ADHESIVES Bumper stickers from 2004 election create a messy situation

Using water won't remove stickers, one expert says.
SCRIPPS HOWARD
The election is over, but reminders of the candidates are still hanging around on the backs of vehicles.
If you don't want that bumper sticker to become a permanent testimonial to your 2004 choice, it's a good idea to remove it soon, said John Emerson, a senior scientist at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M. He specializes in adhesives.
"When bumper stickers stay on a car for a long time, the adhesive polymer can change composition, which can make the hold stronger and make it much harder to remove," Emerson said.
"If it's on a plastic bumper, that's bad news. On metal you can take it off with a razor blade. Plastic ones, if you try that, you'll probably end up damaging the bumper so much that it won't be worth it."
People with 2004 stickers are most likely still safe if they want to remove stickers in the next several weeks, he said.
His strategy
While this adhesives guru has never removed a bumper sticker from his own car -- he has never put one on -- he has developed a strategy for removing stickers from discount items that his wife buys, and the stickers are about the same, he said.
"If you want to remove a sticker at home there are three steps: Peel slowly, peel straight back at a 180-degree angle and do it on a warm day because the adhesives become less sticky," Emerson explained.
Bumper stickers in the scientific world, by the way, are called "pressure-sensitive adhesives," he said.
If it's not a hot day, you can try warming the sticker with a hair dryer before pulling it off. Soaking the sticker, on the other hand, won't make a difference, Emerson said.
"The adhesives they use on bumper stickers are made to resist water," he said. "So that just doesn't do any good."
Some companies make special solutions that can help the process along, said Julie Beottler, a saleswoman at AutoZone in Albuquerque.
"We have a product called Sticker Shock that sells for $2.99," she said. "You just spray it, leave it on for a couple of seconds, then scrape it off. Then you spray it on the leftover stuff and scrape that off. I've used it, and it works well."
Rumor has it a quick spray from the ever-present can of WD-40 will work just as effectively, she added.
Plastic bumpers
Scraping also can be a nasty business on a plastic bumper. The Do It Yourself TV network Web site at www.diynet.com recommends using a plastic spatula for that job, as metal scrapers and blades will scratch the bumpers. It also suggests using rubbing alcohol and a cloth to remove remaining glue residue after the sticker is removed.
Of course, working at Sandia, Emerson said he can easily avoid such dilemmas.
"Well, here we have special solvent solutions that can remove just about anything," he said with a laugh. "Outside the lab, for people at home, they might want to start removing those political stickers soon, while it's still easy."