Caring
for Magnetic Bumper Stickers
Magnetic
stickers should be kept away from credit cards, floppy disks, hard drives,
videotapes, audio tapes and other magnetic media. Though
most people do not experience any problems with their magnetic bumper
stickers, a few have experienced problems such as difficulty removing the
magnetic bumper stickers from vehicles. We have sold thousands of magnetic
stickers and have had only one complaint thus far.
We
believe such problems may be due in part to exposure to intense sunlight
and consequent heat. The magnetic material is a kind of plastic and may
become soft enough to bond with some vehicle finishes under certain
circumstances. Waxing a vehicle just before application of the
magnetic bumper stickers may also cause a similar problem, as the wax,
when still soft, can act as a kind of glue.
The
following recommendations are designed primarily to reduce the potential
for magnetic bumper stickers to bond to vehicles:
1.
Remove magnetic bumper stickers regularly and clean them. If you encounter
difficulty removing your magnetic bumper stickers, see the suggestions
below for tips on removal. If you use your vehicle daily, or park
outdoors, weekly cleaning is advisable. Those who park indoors and use
their vehicles less often might only need to clean their stickers once a
month.
In
cold weather, it may help to pre-heat the magnetic sticker with
warm water before removing. This will make the magnetic material more
flexible and reduce the risk of cracking.
To
clean the magnetic stickers, use running water (room temperature) and
a soft cloth or sponge. Avoid scouring or rubbing grit across
the face of the stickers. Do not use soap unless necessary. If soap is
used, use only a mild liquid soap and rinse thoroughly. Do not
soak stickers in standing water or leave under running water any longer
than necessary to clean. Air dry stickers completely before re-applying.
2.
Clean the area of the vehicle where the stickers are to be re-applied. If
soap is used, rinse thoroughly. Dry the area completely before re-applying
magnetic stickers.
3.
Some in the magnetic sign industry suggest waxing the brownish side of the
magnetic material as well as the vehicle before applying the magnetic sign
(or magnetic sticker) in order to protect the vehicle. However, most
vehicles are sold with a clear-coat finish and waxing the vehicle before
applying a magnetic bumper sticker is likely overkill in most cases.
Applying wax to the back side of the bumper sticker is probably a good
idea if you have some handy. Furniture polish or an Armor-all type
spray-on protectant might also do the trick. (The goal here is to reduce
the ability of the magnetic material to bond with the vehicle finish.)
However, anything that makes the back of a magnetic sticker more slippery
might also make it more likely to fly off when the vehicle is moving at
high speed, at least theoretically. And products other than automotive wax
might discolor your vehicle finish. If you do use wax,
wait until the wax has fully cured (hardened) before re-applying the
magnetic bumper stickers. This may take 24 hours or more in some
cases.
4.
When you re-apply a magnetic sticker, consider moving it to a different
location on the vehicle. Your magnetic sticker will block ultraviolet
light from reaching your vehicle. If left in one place for a period of
many months or years, you may notice that your vehicle has faded
everywhere except where the sticker was blocking the sunlight. The darker
your vehicle, the greater the potential for uneven fading. Moving
your sticker periodically will help to reduce the potential for uneven
fading.
5.
Whenever you are going to wash your vehicle, remove magnetic stickers first.
Make sure to rinse all soap off of the vehicle. Do not re-apply magnetic
stickers until the vehicle is completely dry. If any form of wax has been
applied, wait until wax has fully cured (hardened) before applying
magnetic bumper stickers. This may take 24 hours or more in some cases.
6.
Do not apply magnetic bumper stickers to a freshly painted vehicle until
the paint is completely dry. Some in the industry advise waiting 90 days
for paint to cure (60 days for clearcoat) before applying magnetic
material. However, it is probably safe to apply magnetic bumper stickers
during the last half of the curing period provided that the
stickers are removed daily and/or only left on the vehicle while it is in
use.
7.
Consider taking steps to reduce direct exposure to sunlight. This is
probably more important with darker colored stickers and darker vehicles that
absorb more heat. You may want to park facing toward the sun if the
stickers are on the back of your vehicle. You may want to park in a garage
or in the shade when this option is available. This will help to reduce
the likelihood of bonding while also reducing problems of fading, both for
the sticker, and the vehicle.
A
radical alternative:
If
your vehicle is older, and you are not too concerned about preserving the
finish, you might try this very low-tech approach to prevent bonding:
Apply
the magnetic sticker when the vehicle has a visible film of road dirt on
it. The dirt under the sticker should keep the sticker from bonding
tightly to the vehicle. You will want to take the sticker off periodically
(maybe once a month) just to keep it loose, and to make sure rust is not
forming under the sticker. The dirt between the sticker and the vehicle
will likely cause tiny scratches to the finish over time, and the dirt
could conceivably become embedded in the finish. Also, the sticker will
not hold quite as tightly to the vehicle and may be more likely to fly off
when the vehicle is moving at high speed (at least theoretically). But at
least you won't have to wash your magnetic sticker every week.
The following
suggestions are intended to assist in the removal of magnetic bumper
stickers that have become bonded to vehicles:
1.
Carefully run your fingernail along the edge of the magnetic material
where it touches the vehicle. This will help in two ways. First, it will
help to break any bond that may exist at the edge where wax etc. may have
accumulated. Second, it will help you to discover any places where the
magnetic material is loose. Another option is to use a toothbrush dampened
with liquid soap to scrub along the edge of the sticker. You will want to
start removing the magnetic material at the points where it is loose.
2.
Fill a pitcher or large glass with warm or hot tap water. Hotter is
probably better up to a point. Boiling or scalding hot water is NOT
recommended. Mix in a spoonful of liquid dish soap. Slowly pour the hot
soapy water over the magnetic sticker. Warming the sticker will cause it
to expand and may loosen it a bit. Also, the soap, when it gets under the
sticker, will help to further loosen the bond. DO NOT PULL HARD ON THE
STICKER WHILE IT IS HOT! When the sticker is hot, it is more prone to
stretching or coming apart under stress.
3.
If you continue to have difficulty, you might try pouring ice water over
the sticker. In very difficult cases, alternating between pouring cold and
hot water over the sticker a few times may help to loosen the sticker. It
is best to pull on the sticker while it is at room temperature, or
slightly above. Hot stickers may stretch or come apart. Cold stickers may
crack.
4.
If you continue to have difficulty, try using a Q-tip or very small
paintbrush to brush liquid dish-soap under any loose portions of the
sticker. If necessary, let the soap soak in for a few minutes before
trying again to gently pull off the sticker.
5.
Another thing you could possibly try as a last resort is taking your car
to a commercial car wash and using a high-pressure sprayer to try spraying
the sticker loose. Be sure to spray only with water and soap (wax would
likely make the problem worse).
If
you damage your sticker while attempting to remove it, you may return the
damaged sticker to CarryaBigSticker and we will replace them at no charge.
Please do not send stickers C.O.D.
We
hope to update these recommendations on our Web site from time to time
based on input from our customers. Send your comments and questions
to Team (at) CarryaBigSticker (dot) com.
Below
are some reports from customers about magnetic bumper stickers and the
bonding issue:
My
husband and I have been using these type of stickers lor a long time
and all we do is use the spray on/wipe off type of wax on the vehicle and
the back of the sticker both each time we wash the vehicle. We've
never had a problem and both of our cars are parked outside 100% of the
time. ... We use the Turtle Wax Spray on - you just have to spray it
on and wipe it off (on both the vehicle and the sign) and let it dry a few
minutes (2-3 tops) and then you're good to go.
=====================
Thank you for letting me know about the
possible problem. I live in San Antonio and it has been so hot that last
week they proved you could cook a egg on the sidewalk. I work and have to
park outside I have 2 of your magnetic stickers in the direct extreme sun
and have no problems...but I now will take them off on days that I do not
use my car to give them time to breathe. ... My car is cleaned personally
by me every other week and if it rains then I will clean it then my car is
in prfect condition and its a 1988 Mercedes so in the back I can put 2
bumper stickers on. Of course I take them off to clean the car but apart
from that they stay on in the direct hot sun. Now I do put this special
wax that makes the car look good and doesn't get dirty as if I didn't put
it on but I don't know if that would have anything to do with it.
====================
I purchased 3 magnetic bumperstickers
about 2 weeks ago, and I CANNOT get them off my car.
I removed them last weekend to wash my
car, and after drying put them back on. I think it's been about 7 days. I
tried to remove them today to wash my car again and only one came off
(with some force), the other two are stuck like glue, any ideas on how to
remove these?
I have a 2003 Subaru and got the magnets
so as not to mar the finish on my car, but it doesn't look promising so
far. ...
I had to use a hair dryer to heat them
up enough to free them a bit. It still left lots of bits of magnet stuck
to the car, which I then had to scrape off with a damp cloth. I then had
to use buffing compound to remove the scratch marks I made while scraping.
I advise you to try some of those
magnetic bumper stickers on a glossy car for a week in the sun before you
sell any more just to check and see if they are faulty, or I am faulty.
www.CarryaBigSticker.com
is not responsible for damages that may result from the use of bumper
stickers or magnetic bumper stickers.
