New plastic windows have a coating that many people take a while to remove. Over time, it dries out, so getting rid of it becomes difficult. How to remove dried film from plastic windows without damaging them?
How to remove film from plastic windows
Why does the protective film need to be removed immediately?
New plastic windows have a film that protects them from dust, dirt and damage in the form of scratches. By design, it is two-layer and is glued to the window using a special compound. Under the influence of sunlight, the inner layer of the coating is destroyed and sticks to the plastic. Every day the film becomes more and more difficult to remove.
How to remove protective film from plastic windows
For this purpose, several methods are used: mechanical (using tools) and chemical (household mixtures).
The first ones include:
Scraper for cleaning glass-ceramic surfaces. It can be used to remove the protective coating. And then remove the traces of the paste with a window cleaner. The scraper must be handled carefully, as it leaves scratches.
Industrial dryer. It can be replaced with a regular one. First point the device at the film (hot air flow will peel it off) and then scrape off the residue with a clerical knife.
Not less than effective way– use of a steam generator. The principle of operation is almost the same as that of a hair dryer.
An ordinary eraser will also help to cope with the problem.
Mechanical methods remove the protective coating, and adhesive residues are easily removed with either a cleaner or an acrylic solvent.
Chemical methods:
Denatured alcohol. Pour a few spoonfuls into a flower sprayer and spritz over the coating. After a few minutes, tear off the film with a knife.
Paint remover. Apply the composition to the surface and wait 10 minutes. Over time, the coating will begin to swell and easily be removed from the window.
Using chemical compositions work should be done with gloves so as not to damage the skin. It is also recommended to wear goggles for safety.
The protective film under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, sunlight and time strongly sticks to plastic profile and glass, bursts, cracks, dries up. Remove the protective coating no later than 10 days after installing a new window. To separate the film from the plastic, use a scraper, a dull knife, or a stiff brush. Heat the dry tape with hot air from a hair dryer or use solvents (white spirit, RP6), denatured alcohol, Schumann, professional plastic cleaners. Remove the remaining glue with a school eraser, nail polish remover, vegetable oil. To remove self-adhesive tint film or sun protective coating use an integrated approach.
Adhesive tape protects new windows during transport, installation, installation construction works in room. Untimely removal leads to its drying out. Knowing how to remove the film from plastic windows, you can quickly and effectively restore their attractive appearance and remove dust adhering to the adhesive base without damaging the surface.
Why does the film stick to the window
Protective film for new metal-plastic frame applied with adhesive.
Its quality largely determines how easily and quickly it will be removed. Unscrupulous manufacturers use a cheap coating that "sticks" to the window, bursts and peels off. It is difficult to tear off such a film even on time.
Hot summer weather, as well as the south side of the window, exacerbate the situation.
A profile installed in winter is somewhat easier to clean if done on time. In frost, the coating also collapses, bursts, loses elasticity.
Important! Remove the protective film no later than 10 days from the date of installation of the new profile, so that it does not have time to stick and collapse.
How to remove the protective film from the window
To remove undamaged film from plastic frame or window sill, it is enough to pick up its corner with any sharp object (scissors, knife, fingernail), and then carefully separate along the entire length. The coating will easily move away from the profile, will not tear and will not leave sticky marks.
The old, stuck film will have to be removed using improvised means or solvents.
Conventionally, methods for removing dried film can be divided into:
- mechanical (brushes, scrapers, blades);
- chemical (solvents);
- temperature (heating with a hairdryer).
In some cases, a complex approach may be required to remove a very old, damaged coating.
Mechanical methods for removing the protective coating
Using a scraper, a knife, a hard brush is one of the most popular methods for cleaning a profile from a protective film. You need to act very carefully so as not to damage the plastic or glass.
Hard brush
Any brush with stiff, non-metallic bristles or dishwashing sponge with an abrasive layer will do.
Action algorithm:
- Use your hands to remove the coating from the maximum possible surface area.
- Dilute laundry soap in warm water.
- Wet the brush.
- Remove in a circular motion sticky layer.
- Wipe the plastic with a clean cloth.
Scraper
Use a special glass-ceramic scraper or a construction rubberized spatula.
- Remove the coating with your hands as far as possible.
- Wipe the frames with a damp soapy cloth to remove dirt and dust.
- Holding the tool at a comfortable angle, remove the sticky layer.
- Wash the windows with a hard sponge and soap, wipe with a fresh cloth.
Knife, blade
Use a dull knife or blade to avoid damaging the profile and injuring yourself. Wash frame with soap warm water, clean gently with the blade.
Important! Metal tools may leave deep scratches on plastic, where dust and dirt will clog. Their use is not recommended.
Scotch
After removing the tape, wash the frame well
The method is effective for removing cracked, dried-out film from PVC windows.
Cut off a small strip of wide stationery tape, stick it to the frame, tear off sharply. Small, dried pieces of the protective coating will stick to the adhesive tape and with it will move away from the plastic.
Chemical preparations for cleaning double-glazed windows from the film
Chemical solvents corrode the adhesive base, quickly and effectively remove the film from the windows.
The modern market offers each buyer a huge amount different models gadgets, smartphones and other similar devices. Despite the fact that the display is made reliably, the buyer decides to extend its service life by purchasing a protective glass. This is due to the fact that after a while we do not treat smartphones as carefully as at the first stage. Today we will talk about how to clean the phone before sticking glass, how to get rid of dirt, remove stains, how to clean gasoline and rainbow stains, cut, wipe the protective glass with inside and what we need for this means.
What is protective glass?
Safety glass is modern look display covers on smartphones and gadgets. It is made using chemical method based on tempered glass.
Important! Compared to ordinary film, it is several times thicker and harder. That is why, if this coating is present on the phone, it protects the screen from fingerprints, scratches, moisture and even bumps. Despite these characteristics, the brightness and color does not change.
Due to the multi-layer coating, the thickness of the glass varies from 0.25 mm to 0.5 mm, the composition of which is as follows:
- The first layer is always made on the basis of silicone. It sticks to the display.
- The next layer is the bonding layer. It is he who does not allow the fragments to spread if a crack or mechanical shock occurs.
- The third layer of coating is an anti-reflective film. It keeps patterns visible on the screen when it is exposed to direct sunlight or other bright light.
- The protective layer protects against bumps, falls and other mechanical damage.
- The very last layer is an oleophobic coating. It provides protection from moisture, fingerprints and makes it easy to clean the screen.
At active use the top coating, which ensures the reliability of the unit, is contaminated. It was then that the question arises of how to clean the protective glass of the phone. How to do this and what is required for this, we will consider further.
Immediately pay attention to the state of the back of your gadget. You may need information about .
What is a protective film?
Protective film appeared on smartphones for a long time. It is not a high-tech product and is present on every gadget. This product is characterized by the presence of three layers:
- the bottom one sticks to the screen;
- medium absorbs ultraviolet radiation and provides brightness when exposed to bright light;
- top - is responsible for protecting the display screen.
Important! The most important thing for a film is proper gluing. To do this, you need to have a little skill, since the first time it can not always work out.
All protective films that are present on the market of smartphones and gadgets are divided into three types: matte, glossy and mirror. Let's take a closer look at each type to understand if there will be a difference in cleaning:
- The matte film absorbs glare and also hides fingerprints. The main disadvantage is that it degrades the image quality. However, its cost is very low. Many craftsmen classify such a film as a technological one and advise not to stop the final choice on this product.
- Glossy protective film is the most popular among similar products. The main disadvantage of such a coating is that it is easily damaged. The film strongly reflects light, scratches and other mechanical damage quickly appear on it. Fingerprints are also visible.
- Mirror film is the least popular among similar products. The peculiarity lies in the fact that when the screen is off, it can mirror the image. However, the quality and brightness of the screen changes when this coating is pasted - this is the main drawback.
All of the above films get dirty, and this is especially noticeable when dust gets under the coating. How to clean the film for the phone, we will now analyze.
How to clean the protective glass on the phone?
If you are thinking about how to clean a phone film, then ordinary adhesive tape, or, as it is also called, adhesive tape, will help you. For this you need:
- take a wide adhesive tape;
- cut off a piece of about 30-40 cm from it;
- stick it to the surface so that the sticky side is on top.
After that it is worth protective film Stick the sticky side to the tape. Then very carefully and slowly immediately peel off the film. All the dust that was present on the product will go away, and the sticky layer will remain.
Important! If you need to remove scratches from the top of the protection, then polish the defects with felt, soft cloth or with the help of auxiliary means - white toothpaste, GOI paste or olive oil.
Another way to clean the protective glass from the inside is to use water and soap. For this:
- You need to remove the contaminated product from your phone.
- IN hot water wash off all the dust.
- After carrying out this procedure, it is very good to lather the sticky layer with soap. For this, it is better to use two or three layers.
- After that, take and wash off the soapy solution under water. See that the water is glass from the film.
- Then we glue the film onto the cleaned wet display using an ordinary credit card.
- We look so that air bubbles and other villi do not get in.
If all else fails, The best way to restore the attractiveness of your gadget is to replace the protective part. On our website you will find detailed instructions About,
When I had a chance to take the job of removing the film from a window installed 3-4 years ago, I tried many methods, and on personal experience convinced that there is no perfect and fast remedy, in any case, you have to pretty tinker and show patience. So, here are my own writings with reviews:
1 Remove the film with something sharp
This is the simplest and affordable way, find a blade from a razor or a clerical knife, or any other sharp object, including even sticks for cleaning nails, and with this object pick the edges of the film, slowly tearing it off the plastic.
The work, I'll tell you, requires a lot of patience, as it comes off in pieces, which also stick back to another place, some kind of direct restoration. Too long and tedious, and when you lose patience and try to speed up the process, you start scratching the plastic.
The best sticks to use are:
There is even a professional tool, although it was developed not for removing the film from the window, but for cleaning glass ceramics:
I did not have to work with them, but most likely it will not be so useful in oval and hard-to-reach places.
2 Hot air from a hair dryer
First tried with a hair dryer, but it doesn't give such a powerful flow and overheats quickly, so I had to ask for a professional hair dryer with a tip. The action is simple, you need to warm up the remaining film, and then tear it off.
Things went faster when they began to use sticks and a hair dryer at the same time, the film actually, when warmed up, it was easier to remove, but here's the inconvenience - it burns your hands.
The hair dryer is good when you remove the film from a new window and in large pieces to pull the edge and warm the place that has not yet been removed.
3 Solvent liquid
You just need to apply the solvent to the film and wait until it softens, then use either a rag or a sponge, or all the same sticks or blades.
It can be used as ordinary solvents, such as white spirit, 646 and others, but first you need to try on a hidden piece of the window so as not to dissolve the plastic. Or use a professional solvent, like this industrial one:
The use of a conventional solvent is such a stink that even an open window does not help, but it does not dissolve the film, but only makes it softer and only along the edges it leaves well.
A professional solvent with a smell (we had an orange), so it doesn’t really stink, but the dissolution products still have to be inhaled, and it dissolves the film not much better than usual, despite the fact that its price per bottle is about 1000 rubles.
5 Eraser - an elastic band for erasing a pencil.
Absolutely useless thing, unless you need to remove the film no larger than a fingernail.
6 Soap solution using a stiff brush
I also tested this method, it cuts off only the edges of the film, and the main part holds. But it removes the glue itself well when the film is torn off.
After the plastic windows have been installed, you must immediately remove the protective film. Many do not pay attention to it and believe that it will protect the windows for a while. In fact, if you delay this matter, then there will be problems in removing it, because over time it begins to crack and burst, which does not add beauty to the windows.When and why should you remove window film?
It is customary to install windows without removing the film. Manufacturers recommend removing the film within 10 days of window installation. You need to know that the protective film consists of 2 layers glued together. The manufacturer's advertisement is usually placed on the first layer, and the second is tightly glued to the surface of the frame. If it is not removed in time, then under the influence of heat and the sun, the glue thickens and sticks firmly to the surface. The front layer can still be removed, but the bottom layer will be removed in pieces.3 ways to remove old film from plastic windows
If it was no longer possible to remove the film in time, now you have to work hard. There are several proven ways to remove film from windows.1 way
It will take patience and effort. To remove, you need a blade or a thin sharp knife. It is necessary to pry the film with this object and tear off the protruding ends with your hands. And so on until complete removal.Then the remaining glue is removed from the surface. It is erased with an ordinary eraser. You can also use a sponge and detergent wipe the frame until completely clean.
2 way
This method is suitable if the bottom layer is not "tightly" stuck. To do this, you need a building hair dryer or even one that is used for drying hair, but powerful. They heat the surface of the film and use a thin scraper to remove it. Residues of glue are washed off with detergents.How to use various tools remove the old film from the PVC window, you can clearly see it in the video:
3 way
Here, a steam cleaner is used to remove the film. The film is thoroughly heated with steam, then removed from the frame with a glass scraper. To get rid of the glue on the frame, it is best to use white spirit. It washes off the glue well without damaging plastic surface. If it is not possible to completely remove it, then you can impregnate the film with a cloth dipped in white spirit.Film remover for plastic windows
Not all products can be used to remove the film as they may damage the surface. Denatured alcohol, that is, industrial alcohol, is considered effective and does not damage the surface of PVC.To treat the surface Denatured alcohol should be poured into a sprayer and sprayed with a film, do nothing for about 5 minutes. Then its edge must be pry with a thin knife and gently pull the film. She must pull out. Spray again and pull off the remaining film. So until the entire film is removed.
If you wish, you can purchase a specialized product - a natural cleaner and stain remover Starwax. It is enough to spray it on the film, wait a few minutes and remove it with a scraper. As a bonus, the product has a pleasant aroma of orange peel.
In order not only to remove the film, but also traces of glue, it is suggested to use any car body cleaner:
How to remove the film from the plastic window sill?
To remove the film from windows and from the windowsill, the same methods are used. The fastest and most effective is the removal protective material using special means"Admiral", which is produced specifically for PVC surfaces:- Wet window sill.
- Hold for 5-7 minutes.
- Take out the glass ceramic scraper and use it to scrape off the film.
Video: How to remove the protective film from PVC windows?
The video shows how the remnants of the old protective film are removed in a very simple and original way:So, in order not to bother yourself with the work of removing the old film, you need to immediately remove it after installing the windows. Then there will be no difficulties - it can be easily removed, you just need to pull a little. It should be understood that such a film is intended to protect materials only during transportation.
