Cleaning Pine Sap off painted surfaces

[flagmanruss]

Contemplating selling off the Cirrus...  biggest issue is Pine Sap...  huge tree 3 stories up, hangs over my parking space.  I've been cleaning the drips off the glass practically daily...  let them dry & use a razor blade scraper, come right off. 

On the paint, I've tried commerical products, WD40, paint thinnner & others with no luck.  Finally success!  I've been using rubbing alcohol on small pieces of rag.  Focus on small areas & one by one the drips dissolve with no damage to the paint.  Areas need washing after they are pine free.  It's a long process to do the whole car. 

[Mopar1973Man]

I've been doing that for a very long time. Just come in from splitting wood or cutting wood and have sap on my hands. No problem just grab the rubbing alcohol and rub my hands together and then wash then with soap and water afterwards. Got sap on your seats? No problem I used the rubbing alcohol to remove it from fabric or clothing as well.

[flagmanruss]

OK, I'm officially in the slow group. 

[dorkweed]

WD 40??

[flagmanruss]

WD 40??

A lot of ideas off the Internet...  (Being generous) Maybe they'd work for road tar but not for Pine Sap. 

[hex0rz]

Dunno how useful this could be to you, but I have also been told that peanut butter gets sap off. Common sense will win when you use it, as I doubt it would be a good idea to use it on a permeable surface.

[joecool911]

Wait for a freeze and scrape it off. It gets brittle.

[flagmanruss]

Actually dry sap is easily removed from the glass with a razor blade scraper...  which I've been doing.  I've been lobbying to remove this tree but wifee has resisted.  Supposedly now, she'll give in.  I wanted this tree gone 20 years ago when a frozen pine cone dropped from altitude took out the side window on the Escort I was driving...  before I got sick! 

The rubbing alcohol removes the spots with individual scrubbing followed by residue wiping & washing.  Slow process but making progress an hour at a time (all my back can take).  Would be better in less heat to slow evaporation off hot car.  I opened the windows to release the inside heat.  I haven't figured out how I'm going to reach the center of the roof...  standing on something is dangerous for me.     

 

R

[Killer223]

how about denatured alcohol? it's much cheaper then rubbing alcohol.

[flagmanruss]

Rubbing alcohol IS slightly diluted denatured alcohol...  initially using the containers I have on hand.  90% stuff works faster than 70%...  but more trouble with residual.  Maybe faster evaporation?   It's so cheap that I didn't bother looking for larger containers.  Good point though, if I need more I'll check prices.   

 

I have run into a snag...  the sap dissolves in the alcohol but you must switch to clean rags wet with alcohol to remove the residue...  before it dries.  My car wash soap didn't remove the residue.  I just went back & rewiped with alcohol.  Using paper towels for the clean wipe because need wipe to not spread & leave the residue again.  I've made good progress.  Need to pursue this so I get it finished & gone.  Wife won't like this in the priority parking space but I must remain in my way.

 

I have the plates off it tonight to pickup the purchase...  insurance off as of tomorrow.   

[Killer223]

careful as it'll take the wax off a painted surface quick. and might leave it dull. so maybe after you clean it wax it.

[Ilikeoldfords]

The other thing that seems to take stuff off pretty good is gasoline. Not sure how harmful it is to the paint but it takes off tar, sap, whatever you want. The one drawback is, you smell like gas for a few days but it works really well.

[Wild and Free]

       

[flagmanruss]

I did some maple top work benches that came out of Brown & Sharp...  we scrubbed them with gasoline in the driveway & stayed away for a few days while they out gassed!   I don't think there's any wax left on the car.  Still having trouble getting all residue of but I'm finding more areas where it has come clean (after it dries).  I think a better technique would have been more clean rags initially.