# tar removal **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 23, 2000, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-removal/11047 "2000-04-23T07:48:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@chief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chief)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2000, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-removal/11047/1 "2000-04-23T07:48:00Z")
how do i remove tar from the bottom of my shoes i scraped most of it off already… ugh, the smell is horrible! * * * Check out my site: [Chief’s Domain](http://qfg.tierranet.com) ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2000, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-removal/11047/2 "2000-04-23T09:48:00Z")
WD-40 You can also get Bug & Tar ?Remover in the Auto section. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2000, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-removal/11047/3 "2000-04-23T14:33:00Z")
First you need to get those feathers off of you. I suggest a hot bath, which should allow you to pluck them off easily. Then you can worry about the tar. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2000, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-removal/11047/4 "2000-04-23T15:15:00Z")
Gasoline. Yep. Thinner, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2000, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-removal/11047/5 "2000-04-23T15:21:00Z")
Gasoline? Feh. Find “Goo Gone” in hardware stores, K-Marts, etc. It will dissolve tar, and is citrus based…it will reek, but not like 93 octane… * * * If you want to kiss the sky, you’d better learn how to kneel. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2000, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-removal/11047/6 "2000-04-23T15:44:00Z")
Kerosene, gas, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2000, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-removal/11047/7 "2000-04-23T16:10:00Z")
I second “Goo Gone”. It works great… ---
**Author:** ![GasDr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba9def/32.png) [@GasDr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GasDr)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2000, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-removal/11047/8 "2000-04-23T19:10:00Z")
lighter fluid acetone ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2000, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-removal/11047/9 "2000-04-23T19:17:00Z")
A friendlier substance that works well is baby oil. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2000, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-removal/11047/10 "2000-04-23T22:11:00Z")
Goo is too expensive. Gas is cheap. Actually I would use denatured alcohol, $3.50 quart. ---
**Author:** ![Louie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Louie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Louie)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2000, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-removal/11047/11 "2000-04-24T06:47:00Z")
Put some asphalt under there, and presto! shoes that won’t wear out. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![chief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@chief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chief)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2000, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-removal/11047/12 "2000-04-25T08:35:00Z")
i used wd40 and got most of it off… thanks everyone. btw it was a big pain in the ass! * * * Check out my site: [Chief’s Domain](http://qfg.tierranet.com) ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2000, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-removal/11047/13 "2000-04-25T16:03:00Z")
Be careful with gas and the like. Boom! * * * Yer pal, Satan [http://www.raleighmusic.com/board/Images/devil.gif](http://www.raleighmusic.com/board/Images/devil.gif) _I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR: Two weeks, two days, 14 hours, 2 minutes and 59 seconds. 663 cigarettes not smoked, saving $82.92. Life saved: 2 days, 7 hours, 15 minutes._ ---
**Author:** ![Needs2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5e925/32.png) [@Needs2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Needs2know)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2000, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-removal/11047/14 "2000-04-25T16:17:00Z")
kerosene…When I was 7 my little friend and I got into a big bucket of tar they were using on the foundation of a house. I had it all the way up my arms, in my hair, everywhere! I looked like Brier Rabbit from the Uncle Remus story. When I got home my Nanny scrubbed my stupid little ass raw with kerosene. Needs2know ---
**Author:** ![Needs2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5e925/32.png) [@Needs2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Needs2know)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2000, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-removal/11047/15 "2000-04-25T16:17:00Z")
kerosene…When I was 7 my little friend and I got into a big bucket of tar they were using on the foundation of a house. I had it all the way up my arms, in my hair, everywhere! I looked like Brier Rabbit from the Uncle Remus story. When I got home my Nanny scrubbed my stupid little ass raw with kerosene. Needs2know