Old sticker removal

Advice
#1

I’m trying to remove some old stickers from a used kayak that I have bought. They are really baked on…any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

#2

Heat gun?

– Last Updated: Jan-18-10 8:07 PM EST –

Vinyl stickers and decals can usually be removed by heating the area carefully with a heat gun to soften the adhesive, and then peeling it off. Start on a low setting, and pay attention to how hot you're getting the surface. On high a heat gun can scorch fiberglass, and you don't want to do that!

Leftover adhesive residue can be cleaned up with a citrus oil cleaner like goof off, or maybe acetone.

#3

Try this, it works well for sticker gunk
http://www.dewittproducts.com/catalog.asp?prodid=628510&showprevnext=1



You can get it at Home Depot.



Fair Winds and Following Seas.

#4

Hair dryer before heat gun.Escalate
if needed.

#5

Goo Gone
Lowe’s or Home Depot

#6

WD-40?
Have you considered WD-40? I used it to remove some old stickers and tar spatters off of my car.

#7

Mayo?
Goo be Gone (of whatever it’s called) removed stickers from my Royalex canoe. Mayonnaise works for removing bumper stickers.

#8

Agreed
I’ve used Goo Gone on a few decals and it worked great.



Gary

#9

Thanks
for all the suggestions, I have tried a citrus based product similar to Goo Gone with no luck…but I’ll try some heat next. Hopefully that’ll do the trick to get most of it off, then I can get the remaining gunk off with the Goo Gone stuff.

#10

solvent
Try mechanics solvent.


#11

Hair dryer and alcohol/mineral spirits
or WD40. Works on decals, bumper stickers, and that damned advertising auto dealers are obsessed with putting on new vehicles.

#12

3M cleaner
3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner. Got it at Painters Supply which sells paint for cars. Had an enclosed trailer with old stickers that left the adhesive after removing the stickers. Worked good on painted metal. Also used it for adhesive from a few stickers on a new kayak, didn’t rub too hard on the plastic and it worked fine.

#13

Goo Gone
Another vote for Goo Gone. I just used it to remove a bunch of stickers from one of my kayaks. Worked like a charm.

#14

nail polish remover

#15

gasoline

– Last Updated: Jan-23-10 9:06 PM EST –

No kidding, gasoline. Or lighter fluid. Very effective. And great for bugs on car paint in summer.

If you use lighter fluid or any other kind of solvent (like gasoline or paint thinner), make sure you wash the area IMMEDIATELY after removing the adhesive, or it may damage the paint and clearcoat.