Tree Sap/Bug/Tar Remover
- Darrell
- Posts: 6586
- Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:12 pm
Tree Sap/Bug/Tar Remover
I had a minor hail storm a week or two ago, my car was parked under a nasty ass cottonwood tree. It wound up with tree sap and cottonwood catkin bits stuck all over it. A couple of trips through the car wash proved fruitless. What works well as a remover? The last commercial remover I tried didn't work worth a darn. I've heard of using WD40, but I wonder how it might affect the car's finish. Suggestions?
Eppur si muove--Galileo
- scipioafricanus
- Posts: 1298
- Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:08 pm
Re: Tree Sap/Bug/Tar Remover
If there is a Stairway to Heaven, is there an Escalator to Hell?
If God wanted men to play soccer, he wouldn’t have given us arms. - Mike Ditka
If God wanted men to play soccer, he wouldn’t have given us arms. - Mike Ditka
-
- Posts: 4286
- Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:41 pm
Re: Tree Sap/Bug/Tar Remover
Denatured alcohol. Isopropyl will work in a pinch.
- PawPaw
- Posts: 4493
- Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 8:19 pm
Re: Tree Sap/Bug/Tar Remover
We used to use diesel for getting all manner of weird shit off our cars.
ETA: I don't know how diesel reacts to today's finishes. It never hurt enamel that I recall.
ETA: I don't know how diesel reacts to today's finishes. It never hurt enamel that I recall.
Dennis Dezendorf
PawPaw's House
PawPaw's House
- Netpackrat
- Posts: 13987
- Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:04 pm
Re: Tree Sap/Bug/Tar Remover
Isopropyl doesn't seem to work worth a shit for taking bugs off a 737 windshield, but at least it doesn't hurt the airplane.rightisright wrote:Denatured alcohol. Isopropyl will work in a pinch.
Cognosce teipsum et disce pati
"People come and go in our lives, especially the online ones. Some leave a fond memory, and some a bad taste." -Aesop
"People come and go in our lives, especially the online ones. Some leave a fond memory, and some a bad taste." -Aesop
- McClarkus
- Posts: 802
- Joined: Tue May 12, 2009 10:50 pm
Re: Tree Sap/Bug/Tar Remover
Coming from a furniture guy - I use mineral spirits to clean the kitchen cabinets. It is a relatively weak, slow and benign solvent that works well. It will quickly remove frying grease build up. It is weak enough to not effect the lacquer finish and I just do the wipe on wipe off thing. On a car finish there may be a bit of a residue that can then be taken off with something like a glass cleaner. ymmv --
One secret to life. Step #1 - Find something you enjoy doing. Step #2 - Find someone foolish enough to pay you to do it.
- D5CAV
- Posts: 2428
- Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:48 am
Re: Tree Sap/Bug/Tar Remover
I go into the woods a lot, so I always get pine sap on my pickup. I use 90% alcohol I buy at walgreens for about $1 a bottle. Works fine for me. I'm not sure I'd use it on a Rolls Royce, but I drive a 15 year old pickup with original paint.
“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe