Tree sap can be really stubborn to remove from a car.
Recently I faced this situation which was a nightmare to me! However, I took care of it by using a car pressure washer. Although a pressure washer was never enough. There were some extra items involved.
The effort it took, pushed me to write this article. In this article, you’ll learn the exact step by step that worked for me removing those tree sap off my car.
How Do I Get Dried Sap Off My Car?
This is a real challenge. Before moving on, remember not to let the sap getting dried up. Work on it within its soft stage. As it requires more effort and more items later, do it earlier.
Expert says liquid tree sap do not damage your car paint. But in the long run, when it gets dry, that sap do damage car paintwork or cause discoloration.
Let’s face it. You cannot remove dried tree sap completely just using a pressure washer.
What should you do then?
Here’s the step by step story that worked for me.
Things Required
- A light duty pressure washer and a foam cannon
- Chemical Guys Bug & Tar Remover (I used this and looks OK, click to check on Amazon)
- 2x clean soft towel
- Tar X Tar and Adhesive remover (Or use alcohol)(Click to check on Amazon)
- Wax or car polish
- Wash mitt or sponge and water
How to Remove Tree Sap From Car Using Pressure Washer
Prepare to wash
Place your car in the washing area. Ready your pressure washer and water connection. Prepare a mixture of soap with water to fill the foam cannon bottle. Use above mentioned chemical guys soap which is concentrated. Attach the foam cannon with pressure washer spray gun lance.
Wash Your Car
Pressure wash with foam cannon the full car. Let sit for 10 minutes. But remember not to let the soap get dry. This wait should take enough dirt or sap from the surface. Now, pressure wash the car top to bottom with fresh water. Set the pressure from 1500 to 2000 psi. You should see a difference already.
Dry sap or those leftovers
Proper pressure washing only removes recent sap spots or turns them into soft form. This means you need to work on the sap for full clean up. Spray the tar remover or alcohol on the sap directly. Let the sap loosen. Use the soft towel to rub the spots gently. You can also spray the remover on the cloth and rub for better result until the sap is gone. Remember to let the remover sit on sap for at least 30 seconds.
Use car wax or polish
After rubbing the area properly with that towel it’s time to apply some car wax. Use wax only after the sap is gone. Polish it with car buffer or use a clean towel to polish the paintwork.
Cleaning Windows
Use the exact same procedure as mentioned above to remove sap for windows. But use a window cleaner instead of tar remover.
As you can see, removing tree sap from car is not impossible. All you need is patience and proper supplies. Pressure washer alone cannot remove sap completely.
Source:
- This article helped a lot about removing sap.
