Nothing lasts forever, not even the window tints that you fitted to add a little charisma and privacy to your ride and give the air conditioning a helping hand in keeping it cool inside when the temperatures outside begin to soar.
Eventually, like everything else in life, you’re going to have to replace your old tints with new ones, which isn’t going to be cheap. But there is a way to keep the costs of having new tints fitted down, and that’s by removing the old ones yourself.
It’s simple and straightforward, it’ll save you a few dollars and will make the life of the mechanic or body specialist who is going to fit your new tints infinitely easier. And, it won’t just reduce the cost of having the tints fitted, it’ll also decrease the amount of time that it takes any body shop or garage to smarten your car up and bring it back to life with a brand new set of tints.
All you need to strip off the old tints and make sure your car is ready to be fitted with new ones are heat, a little soap, and some warm water. So grab yourself a cup of coffee, and we’ll guide you through the most effective and efficient ways to get rid of the old and prepare for the new…
The Hair Dryer And The Heat Gun
It doesn’t matter which of the two you use, a hairdryer or a heat gun as the principle, and the way that you use them to do the job is exactly the same. The idea is to make sure that the glue that holds the tints onto the window is melted, which is why you’ll need to add a little heat to the old tints before you start to peel them off.
Remember what your grandparents taught you about doing jigsaws? Using a dryer or heat gun to remove window tints follows the same rules. You need to start at the edges and corners of the window first. Switch the dryer or gun on, find your chosen corner, and while holding it about two and a half inches away from the tint, slowly begin to apply as much heat as you can to the tint.
Keep testing the tint to see if the glue has started to melt by picking at it with your fingernails. As soon as it has, slowly start to peel it off, making sure to keep melting the glue as you remove itit. Don’t try to remove the tint until you’re sure that the glue is melted. As soon as the tint is off, wipe the window down, wash it with soap and water and then dry it off. Repeat the process on the other windows until your car is tint free and ready to go to the shop.
Steam Cleaning
We’re willing to bet that you never thought you’d use a fabric steamer on your car, but when it comes to taking those old tints off, it’s an indispensable weapon in your arsenal. All you need to do is load it up, switch it on and turn it on the tints.
It’s surprising how quickly it works, so don’t get distracted as the tints will start to peel off within minutes. When you’ve taken them off with a little help from your steamer, wipe the windows down, polish them and you’ll be ready to roll to the body shop and have the new tints fitted.
Here Comes The Sun – Going Old School
If the sun has got his hat on and he’s decided to come out to play and you have a little time on your hands, it’s easier to go old school and use a couple of old black refuse bags, some soapy water, and masking tape to do the job for you.
Spray the outside and inside of the windows with the soapy water, then fix the black bags to the outside of the windows with the masking tape, go and make yourself a coffee and relax for a couple of hours. The black bags, with a little help from the sun, will create a heat barrier that will transform the inside of your car into a sauna, which will slowly, but surely, melt the glue holding the tints onto the windows.
By the time you’ve had a couple of cups of fresh java, the glue will have melted and the tints will be ready to peel off. Carefully take the black bags off the outside, and the tints off the inside, of your car’s windows, wipe the windows down, clean them and you’ll be ready to hit the road and head to the body shop.
The Final Tint Free Word
That’s it, it’s that simple. Three easy and effective ways that you can readily employ to save yourself a few bucks and make the cost of having the new tints fitted a little easier for your pocketbook to endure.