How to remove the sun baked purple window tint

The art of removing window tint has been around for many years now and is some what home of a technical skill. The window films produced in the late 1980's and 1990's are not as well constructed as the films today for several reasons. Those films are made of dyed polyester and don't have the UV protection that some of the premium films have today.

The good thing for you is that most films are not that hard to remove. You just need a couple of tools and some guidance. I will go into detail about the proper steps to take when removing this troublesome material from your glass.

The Razor Blade and Heat Gun Technique:

First take the heat gun and get the film warmed up on both sides of the glass while remembering not to burn the moldings and door panel of the subject vehicle. After the glass and tint has become hot to the touch take your razor scraper with stainless steel blades and start in a top corner of the window and gently cause the tint to peel.

After you get the peel moving with your fingers begin to pull the tint down evenly across the window while keeping the heat gun moving around. After the tint has been pulled off simply spray the left over adhesive with a solution of water and baby shampoo and begin the scraping process.

The Steamer and Razor Blade Technique:

This technique is the fastest but it requires an investment into a steamer that's setup for this type of work. Steaming the tint heats up the material also helping the window tint adhesive remove itself with the tint. The steamer generally will not hurt the car but it can cause burns to your hands therefore be careful. When you get the tint starting to pull away just keep steaming and pulling until the tint is removed. Then steam and scrape all areas in the window tint process that are left over.

The Scrape and scrape and scrape Technique:

This is the worst case scenario technique of them all and also carries the most liability. Some vehicles have window tint that has been baked on by the sun for so long that its difficult to remove. The worst area for this is located in the back glass of today's cars and trucks. By scraping these areas you can damage the rear defrosters and cause them to no longer function. This technique should be performed by a trained and professional window-tint remover.