Can anyone recommend a cleaner that is good for removing tree sap from my car? I don't have a garage and therefore get all kinds of crap on my car. Currently, I have some sap that just won't go away.

Also, can anyone recommend anything that would allow me to remove (or blend in) some very minor scratches from my car? I just noticed these tiny scratches need the roof on the passenger side of the car. I have no idea how they got there, but I want them off.

Thanks.

 

Well, for sap there are a couple of different ways to get it off. My favorite off the shelf sap remover is (and don't laugh) Turtle Wax Bug and Tar Remover. Its in a yellow can. I know that Turtle Wax gets a bad rap for a lot of stuff, but this stuff really works. You've got to try it to believe it.

If its old sap that isn't budging then you should try claying the car. Get some Clay Magic and read the instructions. Its pretty simple. Its kind of like silly putty and it pulls stuff like sap off your paint. Its not hard to use at all and its safe as can be.

If you can feel the scratch with your fingernail then you are pretty hosed and will probably need to touch it up. If its not able to be felt with your fingernail and you are working by hand then I would get either Meguiar's ScratchX or GS27. They are basicly the same thing but they will remove the scratch just as easily. Just apply it to a clean towel and rub it in the direction of the scratch. Its pretty easy to use.

 

i don't know how to cover the scratch, but i would spend money on clay bar... some tree sap is tough to remove, and if affect area is large, then clay bar would end up saving you lots of time because other cleanser require lots of rubbing/buffine, while you "glide" when use clay!!!

i had use lots of stuff trying to remove some weir dot on my TSX, clear coat polish, bug/tar remover, cleaner wax, all failed, i waste money and time on it, then i heard about clay, and even after all these "cleansing agent" the clay bar still pick up/removed lots of bad stuff from the paint, so inestead of using something to remove sap alone, why not use clay when you can clean it down at once?? just remember to seal/wax after clay!!

 

Thanks for your help guys. I'll give your suggestions a try.

 

I had some bad scratches on the front of my hood. Deep and with sharp edges, easily felt with a finger/nail. Four or five scratches 2 - 4 inches long. The damage was purely self-inflicted, I tried removing some bugs with the spongy side of a window squeegee. Dumb, dumb, dumb. It must have had some bad grit or exposed metal on it. It was dark and I couldn't see the damage I was doing. So, lesson learned. What make it even worse is that I have some of the Turtle bug & tar remover and usually use that. But I thought I'd just give the bugs a quick swipe before washing. Never again.

Anyway, I thought I was completely hosed, but I took it to a detailing guy who has a great rep for being able to fix the unfixable. He sanded and polished it and they are now almost impossible to see. Just a couple of ~2mm blemishes that you really have to get up close and hunt for to find. He did an amazing job on it. I paid him $60 cash for a couple hours work and I consider it money well spent.

I'm having a 3M protector film put on the hood and bumper tomorrow. Once that is in place there's no way anyone will be able to see where the scratches were. So ask around and see if you can find a pro to take a look at the scratches.

For light scratches and cleanup, I've had good success with Meguiars paint polish. Step 2 in their 3-step process. It works well to get rid of minor scratches and blemishes. Follow up with a wax to provide a protective finish.

 

Water is best for sap. After you wipe it off, the wash it. Simple