Window Tint Contamination: How to Stop Bubbles and Specks Under Your Film (Video)

You lay the film, it looks perfect… then bubbles and little white specks show up under it. Most of the time that's not bad film. It's contamination: dust, lint or grit trapped between the film and the glass. Here's how to keep it out, in three steps.

Watch: Window Tint Contamination, 4 Ways to Stop Ruining Installs

Step 1: Prep the Outside of the Glass First

Scrub the glass with a blue scrub pad and clean everything the film might touch, like the door panel and the mirror. Do it even if the customer just washed the car.

Step 2: Do a Full Inside Prep

Roll the window down a little. Spray and flush it with slip solution, scrub the whole glass and wipe the top edge. Squeegee it out, then flush and squeegee one more time. Dirt hides in the seals and felts, so clean them or tape them off.

Step 3: Stay Clean While You Install

A lot of dirt gets in during the install itself, between the peel board and the glass. Keep the film and glass wet with clean slip solution, use clean tools and hands, and squeegee firmly from the center out to push out the water and air.

Water Pockets vs. Contamination: How to Tell the Difference

A few tiny water pockets right after an install are normal. They usually dry out as the film cures. Specks with dirt in the middle won't.

More on this topic: Why does window tint bubble? and how to fix finger bubbles after installation.

Practice It Hands-On

Want to practice clean installs with an instructor next to you? See the full Tint Academy class schedule for 2-day hands-on window tint certification across Canada and the USA.