Removing Pine Sap from Vehicles
If you’ve ever parked your car under a stand of pine trees while they’re dropping sap, you know that the stuff they drop is tenaciously sticky and hard to remove from your car.
All trees can leak sap, but pine trees are especially sticky. The properties of pine sap are such that it’s been used as the basis of many paint products for decades, and we commonly call the sap that drips from the trees “tar”, which isn’t exactly true, but does describe the stickiness of the situation.
Really, the only way to avoid getting your car covered with pine sap that doesn’t involve a chainsaw is to cover it, or park it somewhere else. Pine trees are most prone to dripping sap in the springtime, when warmer days cause it to start running, though insect damage can cause the tree to drip any time of year.
So what should you do if your car does get covered in sap?
Firstly, never let the sap sit for too long. It will attach itself heartily to your vehicle, and damage your car’s finish permanently. Never use a physical means (chipping with your fingernails, or scraping) to remove the sap bubbles – you’ll take clearcoat or paint with it.
You need a solvent to remove the sap that’s strong enough to get the job done, but not so strong you eat into the finish. Hand sanitizer works very well – it contains enough alcohol to do the job, and its gel texture makes it easy to target the sap stain. Apply it with a fingertip or the corner of a cloth, wait a couple of minutes for it to act, and then wipe gently with a soft cloth. Note that the alcohol will remove wax too, so you’ll have to wash and wax your car after removing the tree sap.
If you need help, know that Ming Auto Beauty and Protection Centres routinely handle cars with pine sap problems, and can help with service and advice. Contact us online or by telephone at our St. James St. location (204) 786-7681 or our Stapleton St. Location (204) 786-7681.
