Nearly every sticker that won't stay put is losing to the surface it's on. Adhesive can only bond to what it touches, and on most failed stickers that's dust, oil, moisture, or a surface it was never going to grip well.
Start here: clean the spot
Wipe the exact spot with isopropyl alcohol and let it dry completely. Don't use glass cleaner, which can leave a film that keeps the adhesive from gripping, or a damp cloth, which leaves the surface wet. This fixes more stickers than anything else. The rest of the method is in how to apply a sticker so it stays on.
Find what you're seeing
| What's happening | Usual cause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Never really grabbed | Dust, oil, wax, or polish on the surface | Clean with isopropyl alcohol and let it dry |
| Looked fine, lifted within weeks | It bonded to a film of grime, or the edges weren't pressed | Clean, then press hard, edges especially |
| Won't grab in winter or outdoors | Cold adhesive barely flows | Applying stickers in the cold |
| Slides off cold drinks or fridge containers | Condensation | Freezer and fridge |
| Touches only in spots, lifts at the corners | Texture or powder coat | Powder-coated and textured surfaces |
| Lets go of a tub, bag, cooler, or case | A low-energy plastic | Stickers on plastic |
| Edges spring up on a bottle or tube | The curve is too tight for the size | Curved surfaces |
| Came off after washing | Washed before the bond set | How long adhesive takes to set |
| Won't stay on a phone case or bottle sleeve | Silicone or rubber | Nothing holds; stick it somewhere hard |
| Wrinkles on a soft bottle | The bottle flexes | Squeeze bottles |
Peeling at the edges
Lifting nearly always starts at an edge. Press the edges firmly with a fingernail or a plastic card when the sticker goes on. Choose rounded corners, which lift less than sharp ones. When you clean a sticker, wipe across it, not into its edges. Somewhere that rubs it all day, like a pocket, a strap, or a wiper blade, will wear any edge up eventually.
A corner that has lifted and picked up dirt won't stick down again for long. A dab of glue holds it for a while; a fresh sticker on a clean surface is the real fix.
Surfaces stickers aren't made for
Fabric and clothing don't work: adhesive can't grip a weave, and the first wash ends it. Rough brick, unsealed concrete, and raw wood are porous and dusty. Fresh paint has to cure before anything sticks to it; see stickers on painted walls.
When to switch to High-Tack
If you've cleaned, warmed, pressed, and waited, and a sticker still lifts on a rough, textured, powder-coated, or low-energy plastic surface, choose High-Tack Stickers: the same print with a much stronger adhesive. High-Tack won't fix a dirty or wet surface, though, and nothing else will either. See when you need High-Tack vinyl.
If it still won't stick, tell us what it's going on, with a photo if you can, at team@stickymade.com or in live chat.