Modern cars usually come with car bodywork protection film applied onto the vehicle’s surface. It is virtually invisible, but would eventually peel off over time. As a result, your beloved car would look old and unkempt. When this happens, you should hire professional clear car protection film installers and have your car film fixed.

What is a car paint protection film?

A car protection film is a great investment for your vehicle. For one, it helps preserve your car’s paint job and make it look like brand-new every time. However, paint protection films also deteriorate and peel off over the years. In such a case, you should have it replaced by professional 3M paint protection film installers.

Also called the “clear bra”, it is a type of protective film applied on your car to protect its paint job. However, it becomes brittle as the years go by, and it can ruin your car’s overall appearance. You can opt to remove it, but it may not be easy as it seems.

The good news is that car protection film removal is possible – either by following below steps or hiring experienced paint protection film installers near you.

What you will need

If you decide to remove the car protection film by yourself, you would need the following materials:

• Plastic scraper or razor
• Adhesive remover (3M)
• Heat gun/ blow dryer
• Car wax
• At least 3 pieces microfiber towels

Before proceeding with the removal, make sure to check the car bodywork protection film. If there are only a few questionable film areas, you can polish it to restore its appearance. You can also hire professional auto experts to help you in restoring the film. Doing so can save you time and money from installing a new film.

However, if the film is beyond fixing, you would have to remove the film altogether. This is the time you will have to use the abovementioned materials.

Steps 

Here are the necessary steps needed to remove the car paint protective film:

1. Avoid simply peeling off the film like turning a page from a book. Instead, find the area where the car and protective film separates the most. You can start the peeling process from there. However, if you cannot find the most visible peeled-off area, check the film’s edges and see if film separation is already occurring. Park your vehicle outside to make the surface warm and to make film removal easier.
2. Try scraping the film using a plastic scraper or razor. You may not use the heat gun or blow dryer if the film peels off easily. However, if the film comes off piece by piece, you may have to use the heat gun or blow dryer so you can remove the film more conveniently.
3. Using a heat gun or blow dryer, hold it on the peeled-off area for a minute or two. Make sure to hold the gun or dryer about 8 to 12 inches from the film to avoid burning it. Also, it is important to take extra caution when using such heating tools.
4. After a few minutes of exposing to heat, scrape the film using the plastic scraper. By this time, the sticker should come off easily. Otherwise, continue scraping carefully until the film comes off completely.
5. Once the sticker is removed, remove the adhesive residue using a small amount of special adhesive remover. Rub and wipe the remnants per section and reapply the solution when needed.
6. After removing the adhesive remains, dry the area off using a microfiber towel. For a shiny finish, apply wax on the surface, and you’re good to go!

Let professionals handle car film removal

The above steps can help you remove the car protective film on your own. Pat yourself on the back if you have successfully removed the old protective film. Plus, you have saved additional cash from having it done by car window tinting shops or any auto shops near you.

But if you’re not confident enough with your film-removal skills, you can always call professional paint protection film installers in Springfield VA. Contact one today if you need an auto specialist to help you with film removal.