Lethbridge has thousands of trees, and many of them will drop tree sap on your vehicle. Tree sap on your car can be a real pain. Beyond the unsightly appearance, sap can damage your car’s paint job if not properly handled and removed. It has a nasty habit of sticking onto your car, stubbornly refusing to be wiped off, and ultimately damaging the clear coat and paint job.
But fret not, fellow car enthusiasts! You don’t need to relocate your favorite parking spot or trim every tree in your vicinity. With the right information, products, and a dash of elbow grease, you can bid adieu to this sticky foe. In this blog, we’ll be going through a step-by-step guide to safely and efficiently removing tree sap from your beloved vehicle.
A highly effective method of removing tree sap, especially when it’s hardened or stubborn, is using a clay bar. Renowned for their ability to pick up contaminants from your car’s surface, clay bars can be an excellent solution to get rid of that pesky tree sap. Here’s how you do it:
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
For this process, you’ll need:
- Clay bar kit (which typically includes a clay bar and clay lubricant). Be sure to purchase high quality, automotive grade clay
- Car washing soap
- Two buckets
- A soft sponge or cloth
- Hot water
- Microfiber towels
Step 2: Clean Your Car
Before you start using the clay bar, it’s important to wash your car thoroughly. As with the previous method, begin by rinsing the car with hot water to soften the sap. Then, wash the vehicle with car soap to ensure the surface is as clean as possible. Rinse off the soap and dry your car with a microfiber towel.
Step 3: Prepare the Clay Bar
Once your car is clean, it’s time to get your clay bar ready. Take a piece of clay and knead it into a flat disk shape that fits comfortably in your hand. This will provide a good surface area for the clay to pick up the sap.
Step 4: Apply Clay Lubricant
Spray a generous amount of clay lubricant onto the affected area. The lubricant prevents the clay from sticking to your car’s paint and allows it to glide smoothly over the surface, lifting the sap as it goes. Only use high grade lubricants designed for clay bar use.
Step 5: Use the Clay Bar
Gently glide the clay bar over the lubricated surface. The clay should pick up the sap as you move it across. Don’t press too hard; let the clay do the work.
If the clay bar becomes dirty or full of sap, fold it over and knead it until you have a clean surface again. Repeat this process until you have removed all the sap from the vehicle.
Step 6: Rinse and Dry
After you’ve removed the sap, rinse the area with clean water. Dry the car immediately with a microfiber towel to prevent water spots.
Step 7: Apply Car Wax
The clay bar process can strip away your car’s protective wax coating. Therefore, as with the previous method, it’s crucial to apply a fresh layer of car wax to the cleaned areas. This will restore the protective layer and help prevent future sap (or other contaminants) from sticking to your car’s paint.
A clay bar is a powerful tool to have in your auto detailing kit. It’s not just effective for sap removal, but also for dealing with other stubborn contaminants like tar, bird droppings, and brake dust. Just remember to always use it on a clean, well-lubricated surface to avoid any potential damage.
Need help or don’t want to do this yourself? Give Image Car Care a call and we’ll take care of this for you in no time at all.