Removing window tint glue the easy way.

I have a Chrysler Voyager crd mpv and the window tinting on the back windows are quite transparent. I guess the film on them is about 70% and I would like to have a 5% transparency only so that I can leave stuff in the back without being visible to people walking by.

Yesterday I started removing the old window tint from the tailgate window with a heat gun, but most of the glue (meaning 100%) was left behind on the window glass. On the internet you’ll find plenty of info about how to remove it with water and Ammonia mix, steam, hair dryer, razor blade, etc, but I didn’t have any ammonia at home and I was just not in the mood to go out to the store to get some and I did not want to use razor blade for being afraid I might damage the heating element.

I’ve had some white spirit paint thinner and some brush cleaner stuff in the garage and I thought if it cleans the glue off of stickers, it got to be cleaning the window tint glue too. I applied some to a paper towel and started rubbing it on the window. Voila, the glue softens and with a bit of elbow grease it takes it off pretty easy, but it wasn’t fast enough and needed too much rubbing.

I was looking for some other stuff in my garage and found a can of brake cleaner spray. I thought if this stuff takes off all that grime and dirt off of car parts, it might just work and I started squirting it on the window and the glue just melted away. Literally just one swipe of the paper towel and the glue was coming off like crazy. That whole big tailgate window on my Voyager was cleaned from corner to corner in about 2 minutes flat.

After I’ve taken the glue off, I had cleaned the glass with window cleaner twice, to make sure there is no residue of the break cleaner left behind and it was ready to apply the new darker window tint.

Thanx for the quick and nice job Brake cleaner.