This is the time of year when Chicagoans have to put on new city stickers on their cars. In the past, removing the old sticker from the window was always a big chore for me. I used WD40 spray and a razor to get the old one off and it was a real pain: spray-scrape-spray-scrape. Then I would use window cleaner and clean off the oily residue from the window before affixing the new sticker. It was hard and messy.

Recently I heard someone say all they did was apply a hot, wet rag against the old sticker and that it practically slid off the window. So I thought I’d try it this morning and, voila! It worked. No fuss and little mess. I can’t believe how easy it was. So I want to pass the tip on to you.

Simply take a hot wet rag (I took a small bucket of hot water with me to keep the rag wet and hot) and hold it against the old sticker for about a minute. The old sticker should pretty much come off. After that, simply scrub the remaining gummy residue with the wet rag and it should come right off, too. I hardly had to use the razor blade at all. And to think of all the years when I over-engineered this annual chore! Who knew that all along, all I had to do was just add water?