Have you ever notice the dangling tree branch looming menacingly over your neatly parked car? You return, lo, and behold your car gets splashed with tree sap. How to remove the sap without damaging the paint can become a headache, especially if it has dried.
Ordinarily, sap from trees would not damage your car paint and can get wiped clean easily. The difficulties and problem arises when get dried and rigid. This time, the fluid can seep through the paint coat, which would taint the car surface, making it problematic to remove.
To remove sap from a car can be quite difficult, and if not done diligently can cause permanent markings. Sometimes even if you take the car to a manual or automated car wash, there not much changes.
Read on to find the best methods on how to remove tree sap from your car.
How to Remove Tree Sap From Car with Hot Water and Detergent
This reasonably secure method may not be sufficient in all situations, but it is an excellent method to attempt first. Do this as soon as you notice the sap fluid on your vehicle.
The faster you get it clean, the lesser work you will do. As regards sap on cars, using hot water is a wise choice. To remove the sap with this method follow the steps below
Step 1: Clean Your Car Immediately
As long as the tree sap is left to stay on the car surface, the harder it would be to remove. Acting quick will provide the most success, and minor exertion would be required to have your car shining again.
When your car gets washed, the noticeable dirt will get rinsed out, and you can know where to work. Bring out time to give your vehicle an excellent scrub down even if the entire body is not affected.
Step 2: Scrub the Exterior with a Microfiber Wiper
Immerse the Microfiber material in hot sudsy water and then use it to scrub the surface of the car. Use a clean wipe cloth and wash off often, failure to do this would mean spreading dirt through the surface.
Step 3: Wash off Frequently, Dry and Wax the top
Washing off and rinsing the surface of the affected will help you to know if your work is complete or not. If it is not, you would need additional elbow lubricant to remove the sap.
After rinsing, dry the area, and then wax the surface after the sap is gotten rid of. The reason is that the cleansing has removed the sap cleaned but also washed off the wax on the surface.
Follow the usual way you wax. If you have not done it before, you can check how to wax a car youtube site. It is easy to learn and carry out and it adds a sparkling touch to the car surface.
How to Remove Tree Sap From Car with Commercial Remover
These processes are similar to the first, but in this method, you will be using a commercial remover. This method is one of the best ways on how to remove tree sap from car without damaging paint. Read on let’s to know how to get it done.
Step 1: Use Detergent and Hot Water to Wash Your Car
Using Hot water and soap to wash your vehicle helps loosen the hardness of the sap. No worries if you do not get a desired outcome. You should continue with other steps.
Step 2: Use Commercial Remover and Clean Cloth to Wipe the Surface
Sourcing for the remover is easy as it is readily obtainable from auto parts shops. Making use of this kind of remover is a great way of ridding your car from sap. Such removers help to soften sap without damaging the surface of your vehicle.
Apply the remover to the cloth and clean in a round motion. While holding the fabric, apply pressure softly for a few minutes, this helps reduce the contact between sap and surface. Do this without force so as not to spread the sap fluid around.
Step 3: Round-Up by Rinsing and Waxing
Wash your car to get rid of remnant dirt and debris from the sap or cleaner. Coat your vehicle with a fresh round of wax to help replenish the protective layer of the car surface. Waxing helps make your car look appealing and sparkling.
How to Remove Tree Sap From Car with Home Remedies
Don’t have access to an auto parts shop? Not to worry, there are standard everyday products we use in our homes that can perform great. These solutions help remove stubborn sap compacted on a vehicle.
Do well to test first on a hidden part of the car to confirm that it won’t damage the car paint.
1. Thoroughly Wash Your Car with Hot Water and Soap
Washing helps make sure all the debris on the vehicle and around the sap area gets wiped clean. If this doesn’t make any visible difference, no worries, move ahead with the other steps. This method also helps soften the hardened sap.
2. Make Use of Lubricants and Alcohol
Take a dry clean cloth and soak with alcohol, apply on the sap, and gently make circular scrubbing motions. Do this to break down the sap fluid until it completely disappears. Do not rub for too long because too much alcohol can ruin the car paint and coating.
After cleaning, use soap and water to rinse off the area to remove any evidence of alcohol.
The lubricant can be used together with the alcohol or can be applied alone. To help remove sap, you can also apply a generous quantity of WD-40 to the sap marred area. Let it sit for a while to help loosen the sap. Afterward, scrub off and rinse with soap and clean water.
3. More Home Remedies
- You can also make use of alcohol wipes and mineral spirits, but these should be applied separately. Using the steps mentioned above, try out with mineral spirits. If there is no luck, substitute 91% alcohol isopropyl for mineral spirits. Overall, if you are looking for how to remove tree sap from a car windshield, the mineral spirits will work great.
- Get WD-40 and spray on the affected area. The sap would absorb the solvent. Let it sit awhile, and then gently use your clean cloth to remove the now free sap.
- Applying hand sanitizer is another readily available option.
4. Round-Up by Washing and Waxing Your Car
Washing the car would help remove hidden dirt and left out residue. If the solutions used would lead to the damage of the car paint, wiping it would help clean the solutions. We highly recommended giving your car a renewed protective wax coating.
Wrap Up
Outlined in this article are some of the best ways to remove tree sap from cars, windscreens, etc. Knowing what to do is important to get it done correctly without damaging the car paint.
Drop a comment if you have questions or suggestions on what to do to remove tree saps from vehicles.
Do not forget the basic necessary steps to tackle such a problem,
- Wash the car with hot water and soap
- Clean with solutions or a clean wet cloth
- Rinse off and wax
Remember taking good care of your vehicle doesn’t have to be a struggle.