I recently discovered some tree sap that had hardened on the trunk of my car. The only thing I tried was WD-40 with no results. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
alcohol, isopropyl
You can also try Mineral Spirits, a.k.a. turpentine. But be careful. You’ll probably still need to “touch up” your wax job as alcohol and mineral spirits do strip car waxes. Baub the sap using a q-tip. Be sparing with it until you figure out whether the isopropyl alcohol or mineral spirits work better on the type of tree sap. Take your time. It ain’t a rush job. A little at a time will reduce labor-intensive re-waxing. The smaller the area to clean=smaller area to re-wax. Isopropyl is different than denatured alcohol. The household stuff has a little lanolin in it. The denatured does not. (It’s like a little beer joint that used to be around. “Our beer contains lanolin to keep your tummy soft and lovely.” I don’t know if it’s the same for alcohol, but you’re not going to be drinking that kind of alcohol, anyway.) You can buy quart cans of either one at most home improvement places.
91% isopropyl alcohol on a soft paper towel works for me.
Thanks for the mineral spirits suggestion. It worked.
For pine sap, I use ordinary household ammonia. Simply wet a papertowel and rub off the sap. For dried sap, place a piece of saturated paper towel on the sap for five minutes or so and then rub it off. The ammonia does not leave any residue and does not hurt the surface. Been using this method for past few years. Better solution is to cut down the offending tree.