Tar & Glue Removers

Tar and glue removers dissolve what shampoo leaves behind: tar spots behind the wheels and along the sills, sticker and badge adhesive, tree resin and rubber marks. The range includes CarPro TarX, Infinity Wax Liquefy, Stjarnagloss Tjara and ValetPro Citrus, plus adhesive removers from Koch-Chemie.

How to choose

• Spray or gel: sprays cover lots of small spots quickly; a gel such as AutoBead Tar Gel clings to sills and lower doors, so it stays on the tar longer.
• Tar or heavy adhesive: most here handle tar spots and sticker residue; Koch-Chemie Eulex and Orange Power are adhesive removers for badge glue, tree resin and rubber marks.
• Iron as well: CarPro TRIX removes iron fallout and tar together, saving a step on wheels and lower panels.

Good to know

• Use it after the wash and before clay, on a cool, dry panel. Let it soften the tar, then wipe or rinse as the label says; scrubbing hard tar drags it across the paint.
• Solvents take off wax and sealant where they touch, so wash the area again and re-protect it. Test first on vinyl wrap, PPF and unpainted plastic.

What is the best way to remove tar off a car?

Wash the car first, then apply a tar remover to the cool, dry panel before you clay. Let it soften the tar and wipe or rinse it away as the label says, rather than scrubbing, which drags hard tar across the paint. Solvents also take off wax and sealant where they touch, so wash that area again and re-protect it.

How does tar remover work?

It dissolves tar, adhesive and tree resin so they lift off the paint instead of being scraped off. A gel such as AutoBead Tar Gel clings to sills and lower doors, so it stays on the tar for longer than a spray.

Related: Decontamination, Iron & Fallout Removers, Insect & Bug Removers, Clay Bars. Popular brands here: CarPro, Koch-Chemie, Autobead, Infinity Wax.