How to wash asphalt from the car with your own hands
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When a car is used daily, the paintwork loses its perfect appearance. Scratches, chips, various contaminants, including bitumen stains begin to appear on the body. It is impossible to remove asphalt with ordinary water, and special shampoos may be effective only for fresh stains. So how do you remove asphalt from a car without damaging the paint?
Bitumen is a tar-containing substance that is part of asphalt. During road construction work, or during periods of high sunlight, bitumen becomes liquid, and as a result, it clings to the wheels and then, gets on the car’s body. As it cools, the bitumen sets, forming a sticky black film on the surface that is very difficult to clean. It is important to begin removing as early as possible in order to avoid yellow stains on the paintwork. Any driver can remove tar stains from the body of the car. However, as we know, “prevention is the best repair”. A road with melted bitumen in summer heat is visible to the naked eye. Therefore, when driving on it, stick to the following simple rules: – Reduce speed to 40-50 km/h, on sections with freshly paved asphalt; – Turn the steering wheel as little as possible; – Keep the maximum allowable distance from the car ahead; – Do not approach special vehicles that carry bitumen; – Try not to drive on a rolled rut, as it melts asphalt faster.
If you still could not avoid the problem, the help will come specialized means or folk (kerosene, white spirit, gasoline, solvent). At the moment, on the shelves there is a huge variety of means for removing bitumen. Their main difference is the effectiveness and price. Also, they can be of two kinds: universal and special. Special products are designed only for removing bitumen stains. They, as a rule, have a more aggressive composition and are suitable for removing old, ingrained stains. You should pay special attention to the composition of such products, so as not to harm the paintwork. Universal means are used to combat dirt of different origin. In this case, the tool may be ineffective against tar stains, so it is worth choosing a proven brand. Each tool has its own instructions for use, which must be followed. But there are also general recommendations, which are also worth paying attention to: – It is necessary to wash the body before treatment; – It is better to apply the product on the cold surface of the body. This is due to the fact that on a hot surface it will evaporate quickly and will not have time to react completely with the bitumen; – If you use the cleaner for the first time, you should first apply it to an inconspicuous area of the body to check the effect on the paintwork; – Remove it gradually layer by layer, do not try to remove all at once; – Do not try to remove stains with a knife or other sharp objects; – Use a microfiber cloth as a rag. It will not scratch the paintwork; – When finished cleaning, wash the vehicle, wipe it dry and remove any remaining cleaner.
– Quickly and effectively removes bituminous stains, grease and oil pollution, traces of insects and poplar buds, tree resin; – has no adverse effect on paintwork and chrome-plated surfaces, plastic parts (bumpers, covers, etc.), tires and rubber seals; – can be used to remove anti-corrosion and preservation agents; – is easily applied to the surface and requires no additional effort to remove dirt.
How to use: – Shake the can intensively before use; – Spray onto the dirt spot; – Let the composition act for 2-3 minutes; – Remove remains of the preparation with a clean damp rag or cloth; – To remove old dirt it is recommended to repeat the treatment.
7 popular remedies for effective removal of tar stains from a car
Bitumen stains on a car for paintwork are the worst enemy. If the tar is given enough time, it will so penetrate the surface that even after successful removal, yellowing and clouding will remain. To eliminate this problem, you can buy one of the special agents for removing tar stains. But as real experience of car owners shows, such compositions are not always effective. In addition, like all “special”, cost a lot of money.
Proven folk remedies are no less effective (and sometimes even much better) in removing tar stains from the car. They are all times cheaper than the “beautifully packaged” ones, do not spoil the paintwork, perfectly dissolve tar, and are easy to remove after use. This article is devoted to seven such means.
General principles and rules for removing tar stains
But before looking at bitumen stain removers, it will be helpful to know how they should be applied in general. It should be remembered that improper actions can lead to irreversible damage to the paint coating, as well as cause a fire or poisoning. To avoid all this, it is enough to follow these elementary rules:
- Tar stains are easier to remove when the temperature is positive. And the hotter the better.
- Bitumen should not try to wipe off by mechanical means, as this will inevitably lead to the formation of turbidity and even scratches on the paintwork.
- The sooner steps are taken to remove this type of contamination, the better the chances of success. Not only is tar that has hardened too much worse to remove, but it can also leave behind red stains or clouding.
- Before using any bitumen stain remover, the area to be treated should be washed. This is necessary to prevent small particles of dust and dirt from turning into an abrasive, which will irrevocably damage the varnish layer, while wiping off the tar.
- Smoking is strictly prohibited while using tar removers. Remember – the flammable substance is on the machine and on your hands.
- To avoid poisoning, it is recommended to use personal protective equipment. This is especially true when the composition is applied by spraying.
- After applying the agent, the area cleaned from the resin must be thoroughly washed.
Well, the main principle of tar stains removal is to dissolve the tar chemically, not to try to wipe it off mechanically.
Let’s move on to folk remedies, and to the nuances of their application.
Remedy №1. WD-40
Everyone’s favorite “WD-40” is considered the first because it is now available in almost every garage. In addition that this compound is able to displace moisture and lubricate rubbing parts, it easily dissolves resin. But only relatively “fresh”. If the tar stains have been on the body or disks for a very long time, WD-40 may not cope with them at the first attempt.
To apply this product, you will need a soft rag or cotton swabs. The contaminated area is washed of dirt and dust. Next, the tar stains are treated with “vedeschika”, after which the tar is given time to dissolve. As a rule, if the bitumen is relatively “fresh”, it is enough to wait 3-4 minutes. After that, the stains can be removed with a rag or wipes soaked in WD-40.
Here and further – if after the first treatment, the stains do not erase easily, then by no means need to rub diligently. It is better to reapply the product, and give the resin more time to dissolve.
Remedy #2. Gasoline
Ordinary gasoline is not the best remedy for bitumen stains, but if nothing else, it will do. You can use both regular – drained from the gas tank, and the one called “Galosha”. When working with gasoline the most important rule is safety. No smoking and no open flame!
The remedy is applied in the same way as described above. After successfully removing the stains, you must remove traces of gasoline from the surface of the paintwork. Ordinary water is powerless here, but car shampoo is the best.
After dissolving the tar with gasoline and then washing the body, a characteristic odor may remain. It can be eliminated very easily by washing the car not with shampoo, but with a good dishwashing detergent.
Remedy #3. Diesel fuel
Regular diesel fuel is also a great way to dissolve tar. At the same time, it is much less dangerous in terms of combustion than gasoline. However, there are significant disadvantages. Diesel leaves behind a greasy residue and a persistent smell. All of this can also be eliminated with a household dish detergent.
Remedy #4. Kerosene .
One of the best folk remedies for removing both fresh and hardened bitumen stains. Kerosene is sold packed in bottles in hardware stores (you can find it on the shelves with different solvents). It is good that it works the first time you use it. The main thing with kerosene is to give it enough time so that it has time to dissolve the resin.
Kerosene is even more dangerous to burn than gasoline! Keep that in mind when working.
Remedy #5. White spirit .
Many people are afraid to use this solvent, because they know that it dilutes paintwork materials. However, white spirit is no match for the car paintwork. But it eliminates bitumen stains perfectly. It even dissolves strongly crystallized tar, almost always in the first attempt. From the drawbacks it is worth mentioning that white spirit leaves behind greasy spots and stains. Therefore, after using it, the body must be washed with shampoo.
Remedy #6. “Antisilicone”.
Not all car owners know about this remedy, but it is no less available than kerosene and other solvents. The “antisilicone” is used in paint-shops for preliminary degreasing of car body parts before the paintwork application. Real experience shows that it also copes with resin. It is absolutely safe for the paint layer and does not leave greasy residue after evaporation. Removes not only tar stains, but also other dirt from the first time.
Remedy #7. Sunflower oil
This item may seem unexpected to many in this article. But, nevertheless, the most common sunflower oil from the kitchen can also dissolve tar stains. Moreover, compared to all the aforementioned means for removing bitumen from the car body, sunflower oil has a number of advantages. First, it does not stink. Secondly, it is impossible to set fire to the oil with a cigarette spark. Third, during its application you will not “inhale” to the point of turbidity.
In addition to the advantages, sunflower oil has disadvantages. That it leaves a greasy residue is clear. But, besides that, conventional oil does not always cope with old bitumen stains that have been on the paintwork for several months.
Bottom line
To remove tar stains from the car body, you do not have to buy “special” branded products, which cost fabulous money. Moreover, having checked many of them in practice, it turned out that they are so “weak” that you have to apply them repeatedly several times in a row. It is much cheaper and more effective to cope with tarry dirt with the help of folk remedies. The main thing is not to rub, but to dissolve.
