It splashes up at construction sites and gets all gooey on hot, sunny days. One way or another, tar is likely to find its way to your cars surface. It sticks like glue, but with the right products, it will wipe away in a snap.
Table of Contents:
You Will Need:
- Tar remover (available in the auto department)
- WD-40
- Goo Gone
- Gasoline
- Peanut butter
- Soft cloths
- Protective gloves
Steps to Remove the Tar:
- There are both commercial products along with everyday household products that have been found useful in removing tar. So take your pick from the list above.
- Apply the chosen product to the surface with the tar.
- In some cases (WD-40, Peanut butter, Goo Gone), you will need to let the product sit on the tar for about 30 seconds.
- Wipe the area with a soft cloth. Do not use any abrasive cloths or they could scratch the surface of the paint.
- Repeat until all of the tar is removed.
- Wash the clean surface as usual to remove any residue from the removal product. Leaving the product on for prolonged periods of time could damage the surface of the paint and cause discoloration.
Additional Tips and Advice
- If there are any minor scratch marks from the scrubbing (if you accidentally used an abrasive pad), buff them out with a soft cloth and apply a good wax to make the surface shine like new.
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To take tar off of your car spray on engine cleaner. Spray, let sit for 15 minutes then lightly rub with your fingers until loose. Then rinse off with hot soapy water and re-wax as it takes the wax off too.
Caution, do not apply in sun and do not let it dry or it will damage your paint!
I have always found that WD-40 does a good job. Just spray on, wait about a minute then rub off. You may need to apply again for tough spots. Rewax after.
Sap from most trees can be cleaned off using Turpentine.
I seen this online and my car had a lot of tar on it after we ran over what we thought was water. So we used WD-40, you just have to spray a large amount until its pretty damp on it. Then wait for a good 3 to 5 minutes on it. Then take a dry rag and start working on it. You may have to do it more then once but it will come off. For larger amount of tar on the car, just put a heaver amount on it more then once. It will come off, next wash, dry and re-wax. I didnt believe but it work and also there no damage on the paint itself. Remember use a rag (terry cloth).
Try using gasoline to take off tar. It removes it fairly easily, without messing up your paint job.
WD-40 or Diesel are the best and easiest to use. Diesel for larger deposits. Wash and re-wax afterward.
When I have been staining wood and get the stain on my hands, I just spray WD-40 on them and it comes right off.
All of the above have the capability of causing paint or clear coat damage. I recommend that you try regular mayonnaise before any other product. It requires a little elbow grease but it works not only for road tar but tree sap, etc.
I use Honda Motorcycle cleaner. It is safe for all types of paint, rubber, plastic, etc. You just spray it on and wipe the tar right off, no rubbing. I discovered this while on vacation when a truck dumped tar all over the front of my vehicle and windshield. It was rubbing trying to get it off the paint and windshield and decided to try the cleaner. All I did was spray it on and wiped it off. I had all tar removed within minutes.
How to remove bugs off your hood:
Use a damp dryer sheet like bounce, its easier than bug and tar remover!
In regard to using gasoline to clean bugs off of the hood, etc. Please be very very careful due to the high flash point of gasoline! It could cause severe burns, even death!
Detailing clay is a great way to clean residue off your paint, too. You can get kits in the car section at most *marts and auto stores.
Ive used Goop hand cleaner. The one that comes in cream, not the one that comes with pumice because obviously it will harm the finish of the car. Just pour it in a terrycloth and rub the tar, you will be amazed.
Ive read all of the helpful hints that everyone has attempted. Love the one about Mayo go figure. However, being an auto buff myself and the paint is a very big concern of mine, I use a clay bar on my vehicle at least 2 times a year to remove everything you cant see, including road tar and blacktop.
A clay bar kit can be found in an auto parts store for roughly $25 for the Meguires set, which I find is the best. Once you start and begin the process, youll just want to keep going on every car you own. Its very effective and this product is second to none with first class on your mind the whole time. It pulls all of the particles in the pits in your paint job you cant even see, including the tar, etc. Give it a shot.. I swear by it and will never use anything else. Especially living in the northeast, everyone should use this on their vehicle at least once a year, then reapply a clear-coat wax and a regular wax coat. It takes time, but if you really appreciate your vehicle and want to make it last, you have to invest a little time.
I wonder if Goo-Gone or Magic Erasers would work?
How to get rid of mud stains on a vehicle
Hello, I have a white work truck that Im in the woods with a lot, how do I get rid of the mud stains on my truck?
Car cleaner
To remove latex paint simply try a pressure washer before any solvents. Im dealing with fresh tar from road construction and Im trying Simple Green tonight. Ill update with the results!
I tried goop creme hand cleaner after reading the suggestions and it worked wonderfully in removing the tar from the paint on my car and with minimal effort. Thanks for the suggestion!
Peanut butter
Believe this or not, peanut butter will take off tar on your car/truck and WD-40 and diesel work good too, but using peanut butter youll never get hungry while doing the job lol!
Baby oil
A cotton rag with baby oil will remove tar from car finishes and not hurt the paint or clear coat.
Believe it
Peanut butter really, really works! Before you waste money, try it!
Peanut Butter Does The Job
I just tried peanut butter on my car It got the tar right off! Thanks for the tip!
Peanut Butter Works!
After tar being on my vehicle several weeks I found this site for help. I was shocked how safe and easy it was. In a matter of seconds the creamy peanut butter seemed to melt the tar right off. A few wipes and it was gone. Thanks for the great, economical and safe way to remove the tar right off the vehicle. Im still SHOCKED HOW EASY it was and best of all IT WORKS. Thanks for the tip!
Goo Gone for Road Tar
I came to your site tonight to find a way to clean the road tar from the exterior or my car caused by construction. I saw the comment asking if Goo Gone would work. I have used this on quite a few other cleaning projects and it DOES WORK on road tar! I did not have to scrub very hard and I feel confident that it will not harm my exterior finish.
Mayo really works
Mayo really works. Works better on light tar. Heavy tar doesnt come off easily using mayonnaise.
Skin So Soft or Baby Oil
Baby Oil or Skin So Soft by Avon took the tar spray we got on our car. We thought it was dirt from our trip that day which included road construction. They put down oil and gravel and more oil on the road.
I use baby oil when I have paint on me and its not water based or its an oil base. Put it on and wash it off.
TRUST me
Tar splashed all over the left side of my windshield and hood after I drove through a puddle in the rain. I just sprayed some WD-40 on my windshield and side of my JEEP and used an ice scrapper right away to remove it and worked perfect. You do not have to let it sit in fact I do not recommend it because it may cause the windshield to become unglued. Whats also great is a can of WD-40 is not expensive at all. Spray Scrap and clean off with water and soap. Easy as 1.2.3
This man knows!
Im one of the guys you all probably hate, but take it from me, I have been spraying oil on the highways in So. Utah for 30 years for chip sealing and overlaying asphalt and the following clean-up works the best. For fresh oil on your vehicle diesel fuel will take it right off followed by a good wash and waxing. WD-40 is also very good . I just bought a Tahoe that had road oil on it for over 7 years and the ONLY thing that removed it was Jiff peanut butter and circular motions with my thumb and nail. It took some time, but removed that ancient oil and the surface is immaculate. I guess I deserve this since I am probably responsible for hundreds of people who have had to deal with this type of situation. By the way, we clean our bars and distributors with diesel when the day is over. Good luck and Im sorry, but the roads have to be taken care of.
I read all the suggestions, I tried the peanut butter but it wasnt good. I tried some unleaded gas I had laying around for my lawnmower and when I dipped the towel in it with some rubber gloves and wiped it on the tar, it came right off! No kidding, it was magic to my eyes and I was the happiest guy in the world in my s-type Jaguar.
Thanks for the tip. I tried Jiff peanut butter (its what I had on hand) and the results were amazing! It took a few applications to get through some of the thickness of the tar (which sat on my car for a week). The only caveat was that it attracted a determined bee.
My wife used Goo Gone, it helped with the smaller splashes, but the real heavy areas not so much. I used W-D 40 and a Magic eraser had the job done in no time.
Tar splashed all over my car. I tried to use baby oil You believe or not its really works.