# What's the best way to remove tree sap from a car? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 3, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-remove-tree-sap-from-a-car/566276 "2011-01-03T22:45:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-remove-tree-sap-from-a-car/566276/1 "2011-01-03T22:45:02Z")
Googling around on the topic, I find some people suggesting rubbing alcohol while others say doing so will damage the clear coat. I’ve seen suggestions to use Goof-Off or WD-40 as well. Has anyone tried either of those remedies? Did it work? I need to clean both glass and painted surfaces - should I use the same thing both? Do you have a better idea? I’m about to (carefully) take a razor blade to this stuff, at least on the windshield. Help me get this shit offa my car!! ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-remove-tree-sap-from-a-car/566276/2 "2011-01-03T23:21:13Z")
Windshield can be safely and most easily razor-bladed off (safety here referring to the windshield, not the razor-blade-wielder: that part’s up to you.) For the body, I’d try gasoline first and see if that softened it up enough to scrape off with a rubber/plastic ice-scraper-or-plaster-applying-type-tool. It’s safe enough for the paint as long as you carefully wash all of the gas off after a few moments and don’t press too hard or gouge the car with the rubber/plastic scraper. Don’t use a scraper that you are fond off - some plastics will dissolve or deform on contact with the gas. I don’t KNOW that gas will work with pitch - I have used it successfully with many types of paint. If gas doesn’t work, move up to rubbing acohol, and then possibly something like GoJo or Goo B Gone or something like that. However, read labels carefully -those are more likely going to do something to screw up your paint job. ---
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-remove-tree-sap-from-a-car/566276/3 "2011-01-04T00:03:46Z")
Have you tried hot water? When my sister’s car has sap on it, I took it to one of those do-it yourself car wash. They had hot water, as opposed to the cold water coming from my garden hose, and it took it off before I even go to the soap. Also, I look up online and found some people have used cups of hot water and baking soda. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-remove-tree-sap-from-a-car/566276/4 "2011-01-04T00:41:10Z")
I’ve used a cleaner (specifically for removal of tree sap) that I’ve purchased from an auto parts store. And now I try to avoid parking under pine trees. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-remove-tree-sap-from-a-car/566276/5 "2011-01-04T00:58:01Z")
It’s perfectly safe to use a razor on the windshield, and if you’re **extremely** careful and competent, on the car as well. Having worked in a car dealership, it’s how we get the badges/emblems for other dealers off of trade ins in the back. Here’s the deal: Any grease dissolving agent will soften the sap, but the problem is that most will also damage the car. My honest recommendation would be heating the sap up (blow drier, as hot as you can possibly get, or if you can a heat lamp/painters heater), and then pealing at it with a plastic spatula or something like that. If you’re really, really good with a razor, you can use that, but it’ll just make your life more difficult. Once you have the bulk of the sap off, use the least caustic chemical you can, moving up the line. Use a coarse cloth (something like burlap, that you have confidence wont scrape the pain, but will catch the sap rather than just smoodging it around) and soak the cloth in the chemical first, then rub the area, then rinse with water and dry. Repeat until clean. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-remove-tree-sap-from-a-car/566276/6 "2011-01-04T02:29:28Z")
Try a little vegetable oil. It may dissolve the sap so that you could then wipe it off. It works on skin- ---
**Author:** ![Orange13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e57/32.png) [@Orange13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange13)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-remove-tree-sap-from-a-car/566276/7 "2011-01-05T04:41:41Z")
I’ve found that a clay bar works best. Do the whole car while you’re at it. Most people are impressed with the results. ---
**Author:** ![lamric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@lamric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lamric)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-remove-tree-sap-from-a-car/566276/8 "2011-01-05T15:31:43Z")
Just about any automotive tar remover will work. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-remove-tree-sap-from-a-car/566276/9 "2011-01-05T15:49:51Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I’ve used a cleaner (specifically for removal of tree sap) that I’ve purchased from an auto parts store. And now I try to avoid parking under pine trees. Was it expensive? Did it work well? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-remove-tree-sap-from-a-car/566276/10 "2011-01-05T15:51:42Z")
It’s actually easier to get tree sap from a tree. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-remove-tree-sap-from-a-car/566276/11 "2011-01-05T15:59:30Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I’ve used a cleaner (specifically for removal of tree sap) that I’ve purchased from an auto parts store. And now I try to avoid parking under pine trees. > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Was it expensive? Did it work well? It’s been years since this happened, but I think it was under ten bucks. Possibly under five bucks. And I think it worked, but it might have smelled. Like I said, this was years ago.