9 Ways To Protect Bumper Stickers From Fading And Peeling?

A bumper sticker is a sticker bearing an important message and is designed to be attached to a vehicle.

That way, other vehicle owners, pedestrians, and neighborhood passers-by can see and read. 

Bumper stickers typically promote the vehicle owners’ positions, philosophies, religious beliefs, and commercial ventures, as the case may be.

In the United States particularly, many people find the use of bumper stickers important. 

If you are one of those people, we have got something that could be of help.

In this article, we have curated a list of 9 tips that can help protect your bumper stickers from fading and peeling. Let’s dive right in. 

1. Clean The Surface Before Application

One of the most important things to do in applying your bumper sticker or any sticker at all is to clean the surface. If the surface is dirty, dusty, or wet, the bumper stickers will have a pretty hard time staying glued to the surface. 

That’s because the dirt will continuously weaken the stickers and cause them to peel off within a rather short period.

So, if you want your bumper stickers to last long, try wiping down the surface with a clean rag. If you notice a stubborn dentist, don’t hesitate to get some soap and wipe it clean. 

A clean surface increases the chances of your bumper stickers’ longevity by a ton. Don’t sleep on it. 

2. Choose Smooth Surfaces

If you are going to use bumper stickers on your car, you are better off choosing a flat surface rather than rough edges and bumpy areas.

Putting your bumper stickers on uneven surfaces will not only reduce the appeal but will also result in wrinkles, causing them to peel off within a short period. 

To increase your bumper stickers’ longevity, go for flat and even surfaces like the bumper. The bumper is interestingly one of the least bumpy surfaces of the car; little wonder, the stickers are called number stickers. 

The rear glass window is also a very good spot for certain kinds of bumper stickers. 

Check out our article on the best places for bumper stickers. 

3. Use Acrylic Clear Coat

Acrylic clear coat products are very important tools for ensuring that your stickers do not peel prematurely. They will protect the bumper sticker from moisture, wetness, and inclement temperatures. 

We advise getting acrylic clear coat products with a matte finish, for your vehicle’s sake. It’s also recommended that you check in with a service center or trusted technician to be sure the clear coat won’t affect your car paint. 

4. Apply The Stickers Meticulously

When applying bumper stickers, you cannot afford to rush or lose focus.

While applying the stickers, it’s important that you do so gently and with much care. In the process, we recommend pressing down on the bumper stickers with your fingertips.

Why is this important? You might ask. Applying stickers on any surface at all means it could come with wrinkles and bubbles. And you don’t want that ugliness on your vehicle now, do you?

Firmly pressing down on the bumper stickers and smoothening with your fingers will help forestall the bubbles and stop them in their tracks. 

5. Use A Tacky Glue

If you want the bumper sticker on your vehicle for a very long time and you don’t want it to ever go away, a tacky glue might be the answer. 

It’s perfectly fine to have a bumper sticker with a message that you think is a classic and will always be relevant, even if you end up selling.

If you are looking to permanently apply a bumper sticker, you can spread a bit of glue to the stickers’ undersides before application. 

While applying, you can then smoothen the sticker with your fingertips or a small card. To get the very best results from this, ensure you have the sticker applied on a flat/even surface. 

By the way, we made a list of the best methods to remove bumper stickers in a separate article. 

6. Use A Clear Tape

If you are looking to apply bumper stickers to your vehicle without making things permanent, clear tape can help with that.

Get a large and crystalline packaging tape and tape it over the sticker. Afterward, get a pair of scissors and carefully cut around the sticker, leaving a tiny border at the edge. 

You can then apply the bumper stickers and smoothen them with your fingertips while you are at it. The result of this is a clear, firm, and non-permanent bumper sticker.

In other words, your sticker becomes firmer, more lucid, more attractive, and with an extra protective layer. And, unlike a permanent adhesive, you won’t have much trouble taking it out. 

Please be sure to get a waterproof and weather-resistant tape, if you are going with this option.  

7. Clean The Stickers Regularly

To keep your bumper stickers from fading and/or peeling, it’s important that you clean them regularly.

Dirt and debris always find a way to creep underneath the stickers, so regular cleaning will do the stickers a world of good. 

Cleaning the stickers regularly will also keep them looking fresh and legible for your road audience. 

8. Don’t Touch Or Peel The Stickers

This goes without saying, but if you want to prevent your bumper stickers from peeling off, avoid random contact as much as possible.

Unchecked contact will inevitably get the stickers dirty and cause them to peel off prematurely. 

We understand that some people have a mostly unconscious habit of peeling stickers off surfaces. If you are one of such people, the best thing to do is avoid resting on or staying close to your car when you are not driving it. 

Also, if you have toddlers around, you might want to keep any car with bumper stickers out of their reach.

9. Apply The Stickers In Warmer Temperatures

One way to make your bumper stickers stickier is to apply them during warm temperatures.

The adhesive on the back of the stickers gets even stickier when the temperature is warm and you should take advantage of that.

Experts say it’s best to apply the bumper stickers when the temperature is between 40-80 degrees Fahrenheit. 

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