sticker crapy decals or whatever you call it

[archangel]

I run a graphic/web/sign writing business and I deal with this stuff on a day to day basis... there a few tips of the trade!

1. When removing the decal, heat it up first, to give you a better chance of the glue coming with the film.
2. If there is glue left on the surface, SOAK it in turps (paint condition dependent, if it is low quality paint and likely to damage, do not use turps) then use a plastic edged blade (kids knives work well if you dont have sign writers equipment) to scrape off as much as you can
3. there will be left over glue even after step 2. a generous spray with water and hand washing soap over the glue area, then scrub with a clean, but rough textured cloth. You do not want a fine weave or chamois, you want something that will grip the glue. The idea behind the soap and water is it will stop the glue from re-adhering and spreading.
4. Wipe clean with another cloth. there may be extra glue still, so a separate rough cloth with metho will help with this.
5. Polish or wax after this process. Turps, metho and the like are not great for paintwork that is not 100%. It tends to make the paint look very powdery and dry, so you need to replace the protective layers of wax/polish.

I hope this helps! Any questions, please feel free to message me.

[timbar]

A little thinners on a rag works a treat but dont rub too hard and it will remove the sticky residue from the stickers

[warey]

i used a citrus based de greaser to get rid of stickers and residue before works a treat and smelt good too just let it soak for a while i used it on 2 pac paint so it may pay to try in an inconspicous spot first

[Gert B Frobe]

Use a hair dryer to begin it softens the glue holding the trim.

Get a piece of fishing line and tie the ends to a piece of dowel/broom handle so you have a "flexible" blade and run this under the trim to seperate it from the body.

If you have done this correctly the majority of the glue will come away with the trim.

Then use a Caramel Wheel which attaches to a drill. This is basically a glue eraser and will take the rest of the glue off without having to use any of the harsh liquids which can damage the paint. The trick with the Caramel Wheel is to just move at a constant but slow pace.

Use a good polish to finish.

[adrian]

surprised the eucalyptus won't do it, if it's a flat enough surface i'd be tempted to carefully try a razor blade