How to Remove Old Window Tint that has Gone Bad?

How to Remove Old Window Tint that has Gone Bad

Why does Window Tint Go bad?

There are two things why window tint goes bad. The first one is window tint is made up usually of two to three separate layers of film. One layer is the color film another is a clear coating to protect it from scratching and when the window tint goes bad they start to separate. The second reason why window tinting may go bad is that the glue goes bad due to excessive heat over time. The chemicals will break down then the glue will start to Bubble. So when you see cars bubbling. It’s not the window tint Orlando that’s bad it said the glue on the window Orlando. Are you looking for some “best car window tint near me”? Check out the Orlando Flying Window Tinting.

What has to be removed?

To clean the old window tinting to get the window back to the original condition. You have to remove the window film first and then the second part is removing any glue that may stick to the glass. The first part is usually the hardest because if the window film is really bad it might want to come off in very small pieces if it’s not on too long usually comes off in one piece which makes your life a lot easier

How long before Window Tint Orlando goes bad?

There are a couple of things that determine how long are window tint will last before going bad.  Some factors that will determine that is 1st  the quality brand of window tint that you purchase. The better the brand the better the raw materials are. If you get a really cheap window film that says made in China usually they go bad very quickly because they use cheaper quality materials to keep their cost down while you use some American brands like 3M or Llumar window tint they use the latest quality material and them last much longer. Second, it depends on the temperature of where you live if you live Up in Detroit window tint will probably last forever, if you live in Florida or Arizona the Heat will reduce the lifespan of the window film.

The third factor that will determine how long your window film will last is if your car is a park in the garage or during the day it’s parked outside directly in the sun. If it’s parked inside a garage the life of the car will lot longer if it’s parked where you work and in the sun 8 to 10 hours directly every day.

The lifespan will shorten, So the best thing to make your window tint on your car last longest is to  buy a brand name window film with a good warranty and also try to keep it out of direct sun during the day if you can be in a garage may just park it under a tree or in the shade,

Why is it so hard to remove old tint

The reason why auto window tint is so hard to remove as because when the material starts to break down I need trying to pull it off and breaks into small pieces and then he said makes it harder to pull off because it sticks to the window.   When you tried to pull the old window tinting that comes out in little pieces.

Will you be able to save your defroster wires while removing the tint

The biggest concern people have about removing window tint themselves and not getting a professional window tinting job you do it is if they will be able to save their defroster wires. In the South, defroster wires are not too important but as you go further north where you get a lot of frost in the morning it is very important.

Here at Flying Window Tinting, we start off with the side doors and that will use you tell us how bad the window tint will be to remove. If the side window comes off in small pieces we know the chances of the rear defroster not working may increase it’s only happening to maybe 20% of the cars.  Usually, really bad window tint has probably been on over 12 years anything under seven years usually is easier to come out depending on the brand. To find out if the window tint is  good quality or a cheaper quality window tinting in Orlando just try the small as a window on the side first and that you would usually tell you whether the film will come off easy or hard

3  ways to remove window tint

1- Using a razor blade

Using this method is usually the hardest want to do and takes much more physical energy. What you basically doing is using a spray bottle with soap and water and some small scraper blades you wet the window with it in and start to scrape off the film like how you scrape paint off of the glass. As long as you keep the window really wet and soapy it will not scratch glass a disadvantage for this process is that if you have a defroster wire on the back of your window it will not work if you scrape it

2-Soaking it with water using a banking system

The 2nd process is to soak it in grease remover like 409. They also make professional chemicals that you can use .you get a black garbage bag and cut it out on the outside of the rear window to the shape of the glass that is clear.  Then soak the window with the chemical and put the black bag over the tint on the inside. Then every 20 minutes keep re-soaking it.

After then try to peel the window tint off the window if it continues to keep sticking you need to soak it until it releases smoothly. The hotter the outside the better it is I recommend doing it with the temperature over 80 degrees or put a heat lamp on it. The heat speeds up the chemical to absorb through the window tint.

 3-Using a professional steam machine

this third process needs a steam machine. Professional window tint shops t have Steam Machines worth around  $1,000 but you can also use inexpensive clothes steamer. What you do when you start peeling the corner and steam the tint. The heat from the steamer and the moisture usually weakens the glue and keeps the Window tinting Orlando together. It’s also good to do it outside in the sun the warmer the glasses the easier for the glue to remove.

Final stage

Once you have all the window tint in Orlando removed.  There may some glue residue left on the glass. You can now use the one-sided razor to scrape the glue but if you don’t want to damage the defroster wire on the rear of the glass. You get some 409 degreasers or grease remover and also some steel wool 0000  This is the finest steel wool you can get so it won’t scratch glass. After all the glue has gone double check in the corners to make sure no glue is hidden in the corners.


So finally decide which process you want to use.  Make a list of all the tools and chemicals you may need. Start early in the morning w when it’s sunny and warm. I would not do it on a rainy or cloudy day. It will be a bit time-consuming depending on how hot the weather is and how old the window tint is but in the end, it will save you a lot of money. it’s so funny oh my God.