Tree sap removal, what can i use?

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spitshine1

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Hi Everyone,
I need some help. What is the safest way to remove tree sap.
I left my my car outside last night and in was parked under a Ceder Tree.
I have about 15 drops of sap on the roof of the car.
I just washed it and clayed the roof panel.
THe clay is not touching it.
Can I use turpentine, then wax over, or is there something better out there?
 
Tree sap is tough and can take time to dissolve with most safe cleaners.

If the sap is hard warming it will ease the task of removal. A hair dryer or hot water will do nicely speeding up the process.

The way I approach this is to take a "plastic razor blade" and skim off as much of the sap as possible then wet a cotton cloth with turpentine or paint thinner carefully rubbing the area until the sap is completely dissolved.

Once all the sap is gone thoroughly wash the area and treat it as if it were a fresh detail. While you may not need all the steps below this is the basic order of operation.

  • Wash
  • Clay
  • Compound
  • Polish
  • Sealant
  • Wax
 
My favorite is Turpentine. I soak a small piece of cotton with it and set it on the sap blob. It's generally dissolved after five or ten minutes. And it has never damaged ANY automotive paint that I have used it on. But one word of warning. I have never used it on DrColorchip or any other type of touchup paint, so I don't know if Turpentine will remove it.
After removing the sap wax or treat as you normally would any paint surface with no wax on it.
 
my fav thing to use on pine sap(the kind that gets on my mom's car every week) is tarminator. nothing else even comes close to working as good!
 
If you don't have any of the above products, IPA works well too. If I'm out of tarminator then I will use IPA diluted. Put some on let it sit for about 30 seconds and then rub with a MF. If it's especially hard then a plastic razor blade and IPA.
 
Fuel line antifreeze. If this is something you have never heard of, you're probably not Canadian :) I've used it a lot, without causing any harm to the paint.
 
oldmodman said:
My favorite is Turpentine. I soak a small piece of cotton with it and set it on the sap blob. It's generally dissolved after five or ten minutes. And it has never damaged ANY automotive paint that I have used it on. But one word of warning. I have never used it on DrColorchip or any other type of touchup paint, so I don't know if Turpentine will remove it.
After removing the sap wax or treat as you normally would any paint surface with no wax on it.
Click to expand...
I also like Zylene. It is used for curing concrete. It removes tar also. Do not use a rag. I put on a cheap rubber glove and gently rub the sap. It will break down rather quick then wipe with a micro fiber. Aooly wax afterwards!
 
Poor Boy's Bug Squash or a Tar Remover. Bug Squash is one of my favorite products this time of year. Works great on cicada's
 
spitshine1 said:
1. What is the safest way to remove tree sap.
2. I left my my car outside last night and in was parked under a Ceder Tree.
3. I have about 15 drops of sap on the roof of the car.
4. Can I use turpentine,
5. then wax over,
6. or is there something better out there?
Click to expand...

1. As BobbyG and oldmodman alluded to: Turpentine
2. Good deal--your car was not subjected to the daytime heat and the sun's rays--sap removal should be easier.
3. Check the other surfaces...especially the horizontal ones
4. Yes. {But as always--TEST SPOT your SAP SPOTS} :) Soak your cloth really good and lay it on the sap drops for a reasonable duration (sap softens) and rub as gently as possible in one direction for best removal practices.
5. Definitely wash, dry, polish if needed (applicable if the sap has not already eaten through the clear and/or basecoat--sounds like you can catch yours before this happens), and your LSP
6. There are probably many, none better than Tupentine, IMO

*Remember tree sap tends to "dry up", for a better lack of terms, and leaves behind turpentine's base---Turpene (that's your 'spots'). "Like for Like", or, in this scenario, "Like against Like"

Hope this helps.

Bob
 
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