5+ Easy Ways to Remove Tar from a Car (2023)

Driving your car is a pleasure and gives you excitement and freedom to travel wherever you want. However, during your travels, you may pick up some tar or other sticky substance from potholes, roadworks, or trees that can damage your car's paint or windows. Knowing how to remove tar from a car is a valuable skill and saves you money you could spend at professional detailers.

Having a few DIY recipes for removing tar from a car with the right products sets you up for any cleaning task. This guide helps you master removing dried tar from your car and ensures you're never left helpless when your car is marked with tree sap or tar spots.

In this article, you'll find top-notch home remedies that will safely and quickly remove tar, as well as point you to the best commercial cleaners to use on your vehicle. Don't despair the next time you find tar spots on your car.

Get rid of dried tar on your car

While sticky things like tar and sap may seem impossible to remove without damaging your paint or windows, there are DIY methods you can use when you need to know how to remove tar from a car. Your house is full of cleaning agents who can take care ofremove pine sap from carswithout blinking.

What you need is the right recipe, a little effort and a little time. If you try one solution and don't get the results you want, try another. We have several options to choose from.

Remove tar from a car: homemade cleaners

This section looks at methods to remove dried tar from your car using simple items you have around the house.

We provide recipes that use food products and rust cleaners, and you'll also get a step-by-step rundown to help you remove tar from a car the next time you go for a wash. With our help, you'll be ready to tackle sap and tar stains.

Use WD-40 to get rid of the tar.

WD-40 probably isn't the first cleaner that comes to mind when you think about removing tar, but it works like a big hit on all sorts of sticky stains.

WD-40 contains degreasers and lubricants, it eats away at asphalt stains and leaves paint intact. Try WD-40 the next time you have an asphalt emergency.

Put on gloves and spray WD-40 onto a soft cloth. Apply the cleaner to the tar stains and wait ten minutes. Rub the area with a clean cloth in a circular motion to remove the tar.

Change the cloth when it gets dirty and repeat until the asphalt is gone. It may be necessary to reapply the sealer to the paint after cleaning it with WD-40.

This miracle product is also ideal forget bugs out of the front of your caras well as bird droppings. However, don't use WD-40 on your windows, as it will leave an oil film that can be difficult to remove.

Use mineral spirits on stains

Like WD-40, mineral spirit works by breaking down tar and sap and making paint removal easier. If WD-40 doesn't make your car look like new, try mineral spirits.

It will not harm the paint, although it will eat away at the paint's wax or sealant.

Dip a cloth in mineral spirits and place it on the tar stain. Wait ten minutes, then use a clean cloth to remove the tar, making sure to change the cloth when it gets dirty.

After cleaning up the tar, take time for a spot wax to replace the wax removed by the turpentine.

Hit the sticky spots with peanut butter

Peanut butter is another unlikely cleaner that can take care of all kinds of trapped debris. It is a killer on tar and tree sap, and will also feed on bird droppings and dried insects.

Use peanut butter on tar stains to safely care for them without damaging the underlying surface.

Use a microfiber cloth to spread the peanut butter over the tar stains. Wait ten minutes, then use a clean cloth to rub in small circles to remove the peanut butter and tar.

Repeat until all traces of tar are removed. You can also use this method to clean glass windows; it is one of the best DIYwindow cleaner ingredientsfor sap and tar removal you will find.

Give your car a thorough wash

One of the best ways to rid your car of the goo and return it to showroom condition is to give it a good shower. A car wash allows you to clean your vehicle from top to bottom and is very useful for removing sap, tar, and other debris from paint and windows.

It's the easiest way toclean bird poop off your car, as well as sticky guts of insects. A good wash removes most of the dirt.

As a bonus, your car will come out clean and ready for action. make an excellentnatural car wash soaphousehold ingredients, so you won't have to shell out a lot of money to clean your car either.

Move the car out of direct sunlight. Use your applicator mitt to apply the soap, and scrub the car in long back and forth motions to avoid creating swirl marks in the wax or paint. Don't overlook the bottom of the side doors, which are the main places for tar and sap to hide.

Rinse the car and repeat until the sap and tar are removed. Dry the car with a chamois or microfiber towel. commercial use orTire glow do it yourselfand a paper towel to clean and polish the rims and wheel arches.

Then break the detailing clay bar into a few large pieces. Rub a piece of clay over the surface of the car until it moves smoothly without jerking.

Spray glass cleaner on a paper towel and wipe down all the windows. This is thebest way to clean windshield. Treat bird droppings and insect spills with Windex or a mixture of vinegar and water and a damp cloth.

remove tar from a car

Unfortunately, not all trapped tar or other substances give up so easily. Chances are you'll have to deal with a stubborn tar stain at some point, and only the most powerful cleaners will take care of it. You got lucky; There are many commercial products you can use to make your car look like new again.

commercial tar removers

This section provides information on how to clean tar with commercial cleaners. These tough tar removal products remove all kinds of sticky dirt and won't harm cured paint. Use these cleaners to get rid of the tougher stains you're referring to.

Use Goo Gone on stubborn stains

Goo Gone eats bird droppings, trapped insects, and all manner of other sticky substances. The cleaner is perfect for removing tar and sap that DIY cleaners can't touch.

Goo Gone will also eat away at wax and sealant as it cleans, so be prepared to do some touch-ups to your clear coat finish after use.

Spray Goo Gone onto a cloth and rub it into the area you want to clean. The tar should lift immediately. If necessary, allow the cleaner to sit on the asphalt for a few minutes to break it up.

Replace the cloth when it gets dirty. Apply sealant or automotive touch-up wax to the cleaned area.

Goo Gone is also appropriate forremoving ink spray from metalsurfaces like your car or lawn furniture. Never worry about overspray again with this miracle product.

Remove tar stains with Citrol

Citrol is biodegradable and cuts through tar and sap like a hot knife through butter. It is less toxic to use than Goo Gone and many other cleaners as well.

If you've tried different cleaning products and can't seem to get a piece of tar off your vehicle, turn to Citrol for fast, effective cleaning action.

Soak a cloth in Citrol and place it on top of the tar. Wait ten minutes and wipe away any asphalt stains with a clean cloth, pressing lightly. Repeat until the stain is gone. After cleaning the area, apply a new coat of sealant or wax.

We hope you have enjoyed reviewing our tar removal methods. We want our cars to look their best, and that means keeping them free of tar, sap, and other sticky substances.

Our guide provides some great recipes and helps you find the right car cleaner for your needs.

Thanks for reading our tar cleaning guide. If you found these tips on how to remove tar from a car helpful, please help us by sharing our sap and tar cleaning methods with your friends and family on Facebook and Pinterest.