How to Remove Window Tint That Is Old & Stubborn From a Car
by Aaron Marquis
Like a trusty pair of sunglasses, your vehicle's window tint keeps you cool and shaded on a bright sunny day. Unlike your sunglasses, however, window tint can become flaky, bubbly and discolored over time. You can remove window tint that is old and stubborn from your car with common household chemicals. Removing the old, ugly tint can breathe new life into your vehicle's appearance, and prepare your vehicle for a new tint, should you want to install one.
Step 1
Park the car so that the window with the old tint faces the sun.
Step 2
Spray soapy water on the outside of the window that you want to remove the tint from.
Step 3
Lay a garbage bag on the window. The soapy water will keep the bag in place. Smoothing out the bag until it is firmly secured.
Step 4
Cover the inside interior surface with shop rags so that the chemicals you will be using do not ruin the upholstery.
Step 5
Spray a layer of ammonia on the tint while inside the car, completely covering the window.
Step 6
Place a trash bag on the inside of the window. The trash bag will hold the ammonia in place while the heat generated from the sun causes the glue holding the tint to the window to soften. Wait an hour for the ammonia and heat to react with the window tint.
Step 7
Peel back the window tint, starting from the corner, while the trash bag remains in place. Try to peel the tint off in once piece. The bag and tint will come off of the window together. If you cannot remove the tint in a single pass, use the razor blade and steel wool to remove any remaining material.
Step 8
Remove the trash bags from the windows and the shop towels from inside of the vehicle.
References
Things You'll Need
- Dish soap
- Water
- Ammonia spray
- Breathing mask
- Black trash bags
- Razor blade
- Fine steel wool
- Shop rags
Warnings
- Always wear a breathing mask when spraying ammonia. Ammonia is extremely harmful to human lungs, and can cause vomiting.
Writer Bio
Aaron Marquis is a University of Texas graduate with experience writing commercials and press releases for national advertising agencies as well as comedy television treatments/stories for FOX Studios and HBO. Marquis has been writing for over six years.
