| Removing Window Tint
by Huy Vu
Materials needed:
1. 2-3 black garbage bags
2. ammonia and soapy water solution
3. plastic cling wrap
4. paper towels
5. razor blade
Now, this is what you need to do:
1. Cut out black garbage bags in the shape of the windows. Do this by spraying some soapy water on the outside of the glass, then lay the plastic over the glass. Run your hand over it to smoothen it out and remove excess water. Take your razor blade and trace out the shape of your window.
2. Leave that piece of black plastic on the outside of the window. The reason you do this is the black will absorb the heat from the sun and will loosen up the adhesive on the tint/glass.
3. Now, go inside the car. For small windows, use cling wrap and spray the solution of ammonia and soapy water to the glass. Apply the cling wrap when to the tint. Make sure there is enough solution to trap the cling wrap onto the tint. The objective is to have the ammonia solution trapped between the cling wrap and the tint. The ammonia will break down the adhesive. The sun on the outside will heat up the tint film and loosen up the adhesive.
** For larger windows, use the garbage bags and cut out the shape of the glass and use the cut-out on the inside.
4. Repeat this for all the windows with tint to be removed. Let sit in the sun for at least a half hour. Spray additional ammonia solution as needed. The hotter the day the better.
5. After allowing sufficient time for the heat to warm up the adhesive, remove the black plastic bags, as well as the cling wrap/plastic bag on the inside. Slowly, using your finger nail, pry at a corner. If you meet resistance, then you need to let the bags heat up the adhesive more, or spray more ammonia/soapy water solution. Otherwise, it should come off in one sheet.
** Note, the rear glass will have defroster lines. In some cases where the tint is stubborn and leaves adhesive, you need to use steel wool. Do not use brillo pads, or those metal mesh pads or sponges with those green scrubbing pads. Just use steel wool. Take your solution of ammonia and soapy water, spray onto glass, and rub out the remaining adhesive using the steel wool. No razor blade is necessary.
*** Patience is the key. If you find that the adhesive is hard, then you need to reheat the surface and adhesive using the sun and the black bags. This is the trick...don't use the razor blade to cut up your defroster lines!!
6. As a final step, once everything is cleaned, use a soapy water solution to clean the glass thoroughly.
I hope this helps. The job should take you about 1.5 hours, depending on how much adhesive is left on the glass after you've removed the tint. Myself, the 4 side windows all came off in one shot without leaving adhesive. My rear glass however, took me close to an hour to do.
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Last edited by DavidB : 03-27-02 at 12:46.
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