Some of the laptop stickers that come with laptops are nothing more than eye candy. They bear little value to anything other than the brand of the laptop. Other stickers are important and contain pertinent information about the laptop. Removing them should be a careful consideration.
At least two or three laptop stickers are going to contain important information, such as the model and year of the laptop, model number, SID number, QR codes, and similar numbers that might come in handy when you least expect it.
Those are the kinds of stickers you don’t want to remove, especially if you have the notion you might sell the laptop one day.
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Are Laptop Stickers Removable?
Laptop stickers are not designed to be easily removable but you can get them off with a little effort. Laptop manufacturers use a powerful adhesive underneath each sticker that will take a good bit of soaking, peeling, and wiping to fully remove.
One thing is certain, though laptop stickers are difficult to get up, they get even more difficult to remove the longer they remain on the laptop. That goes for all the stickers since manufacturers tend to use the same or similar strength adhesives across the board.
The more aggravating stickers are stuck inside indentions on the laptop. It’s almost as if the manufacturers knew you wouldn’t want this glossy, ridiculous logo sticker on your laptop, so they stuck it in an indention. You can almost hear their mischievous, diabolical laughter.
The thing is, if you have a little patience and time on your hands, you can get rid of almost any sticker if you want to. Also, you should have the right tools for the job.
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How to Cleanly Remove Laptop Stickers
When it comes to cleanly removing laptop stickers, there are two main issues you’ll face; peeling the stickers from the laptop and removing the residue that’s left behind once the sticker has been peeled off.
To peel the sticker you can use a strong fingernail, a razor or you can heat the sticker up first to soften the adhesive.
To remove the leftover residue, you can use a chemical or natural solution.
Using A Razor Blade And Adhesive Remover
Many people have success peeling the stickers gently, either with a fingernail or razor, and using a small bit of an adhesive remover like Goo Gone. Let it soak a little before wiping and then repeat as needed. Be very careful using any type of chemicals on your laptop as they could begin to dissolve the actual plastic on the surface of your device.
Less is more when it comes to adhesive removers and you don’t want to let them soak for long.
If you need to use a razor blade to lift the sticker, the same type of blades used in box cutters are pretty effective.
They’re small, easy to pinch between thumb and forefinger, and they offer the kind of angles you need to get under the sticker without carving your way into the plastic. The easiest method is to very carefully angle your razor blade at about 10° to 15° and slide it into a corner of the sticker.
Be very careful not to nick or scrape the surface of your laptop.
When you can’t push it any farther, as the blade starts getting stuck in the adhesive, lift the back of the razor up to curl up the sticker. Grap the sticker handle you just created and pull. If it comes apart, that’s perfectly fine. Just use the razor blade to take it piece by piece.
Now, get a little water on your thumb or microfiber cloth and start rubbing up and down on the remaining adhesive. It will start to roll up in little cylinders. Lift and remove them as you go.
Using A Hairdryer And Eucalyptus Oil
If you are worried about using a razor blade, try heating up the sticker with a hairdryer, peeling it with a fingernail, and then using some eucalyptus oil and tissue to remove leftover residue.
When using a hairdryer, the sticker’s adhesive will soften before the surface of your laptop takes any damage. Be careful to heat it gently and evenly. Keep testing if the sticker will peel and stop the hairdryer as soon as the sticker will lift.
When to Leave Laptop Stickers On
You may want to leave a sticker on your laptop if it is a warranty seal sticker, license key, or serial number. Losing this information may make it difficult for you to make an insurance claim or to claim under warranty.
Sometimes, the necessity of that information on your computer is enough to justify leaving it on. Let’s say you want to register your laptop with the warranty that came with it. You’ll need those nearly microscopic numbers on there. You may need them for potential future repairs as well.
You may also consider selling your laptop in the future. It’s always a good idea to have the informative stickers still on the laptop when it comes time to exchange hands. The new owner will want to know that they’re getting what they paid for.
Conclusion
While laptop stickers aren’t designed to come off, at least not easily, you can remove them on your own with a razor blade and a little patience.
A little elbow grease is required for the adhesive part, but it leaves a nice, big, blank spot for your own stickers. If you want them.
