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Tips to Remove Tree Sap from Car

Tree sap is the common culprit that ruins the aesthetic looks of your car. When your car is parked under a tree in the season of early spring, people have concerned related to bird poop. But along with bird poop, people also have concerns about sap dropping from the tree. People usually neglect this problem, but you might seen the cases in which the car’s exterior paint is removed just due to the tree sap. 

If your car’s paint is damaged by tree sap, trust us for paint correction in Surrey

The impact of tree sap isn’t immediate, but if you leave it to dry, it can adversely affect the paint of your car. Most of the time, when tree sap falls on the surface of a car, people are not nearby to remove it. When tree sap hardens, it becomes sticky like epoxy, and when you try to remove it, it will be taken off with a protective layer of paint. 

Tree sap needs time to harden on the surface of the car. It takes almost some time under the shining sun to dry. In this blog, we will talk about some effective tips that can help remove tree sap from your car’s surface without running the car’s paint. But before we get started, you might need to know that removing tree sap requires lots of elbow grease, and it is a task that requires lots of patience. So if you are unsure about removing tree sap from your car’s surface on your own, then you can contact us for paint correction in Canada

Tree Sap Removal with Hand Wash 

To remove stubborn stains of tree sap, you cannot rely on an automatic car wash. Trust on hand car wash. It requires a lot of patience and great skill to get tree sap removed from a car’s surface. Automatic car wash is an easy choice, but in some cases, this choice can turn into the worst mistake and ruin the complete look of your car by deteriorating the paint. In automatic car wash, pressurised water can spread the sap but cannot remove it completely. Old tree sap can only be removed by good hand washing. You need to take a sponge in your one hand to wipe the sap from the car’s surface before it dries out. 

Following are the steps on how to clean tree sap by hand car wash like an expert

  • To start a hand car wash, grab all the essentials, such as a couple of buckets filled with hot water. Hot water plays the most important role in cleaning tree sap from a car. Along with hot water buckets, carry a powerwasher, sponges, carwash soap, and a microfibre cloth. 
  • It’s good to park your vehicle in a shed but not beneath a tree. After washing, the sun dries your car’s surface, but it leaves impressions of dried water droplets. 
  • Now rinse thoroughly each nook and cranny of your vehicle. If you are using a power washer, put the nozzle setting on wider. This will rinse the car but not harm its surface.
  • After rinsing your car, scrub the part of tree sap on its surface. Using a sponge and hot water, rub the whole car’s exterior surface. Using hot water to clean the car’s surface helps soften the dried soap. 
  • You can also use your nail by removing leftover tree sap from your car’s surface. Repeat the process of rinsing until the sap is completely removed. 
  • In the end, polish your car’s surface with strong car polish and apply a great coating to protect it from scratches, etc. 

If you find yourself struggling with removing tree sap from your car, then contact the experts for car washing in Richmond. 

Using Alcohol and Mineral Spirits 

  • Take a clean cloth or rug and soak it in alcohol or mineral spirit. 
  • Rub the tree sap until it completely disappears. 
  • You need to leave that soaked piece of cloth on the tree sap for some time. But don’t leave it for too long, as alcohol can harm the paint coating. 
  • After 20 minutes of leaving the socked cloth, check the tree sap. If it is softened, rub it thoroughly. If it hasn’t softened yet, repeat step 3. 
  • If needed, pour hot water directly on the tree sap. After the sap is completely removed, apply a protective film for paint protection. 

Sharp Blade

If tree sap on the car’s surface is completely dried up and you want to remove it, you can try a sharp razor blade. This method is not for beginners. If you are unable to handle and use precisely sharp-edged blades and knives, you might need to seek help from car detailing professionals in Surrey. If you don’t proceed with caution, it might completely damage the car’s paint. 

  • First, use any good-quality lubricant, such as alcohol, spirit, or oil-based lubricant. This will loosen the tree sap. 
  • Grab the sharp edged knife or razor blade to peel off the tree sap. 
  • Wiggle the blade or sharp edged knife underneath the tree sap, which makes sap loosen the car’s surface. 
  • This process requires patience and safety, too. Do it with caution; any wrong move will leave a deep scratch on your car’s surface. 

But even after the precautions, if your car has a deep scratch for any reason, then connect with professionals in car detailing in Richmond.  

Cooking Oil 

You might seem surprised or confused about removing tree sap from cooking oil. But if the sap is fresh and hasn’t completely dried up, you can use cooking oil to remove it without any complications. 

  • Sock the tree sap in cooking oil for 5 – 10 minutes. 
  • You can increase the penetration of cooking oil in tree sap by applying a clean cloth soaked in hot water and placing it over it. 
  • Wipe the area with a clean and dry cloth. 
  • If needed, repeat the process 4-5 times. 

If you need complete car care, from sap removal to cleaning and detailing, choose Yellow Star for complete car washing and car detailing in Canada.  

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