Easiest way to remove decals?

[Shane]

Hello,

First post here. I am not new to forums but I am new to this one. My wife and I are cleaing up a wash that we just purchased. 3 Self Serve and 1 Automatic bay. I am starting the process of putting new decals on the vacuums, vending boxes, and Self Serve coin box face plates. Do you guys have any tips on removing the old decals cleanly and easily? I have the bulk of the decal off and have tried Goo Gone and Mineral Spirits on the remains. Neither of them do much to the sticky stuff left behind by the decal. I am hoping there is something better than lots and lots of elbow grease.

Thanks!
Shane

 

[under pressure]

you might try zep stainless cleaner, takes off grime, grease, works great on metal surfaces.

 

[MEP001]

3M Adhesive cleaner works great. It's a little slower drying than stuff like carb cleaner, and it's not nearly as volatile. Best way to get the mass of the goo off is to wet the area with a soaked cloth, then scrape gently with a razor blade. You'll find that a single pass will get a big glob off onto the blade, and from there you can wipe the residue off with another soaked cloth. You'll need to keep turning and replacing the cloths, otherwise the goo will just clog the wiper and you'll just smear it around. It's still somewhat time consuming, but it's pretty easy.

Zep stainless cleaner won't do anything for removing old adhesive.

 

[Eric H]

+1 for the 3M decal remover

I also use green scotchbrite pad after most of the goop is off, it helps breakup the last little bits.

PVC pipe cleaner also works for getting the real hard stuff off.

BTW: None of my vacs have decals anymore. They look a lot better without them.

 

[Rudy]

If you are careful....you can use gasket remover from the auto parts store. It works great, but don't let it get on anything other than the stainless....such as plexiglass or similar.

 

[Chiefs]

Try a heat gun. I don't know if it will work but I know that's how body shops remove pin striping or other decals on paint. In the vain of goo gone is goof off. Its petroleum based and stinks to high heaven but works on price tags that don't come off. Also try dishwashing liquid and hot water.

 

[borumrm]

The heat gun will work well...have replaced decals on cendingand vacs a number of time....if you are putting another decal on be sure to spray windex on the surface before applying the decal , that way you can move it around if you need to...use a credit card or something like that as a squeegee to force excess liquid from under the decal and it will dry in place.

 

[MEP001]

The heat gun will work well...have replaced decals on cendingand vacs a number of time....if you are putting another decal on be sure to spray windex on the surface before applying the decal , that way you can move it around if you need to...use a credit card or something like that as a squeegee to force excess liquid from under the decal and it will dry in place.

A heat gun does work to remove the decal. Just get it hot where it begins to discolor or wrinkle or bubble (depends on the decal material) and scrape the bulk of it off with a sharp razor blade.

Instead of Windex, use water with a few drops of dish detergent as a lubricant and squeegee it out. Windex will leave too much residue behind and may cause the decal to peel. I tried alcohol once as recommended here, but I'll never do it again.

 

[Kevin James]

I use a Propane torch to get the sticker/decal material off and use Lacquer thinner, MEK or Brake cleaner to get the residue off. The Brake cleaner works about the best. When I put the decals on I use spray window cleaner, any of them will work. use a credit card or plastic straight edge to work out the air bubbles.

 

[Shane]

Wow, thanks for all of the feedback. I had some success with the smaller decals on some of the vacuums. Mineral spirits and a paint scraping razor blade worked pretty well. I was going to do the heat gun trick but most of the decals were in the for quite a while before I took them of so they didn't need the extra heat. I am going to get laquer thinner next propably. I have an extra Self Server timer box door so I am working on that one at home then I'll just swap the door into the next bay and repeat the process. I probably will use the torch on those. The windex trick will be the next thing I try. On of the decals I put on my vending box had quite a few bubbles.

Shane

 

[MEP001]

I use a Propane torch to get the sticker/decal material off and use Lacquer thinner, MEK or Brake cleaner to get the residue off. The Brake cleaner works about the best. When I put the decals on I use spray window cleaner, any of them will work. use a credit card or plastic straight edge to work out the air bubbles.

Brake parts cleaner works pretty well, but it's really nasty to breathe and many of them contain carcinogens. They'll also ruin Lexan and other plastics.

I also use an old credit card as a squeegee with an added "edge" of electrical tape. I'll repeat that window cleaner is too strong and may cause the decal not to stick well.

 

[pitzerwm]

Vinyl sign guys use a spray made of 1/4 isotropic alcohol to 3/4 water to apply the decals/letters.

 

[MEP001]

Vinyl sign guys use a spray made of 1/4 isotropic alcohol to 3/4 water to apply the decals/letters.

That's where I messed up - I used straight isopopyl alcohol. It was way too slippery and took forever to dry and adhere.

 

[Danny]

Yellow net bug sponge and solvent works really good for any residue left from the decal and its reasonably safe on paint too. Well as safe as any solvent on any paint.

 

[Red Baron]

That MEK is nasty stuff, so stay upwind. Used it years ago to strip dope & fabric of an airplane wing -- it absorbs readily through skin.

 

[Shane]

Instead of Windex, use water with a few drops of dish detergent as a lubricant and squeegee it out.

Thanks for the info on this one. When we bought the wash the previous owner had a ton of decals that he never put on. So last weekend I put on a new decal on the single column vending unit. What a train wreck! First the decal must have gotten wet before because half of the backer would not come off the decal (at that point I knew that decal would only be temporary). Then I used the line it up, tape it in place, peel half of the backer and stick it method. Not good. Bubble city. Needless to say, I have ordered "fresh" decals from Kleen-Rite and will try it again with the detergent/water spray method.

I do have another question though. Is this a one man job or two? Also do you spray the back of the decal and the surface you plan to stick it to? How much (drown it?)?

Thanks!
Shane

 

[Red Baron]

Thanks for the info on this one. When we bought the wash the previous owner had a ton of decals that he never put on. So last weekend I put on a new decal on the single column vending unit. What a train wreck! First the decal must have gotten wet before because half of the backer would not come off the decal (at that point I knew that decal would only be temporary). Then I used the line it up, tape it in place, peel half of the backer and stick it method. Not good. Bubble city. Needless to say, I have ordered "fresh" decals from Kleen-Rite and will try it again with the detergent/water spray method.

I do have another question though. Is this a one man job or two? Also do you spray the back of the decal and the surface you plan to stick it to? How much (drown it?)?

Thanks!
Shane

Bubbles are easily eliminated by poking a hole in the center with a gypknife or ???, then rubbing the bubble toward the hole from all sides.

 

[MEP001]

I do have another question though. Is this a one man job or two? Also do you spray the back of the decal and the surface you plan to stick it to? How much (drown it?)?

If it's windy it takes two people to hang onto the decal without wrinkling it, but it's usually a one-man job. Wet the surface and your fingers thoroughly, peel the backing from the decal on a clean (so it doesn't pick up dirt), flat surface and wet it, or peel and wet half of it where you can slap the wet half on the surface to be applied and then peel the rest down.

I have gotten an almost bubble-free application without water, but it's much more difficult to get it lined up, and it's actually more trouble to me because it just takes so long to squeegee flat a large decal. I don't plan to ever try that method on a curved vacuum surface.

 

[Shane]

Wet the surface and your fingers thoroughly, peel the backing from the decal on a clean (so it doesn't pick up dirt), flat surface and wet it, or peel and wet half of it where you can slap the wet half on the surface to be applied and then peel the rest down.

Thanks a ton for this info. This made the new decals turn out PERFECT. My wife and I redid our decals on two single column venders and one of our vacuum canisters. The wind was also blowing like crazy today (so much so that the vacuum decal folded on itself a couple times while trying to apply it). Everything turned out perfect. (We used a few drops of dishsoap with water in a small mister too).

THANKS!

 

[Dean Taylor]

EZ OFF Oven Cleaner.... bottom line