Every car wrap has its life and one day whether it’s in 4 to 5 years, as recommended by the material manufacturer, or if it’s many years later, the wrap is going to have to be removed.

We are often asked how to remove the car wrap by someone either wanting to rewrap the vehicle or wanting to sell the vehicle on. In general there are two different ways to remove a wrap depending on how long it’s been on the vehicle.

Let’s firstly look at a wrap that has been on for less than five years and generally in good condition. Most manufacturers recommend that you remove a wrap in the 4 to 5 year range. The reason for this advice is because if it’s removed in that period of time the wrap should come off cleanly and intact, leaving little glue on the painted surface. Beyond that time frame, the wrap can become brittle and be difficult to remove leaving glue behind, but we will look at that later.

Removing a wrap when it’s in good condition is quite simple with the use of a heat gun and some citrus based glue remover such as Dissolve It or Oomph, both available from Bunnings. Removing the wrap using a heat gun or even doing it on a really hot day, will make it easier. Warming the vinyl will help release the glue from the painted surface and experimenting with how hot to heat the vinyl will show you the perfect temperature to lift the vinyl off the vehicle without breaking it. Be sure to pay attention in the tight corners around taillights and headlights or door handles and trims, that you get all the small pieces of vinyl out. These parts may need to be removed if the vinyl goes well under the edge. After you remove the vinyl there may be a few small areas of glue left on the surface of the paint which can be cleaned up using a citrus based product as mentioned. Simply spray the surface and wipe away the small particles of glue.

If the wrap has been on for 5+ years and looking quite deteriorated, you will need time and patience to remove it. Some wraps that have been on for way too long and have cracked can cause damage to the paint. In this situation, you will need to use a heat gun and a plastic scraper to remove the wrap, yes it will take a long time, and yes it may have damage your paint but there is no other way to remove it. If you find that the paint is damaged you might decide to sell or trade the car with the wrap intact as the time taken to remove the wrap will not enhances value in any way.

Once you’ve removed as much of the wrap as you can, you’ll need to hit the glue with a citrus product. Soaking the surface of the glue with the citrus product will soften it and allow you to scrape it off with a plastic scraper. Don’t use a rag to do this part of the job as it will just get clogged up and make a bigger mess. You need to repeat the process of the spray and scraper until almost all the glue is gone then you can wipe it with a rag.

Another method to remove old vinyl is the user wallpaper steamer. By taping plastic over the wrapped area to seal it and tucking the steamer pipe into it for at least 30 minutes will help release old glue from the paint. This method may only help when the wrap is in poor condition.

The most important thing when considering the removal of a car wrap from your vehicle is its age and condition, we always recommend to remove the wrap in that 4 to 5 year range as that’s what the manufacturer recommends and it’s probably a good time to refresh your brand anyway.

©Tradie Wraps™ 2022