Slapping a bumper sticker on the back of your car is often a spur-of-the-moment decision that you may come to regret. Perhaps you no longer care for a brand you were once loyal to, or the political party you previously supported has let you down, or maybe a quote that represented you in your early 20s no longer suits your current life situation. Perhaps you would simply prefer the clean look of an unadorned bumper.

Whatever the case, removing a bumper sticker can be hard work. Years in the sun can bake on the glue in the sticker, causing it to be nearly impossible to remove or worse still, tear messily as you try to pull it off.

Instead of putting up with an ugly bumper, try this simple trick. Get a hair dryer or a heat gun and blast the bumper sticker with hot air for about 60 seconds, then carefully attempt to remove the bumper sticker by pulling it up at one corner. If all goes to plan, this might be enough to cause the bumper sticker to peel off cleanly.

If it’s still stuck on, then try blasting it with hot air for a little longer, pulling it up gently at the same time. Soon enough, the heat should cause the glue to soften, alllowing the sticker to be pulled off cleanly.

Take a look inside the latest issue of Handyman for more DIY tips and ideas.