well.

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