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What Is The Best Way To Remove Plasti Dip?
If you have ever used plasti dip on your car and had issues with removing it you know how frustrating it can be to remove from your car especially if you have had it on your vehicle for a long time. If the plasti dip was not applied in multiple layers it can be tough to remove from a car because it won’t want to tear off the surface of the car. In this case, it’s best to use an adhesive remover to help remove it from your car.
What’s The Easiest Way To Remove Plasti Dip?
1. Peel Off The Plasti Dip
By far the easiest way to remove plasti dip is to peel it off if possible. If the plasti dip was applied correctly it should have been applied in multiple layers.
Applying the plasti dip in layers makes removing the plasti dip easier because you can just peel off the plasti dip off instead of having to use any chemicals and a scraper to remove the plasti dip.
Peeling off the plasti dip is also safer for your car’s paint instead of using chemicals and tools to remove the plasti dip. To attempt peel off the plasti dip you want to start by lifting up one corner of the body panel that you are trying to remove the plasti dip from using your fingers.
Once you have a corner lifted (like removing a sticker) you want to slowly lift up on the plasti dip taking care to not rip or break the plasti dip into pieces. If you rip the layer of plasti dip it’s not the end of the world but the more you can take off at one time the easier it will be to peel it all off.
After you’ve removed the large pieces of plasti dip there may be some small pieces of plasti dip that still will need to be removed by hand but that part should be easy.
If you’re having trouble removing the plasti dip by peeling it off you may need to resort to other methods to effectively remove it. Not applying enough plasti dip from the onset may make peeling it off impossible.
2. Use Goo Gone
Goo Gone is the most effective chemical that can be used to remove plasti dip if you aren’t able to peel it away.
When I first used plasti dip I didn’t apply enough of it to be able to peel it off in layers. I had to apply goo gone to the plasti dip and then used a microfiber towel to then wipe away the plasti dip from the surface of my cars paint.
Goo Gone (link to Amazon) works to break down the plasti dip and turns it to a gooey substance that can then be removed by using a microfiber towel.
The safer (for your paint) method would be to spray the goo gone on the area you want to remove and wait for 5 minutes to allow the goo gone to begin to break down the plasti dip. Once the Goo Gone has had a chance to do its thing you can then remove the plasti dip with a soft microfiber towel.
I’d recommend washing your car using soap and water at this point to remove any goo gone that may be remaining on the surface as you don’t want to leave it sitting on your car’s paint.
After you’ve washed your car you would then want to apply a new coat of wax or paint sealant to help protect your paint job.
Anytime you use chemicals to remove anything from the surface of your car you will want to apply a new layer of wax or paint sealant to help protect your paint. Neglecting to do so will leave your paint unprotected from the sun’s UV rays and any contaminants that may stick to your car’s paint.
3. Use WD – 40
Let’s say you don’t have goo gone on hand but you do have some WD-40 lying around. Well, you are in luck because WD-40 can also be used to remove plasti dip.
To remove plasti dip using WD-40 is very similar in the method using Goo Gone. If you don’t already have WD-40 you can also buy it on Amazon (link to Amazon).
If you didn’t buy WD-40 already in a spray bottle you will need to use the spray nozzle from the WD-40 can to insert the WD-40 into the spray bottle. You could use the spray nozzle from the can to spray WD-40 onto your car to remove plasti dip but it won’t spray the WD-40 evenly and will waste some of the WD-40.
After you have applied the WD-40 to the plasti dip that you are trying to remove let it sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the WD-40 enough time to break down the plasti dip. Once you’ve given the WD-40 enough time to break up the plasti dip you can then wipe away the plasti dip using a soft microfiber towel.
While removing plasti dip from paint it’s important to use a soft towel and not something that has the risk of scratching your car’s paint job. The last thing you want is to remove the plasti dip and have all sorts of scratches leftover from removing the plasti dip.
Once you’ve removed all of the plasti dip that you can using WD-40 and there is no longer any plasti dip remaining it’s important to wash off the remaining WD-40 and apply a wax or paint sealant. While WD-40 is safe to use on paint you don’t want to let it sit on there forever.
After you’ve washed your car and removed any remaining plasti dip and WD-40 from the surface you’d then want to apply your favorite car wax or sealant to protect your car’s paint.
4. Use Paint Thinner
The most aggressive and last resort to remove plasti dip is by using paint thinner. Paint thinner should be your last resort when removing plasti dip that covers paint because paint thinner can also remove the clear coat and paint on your car if it’s left to sit on the surface long enough.
If you don’t care about the paint surface under the plasti dip then paint thinner is fine to use to remove plasti dip. Just know you are risking damaging your paint any time you put paint thinner on it.
The process to apply paint thinner to remove plasti dip is a little bit different than the process to apply Goo Gone and WD-40. With paint thinner start by applying a little bit of paint thinner to an old rag and then use the rag to apply the paint thinner to the plasti dip you’d like to remove.
Because it’s paint thinner you only want to leave it on the surface of the plasti dip for a few seconds before wiping it off and then trying to remove the plasti dip. You don’t want to let the paint thinner eat through the plasti dip and into your car’s clear coat because your clear coat is what protects your car’s paint.
After you’ve removed all of the plasti dip from your car using paint thinner you would want to give your car a good wash to remove any leftover paint thinner that may be left behind. After you’ve washed your car you can then go ahead and apply a fresh layer of wax or paint sealant.
What’s The Safest Way To Remove Plasti Dip?
1. Tear Plasti Dip Off
If you put enough coats of plasti dip onto your vehicle then you should be able to remove the plasti dip in sheets that you can just pull off. You would want to go to an edge of your vehicle panel and try to get your fingernail underneath the plasti dip so that you can begin to remove it by pulling on it.
Once you get an area started you should be able to pull on the plasti dip so that it comes off sort of like a plastic wrap or saran wrap coming off of your food.
Hopefully, you applied enough plasti dip to the surface of your car when you were originally applying it as being able to tear the plasti dip off of your car is going to be the optimal way to remove it. If you, however, did not apply enough plasti dip to allow it to be torn off in sheets you may need to look at using something to help you remove it.
2. Isopropyl Alcohol
If you are not able to remove plasti dip from your vehicle by ripping it off in sheets by hand you would want to look at using a chemical to help break down the plasti dip to allow you to remove it with a towel. You would want to start by using a chemical that won’t harm the surface of your paint and then move on to chemicals that would be more abrasive to your paint if you are not able to remove the plasti dip the first go around.
I personally would try to use the least abrasive chemical that you can and then just use a bit of elbow grease to remove the plasti dip. It may take you longer to remove the plasti dip than if you were using paint thinner but it will also ensure that you don’t damage the surface of your paint on your car.
One chemical that you can use to help remove plasti dip is isopropyl alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol should be safe to your paint but you would want to be sure to re-apply a wax coating to your paint surface that you apply the isopropyl alcohol to as it will strip any wax that you had previously applied.
Depending on how long you had the plasti dip on that surface it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to apply a new wax coating anyway.
3. Goo Gone Method
If you did not put enough layers of plasti dip down when you originally applied it to your vehicle you may have issues with removing the plasti dip by ripping it off in sheets. If the layer of plasti dip is too thin the plasti dip will just tear when you go to rip off a sheet of plasti dip.
If this is the case with your car you may want to resort to using chemicals to help remove the plasti dip from your paint surface or wheels.
One way you can go about removing the plasti dip is by using goo gone to help loosen the plasti dip so that you can then scrape it off of the surface of your paint or wheels. You can buy goo gone from most grocery stores.
Once you have waited a bit you can begin to try to wipe away the plasti dip from the surface of your car using a towel or other soft object. You would want to use a soft object like a towel to begin with to help protect your paint from scratches.
If you are not able to remove the plasti dip with a towel you can begin to use other tools to remove the plasti dip from your paint. You would want to use a tool that is not going to scratch the surface of your paint if possible.
4. WD-40 Method
Like the goo gone method, you can use WD-40 to apply to the plasti dip to allow the WD-40 to break down the plasti dip to allow you to remove it easier. You can buy WD-40 from most general stores or auto parts stores if you do not currently have any laying around in your garage.
You can find WD-40 at most retailers in the home or automotive section.
5. Paint Thinner
Some people online would recommend using paint thinner to allow you to remove the plasti dip from your vehicle. I would advise against using paint thinner on any painted surface of your car to remove plasti dip. Sure paint thinner may do a good job of removing plasti dip from your vehicle but it may also damage your paint by also removing your clear coat or even going down into the surface of the paint.
Using paint thinner to remove plasti dip from your vehicle should only be done as a last resort if you exhausted all of your options because of the potential harm that you can cause to your paint.
6. After Removing Plasti Dip
It’s important that you re-apply something to protect the surface of your paint if you used a chemical to help you strip plasti dip from the surface of your vehicle. If you use any chemicals to strip plasti dip from your vehicle then it is likely that it also stripped your wax off the surface of your paint as well, especially if you used isopropyl alcohol.
You would want to apply a new coat of car wax or a sealant to allow your paint to be protected otherwise all you will have between mother nature and your paint would be your clear coat which is not good news for your clear coat.
Additional Plasti Dip Removal Tips
It’s important that you remove all of the plasti dip from your vehicle when you want to reverse it back to its natural state. If you leave the plasti dip on your vehicle for a long time it can begin to become somewhat permanent and will take a lot more effort to get off in the future if you don’t remove it now.
You would want to check any other areas that may have had plasti dip accidentally sprayed on them in the application process to make sure that you remove any traces of plasti dip from those areas as well. This would include tail lights, emblems, and any nooks and crevices.
When I attempted to apply plasti dip to my car’s spoiler I did not do a very good job of masking off the other surfaces that I did not want to apply plasti dip to. Because of this, I over-sprayed the plasti dip onto my tail lights and trunk emblems which I had to go back and remove.
It’s important when applying plasti dip to your vehicle that you make sure that you do a good job of masking of areas that you do not want to have sprayed with plasti dip so that you don’t accidentally overspray plasti dip in those areas.
Related Questions
What removes plasti dip from rims? The tips I mentioned above will also work for removing plasti dip from your rims. Removing it from your wheels should be easier as wheel paint is usually tougher and is not as prone to scratching as is the paint used to paint a car.
How do you wash plasti dip? Washing and maintaining plasti dip is pretty much the same as washing normal car paint. You just want to be more careful about the chemicals and water pressure you would use to wash your car. Plasti dip is not as strong as car paint so it will be more susceptible to wear and tear.
It’s also a good idea to try to remove bird droppings and tree sap from your car in a timely manner. If you allow bird droppings or tree sap to sit in the sun on your car long enough it will embed into the car paint and you won’t be able to remove it.
Will a car wash remove plasti dip? A car wash will not remove plasti dip if you are gentle but using a high powered spray nozzle can put a hole in the plasti dip layer if you are not careful. If you use a power washer at home it’s best to use a spray nozzle that has a wide spray pattern as it will have less of a chance of causing damage than a spray nozzle that shoots water in a fine point.
When can I wash my car after plasti dip? Once plasti dip has dried you should be able to wash your car the next day. It’s best to let it cure in the sun for a while to make sure that’s it’s actually dry. Once you know it’s fully dry you should be fine to go ahead and wash your car.
How long will plasti dip last? Plasti dip can last for a few years provided that you take care of it. Over time it’s likely that you will get rock chips and knicks on the surface like you would with normal car paint. At that point, you have the option of removing it or reapplying a new coat.
Can you plasti dip over old plasti dip? With any paint or product that acts like paint, it’s best to strip the surface and flatten it out before you apply a new coat. Not properly prepping a painted surface does not result in a good paint job. Any irregularities that are not removed or sanded down will show through the paint or plasti dip in this case. That’s why it’s best to completely remove any old plasti dip before applying new.
Is plasti dip safe on car paint? Yes, plasti dip is safe for your car paint. It is essentially a rubber adhesive that you spray onto the surface of your car paint. It can protect your car’s paint to a degree from the sun and car scratches but it not permanent.
In Conclusion
Plasti dip can sometimes be tough to remove from your vehicle especially if it has been on your vehicle for a long time. If you did not apply enough layers of plasti dip when you first applied it this can also make it difficult to remove from your vehicle because it will not be easily removed by tearing it off.
If you applied enough layers of plasti dip when you first applied the plasti dip to your vehicle it should be easy enough to remove by just ripping it off in sheets.
If you need assistance in removing plasti dip from your vehicle you can use chemicals to help you remove it but you would want to make sure that you re-apply some sort of wax or sealant if you use any sort of chemicals to remove plasti dip from your vehicle.
If you don’t like to wax your vehicle frequently I would recommend applying a coat of ceramic coating. It has all the benefits of car wax but is semi-permanent and lasts for about a year. To learn more about ceramic coating and how it can benefit your vehicle check out my other article here.