How To Remove Double-Sided Tape From Car

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Double-sided tapes are so helpful in various situations, but when it come to removing them from the car, it’s a pain in the butt for most car owners. In this post, I’ll show you three different methods you can use to remove double-sided tape from your car.

Key Takeaways:

Using a rubber eraser wheel is the best way to remove double-sided tape from your car.
WD-40 is also great at removing adhesives from the car’s paint.
A heat gun is a great backup option if other methods don’t work.

Best Ways To Remove Double-Sided Tape From Car

Now I’ll explain each method to you so that you can choose the one that suits you the best. Of course, the 1st method is always the best, and the 3rd is only if you don’t have any other option – but it’s still doable.

1. Remove Double-Sided Tape With Rubber Eraser Wheel

The rubber eraser wheel, also known as the caramel wheel, is one of the best tools for removing all kinds of adhesives from cars’ paint, especially when we talk about trim.

The rubber eraser wheel is a drill attachment, and it removes any adhesive with ease. Just attach it to a drill (check best picks for car detailers), and slowly work it into the paint, and it’ll gradually remove the double-sided tape from the car door or any other car part.

Steps for removing double-sided tape with rubber eraser wheel:

Attach the rubber eraser wheel to a drill.
Power the drill on.
Slowly remove the adhesive by slightly pressing the spinning wheel to it.
Don’t use a lot of pressure. The tool will gradually remove the tape.
After you’re done, wipe off any residue with a few drops of brake cleaner and a clean microfiber towel.

The wheel works in a way that it’s completely safe for the paint. It’s gentle enough, and it wears with each use, making it perfect for delicate, clear coats. By using this method, you’ll remove any adhesive in no time and without causing any scratches to your vehicle.

Of course, some marring may appear, and that’s why I always suggest polishing your car afterward, just to make sure that everything’s in the best possible condition.

2. Use WD-40 To Remove Adhesives From Car’s Paint

If you don’t have the drill, you can try another extremely cheap and easy method for removing double-sided tape from the car door. It’ll last a bit longer, but it should remove adhesive with ease.

WD-40 is a multi-purpose product that works for thousands of different things. It’s used to remove rust, prevent rust, lubricate metal parts, remove grime, hide scratches, etc. You have probably heard of it already. One very interesting thing about WD-40 is that it’s a great adhesive remover, which makes it perfect for removing double-sided tape from the car door and trim.

For this method, all you’ll need is a can of WD-40, a plastic razor, and a clean microfiber towel. So, if you don’t have any tools at home, you should try this method.

Steps for removing double-sided tape with WD-40:

Spray some WD-40 on the double-sided tape
Wait 2-3 minutes until it breaks the adhesive
Use a plastic razor or another plastic tool with sharper edges and gently scrape off the double-sided tape
Use a clean microfiber towel with brake cleaner to remove any adhesive residue from the car door

When scraping the tape, make sure to use only plastic tools. If you use some metal tools, you’ll scratch the paint, which will be an expensive fix.

3. Use a Heat Gun

The last method that I can recommend to remove the double-sided tape from the car is by using a heat gun. The heat should break the adhesive, which should make the double-sided tape easy to peel off from the vehicle.

Why I’m saying “should”? Well, this method may or may not work, depending on the quality of the double-sided tape. Also, if done improperly, the heat gun method may even cause some damage to the car’s paint, and that’s why I put it in the 3rd place.

Also, by using this method, the adhesive may only stretch instead of peeling off, and it may take a long time for you to remove it from the car. However, if you don’t have anything else but the heat gun, you can try this method; it should work.

I recommend you use get the heat gun above, which has 1500W of power, and that’ll be more than enough to successfully remove double-sided tape from your vehicle.

How to remove the double-sided tape from the car by using a heat gun:

Use the heat gun to warm up the double-sided tape.
Work in smaller sections.
When you get the tape enough, try peeling it off or scraping it with a plastic razor.
Remove all the residue by wiping the car door with a clean microfiber towel and a brake cleaner.

Just be careful when using a heat gun; don’t heat the surface a lot, and don’t keep the gun pointed in the same spot all the time. You could ruin the clear coat.

Final Words

You’ll be able to successfully remove the double-sided tape from your car by using any of the methods I mentioned above. However, rubber wheels and heat guns will often have the best and quickest results.

Some high-quality tapes such as 3M tapes may be a bit harder to remove, and that’s why it’s important to use the best possible method out there.