Sap Removal

[RacerX]

yep, 3M red can above is great.
It'll remove all the protection applied over the paint, too.
So, I hit every bug, tar, sap etc spot I can find on the entire vehicle and follow up with a full wash and wax. If I'm feeling in the mood and have a full day I'll do a full "backyard" detail.
Something like,
wash with dish detergent to remove protectants
3M adhesive cleaner on the tough spots
clay bar all the paint and glass
wash with turtlewax hybrid solution
spray protect with turtlewax hybrid solution (paint, glass, plastic, everything)

I found the turtlewax hybrid stuff to be very forgiving for backyard detailing. Even in direct sun. It has a nice gloss but will not last year(s) like the pro stuff. Maybe a few months.

If you go the clay bar detail route, find a better guide than what I wrote above. I think I saw a good thread (or posts) on here by Subaru. There are also tons on the internet.
The clay bar does a great job of pulling contaminates from the paint, but it also holds on to them so there is risk of finely (or not) scratching your entire clear coat.
Mostly, keep things clean and remove residue from the cleaning steps before moving on to the protection steps.

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[joordan]

This is great, very gentle on the paint, but it WILL remove wax. Paint shops use it for general pre-painting cleanup. It used to be marketed as "Bug and Tar Remover". I buy it in this size at a local auto body/ paint supply store for $15 per quart. Use with good ventilation, it has some strong-ish solvents, but it won't blow the top of your head off like MEK will.

You can chill the sap using ice, it will make it more likely to just pop off with ***gentle*** pressure from a plastic scraper like this:

FOSHIO Plastic Razor Blade Scraper Include 2PCS Scraper Tool and 100PCS Blades for Gasket Remover, Labels Decal and Adhesive Remover for Windows and Glass,


John Davies
Spokane WA USA

this is what is in the 3M liquid..

Acetone	000067-64-1	15.0-40.0
Octane	000111-65-9	1.0-5.0
Benzene	000071-43-2	<0.5
Cumene	000098-82-8	<0.5
Toluene	000108-88-3	<0.5