What's new
By:
Car Wash Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

How do I get old decals off vacuums?

A

APW

Well-known member
How do I get the old decals off the stainless? And do I need to clean the stainless or do anything to it before I put the new decals on?
 
You'll need to remove all the label material first. A heat gun will usually soften the label and weaken the adhesive enough to peel it off, but if they're really old you'll have to scrape it. If you're careful you can heat the decal and run the razor just under the decal to remove it without scratching up the stainless. That technique will leave most of the adhesive behind. To get the remaining adhesive off, 3M Adhesive Cleaner will loosen it and it comes off easily with a fresh razor. You won't scratch up the stainless if you go with the brushing and use a light touch.

It needs to be completely clean before you put the new decal on. Use water with a tiny amount of soap, not enough that you can slide the decal around or it will interfere with the corners adhering. Spray the vac and the decal thoroughly, and the liquid is enough that you can lift and reposition the decal if you need to. Then just squeegee it down - a window tint squeegee or an old credit card with electrical tape folded around the edge works. Make sure you work from the center to the edges to get all the water and air out. Keep wetting the top of the decal to make it easier to squeegee it down. If the corners keep lifting off, there's too much soap in the water mixture.
 
MEP001 said:
You'll need to remove all the label material first. A heat gun will usually soften the label and weaken the adhesive enough to peel it off, but if they're really old you'll have to scrape it. If you're careful you can heat the decal and run the razor just under the decal to remove it without scratching up the stainless. That technique will leave most of the adhesive behind. To get the remaining adhesive off, 3M Adhesive Cleaner will loosen it and it comes off easily with a fresh razor. You won't scratch up the stainless if you go with the brushing and use a light touch.

It needs to be completely clean before you put the new decal on. Use water with a tiny amount of soap, not enough that you can slide the decal around or it will interfere with the corners adhering. Spray the vac and the decal thoroughly, and the liquid is enough that you can lift and reposition the decal if you need to. Then just squeegee it down - a window tint squeegee or an old credit card with electrical tape folded around the edge works. Make sure you work from the center to the edges to get all the water and air out. Keep wetting the top of the decal to make it easier to squeegee it down. If the corners keep lifting off, there's too much soap in the water mixture.
Click to expand...

Four drops of dish soap in a 32 oz. spray bottle of water is what I use for vinyl decal application juice.
 
Use a plastic razor blade when removing the old decal. A little harder to work with than a metal blade but safer on the finish.
 
We use a propane torch to soften the older decal, be careful not to burn the old decal and then use lacquer thinner to get off the old glue. If you acid wash the stainless steel with wall cleaner before you put on the new decal they’ll look like new, cleans and shines up the stainless nice. We use Windex when we put on the new decals and out the bubbles from the center with plastic scraper. If you get an air bubble that you can’t work out use a sewing needle to pop the bubble.
 
Use Methanol and get a new pack of razor blades. Use a sticker scraper. Even if you do scratch the stainless, after the decal is gone use a green scotchbrite and the methanol in a spray bottle, and scuff everything down. As stated in a prior post, be sure to get the surface as smooth as possible. You really should not use windex, all the vinyl decals say no ammonia. A few drops of regular dish detergent in a spray bottle and water, work center out to the edges. Sometimes the heat works, sometimes it makes it harder to get them off. Have fun and be prepared to have lots of snot balls everywhere!!!
 
I will make one observation I've found with removing decals on vending machines. If you do manage to get enough decal (and it's in good enough shape) to start pulling large pieces off, pull it off in an "outward" direction at a 90 degree angle to the surface instead of straight down. For some reason, it carries much more of the old adhesive off when you pull outwards. This obviously makes the adhesive cleanup easier.

I've never tried the 3m remover. My local Advanced auto parts sells a turtle wax label/bumper sticker remover which works pretty well.
 
I believe the reasons you get an array of answers is it all depends and the crappiness of your vinyl sticker. I also believe the "correct" answer for "professional" vinyl installs is soapy water like ric said.

You can also purchase vinyl remover solution and other stuff from vinyl suppliers. I never bothered to look at what the solution actually is though. They also sell spray on coatings for vinyl stickers?
 
I remembered that the Lexan decals like the old D/H ones will come off with this stuff:

05b03059-581e-46b7-b5d0-a012c59eced8_300.jpg


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klean-Strip-18-oz-Stripper-ESR72/100135467#.UkpOmdI3vSs

I used it on spray paint on a Lexan sign, and it took everything right off and left a shiny aluminum spot.
 
We don't remove decals too often but we put them on daily and our experience is that dish soap in water works great. The decal on the Little Trees machine door is the biggest and they go on easily this way w/o any bubbles. Windex is used by many people and it is fine too it's just that we use enough that it would be more expensive.
 
Ive had luck with on of these. We purchased it from a local body shop supply house. If I remember correctly its called a Super Eraser.
 
Those do work well on pinstriping, but it would be very time-consuming with a large decal, and you still have to clean off the adhesive. It won't work with most cordless drills because they don't spin fast enough to generate the heat needed to cut through the vinyl.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top