So my wife and I just bought a new old car, a 1989 Volvo 240 DL. (Any Volvo owners in the house? Boy, does this thing drive smoothly!)

We got it off Craigslist for a song, but there’s some work to be done on it, of course. The only thing we’ve been able to do ourselves is tackle the old, crusty bumper stickers on the rear fender. This, I felt was important because, hey, though I do like Eric Clapton, he certainly is no God.

Today’s tips come from the site I used to remove them. If you haven’t heard, it’s called eHow.com, and if you poke around enough, you’ll find directions for just about everything (yes, including how to get over a break-up). After the jump, you’ll find their excellent bumper sticker removal directions:

1. Spray the sticker with a lubricant such as WD-40, and try to peel it off. If this doesn’t work, proceed to step 2. (Image 1)

2. Soften the adhesive with heat from a blow dryer.

3. Start to peel off a corner of the sticker while continuing to apply heat, or gently scrape off the sticker with a rubber spatula or a putty knife with its metal blade wrapped in duct tape. Do not use a razor blade; it can scratch paint and bumpers. (Image 2)

4. Wipe the remains of the sticker away with a soft, lint-free rag dampened with rubbing alcohol. (Image 3)

5. Buff the bumper or panel with a polishing compound and a fresh coat of wax to complete the job. (Image 4)