How to wash bitumen and tar from a car?

Bitumen and tar are refined products. It is not a problem to meet them on the road, and for this it is not even necessary to ignore the road works sign. Bitumen softens in hot weather, clings to the tires, and from them gets on the body. Bitumen can get on the body and from the wheels of cars passing nearby. Especially - from the wheels of trucks.

Such substances have an extremely negative effect on the paintwork of a car, the effect of them is comparable to that of a solvent. So, in addition to the bitumen stain itself, you risk getting yellowed paint under it, and in the future - corrosion. And to avoid the cost of mechanical polishing, it is best to deal with tar and bitumen stains right away.

It is useless to try to wash even fresh tar and bitumen from the car body with water. On the other hand, organic solvents and mild cleaning agents will help with the fresh stain stage. There are now a lot of cleaners to combat tar stains on store shelves. And not all of them are equally effective and safe. Let's try to figure out how to choose the best remedy.

The first type of product is suitable exclusively for dealing with fresh stains. They are convenient in that they do not drain and allow you to use the tool as locally as possible. They act quickly if the stain is not old. Curing cleaners will take you longer, but they have a chance to remove even dried out stains.

The purpose of special compounds is to directly eliminate bitumen stains. Such professional formulations include tar and bitumen removing petroleum fractions, as well as other additives. They work as efficiently as possible, but they can damage the coating, in order to avoid which it is necessary to follow the instructions exactly and try the product on a small and inconspicuous area. These products can adversely affect the anti-corrosion coating. They must be avoided in every possible way. In addition, they have a pungent odor, and most of them are flammable.

Universal formulations are softer and rarely have a pungent odor. They are designed for a wide range of contaminants, they can help with a fresh bituminous stain, but not all and not always. We should also mention car scrubs, produced in the form of gloves or napkins, as well as synthetic clay. Both options work delicately, but for fresh stains they may be enough.

Of the products on the market, the following have earned particular popularity:

• Astrohim (Russia);
• universal professional cleaner Docker Mazbit Turbo (USA);
• slow action agent from Texon (Russia);
• concentrated product from Turtle Wax (Spain);
• Antibitum slow action from Grass (Russia);
• aerosol HI-GEAR (USA);
• fast-acting agent Teer Entferner from Sonax (Germany).

The first and foremost advice for dealing with bituminous stains and tar traces is not to delay! Acceptable maximum for stain removal is 4 hours. It is much easier to wash off fresh stains, and in order to clean dried traces of tar from the car body without losses, you will have to sweat and most likely turn to professionals for help. Old stains should be erased in several stages, using non-volatile solvents and professional products that penetrate deep into the stain. Stubborn stains must be soaked before attempting to remove them. You may have to make an effort and pry the bitumen plate with a wooden spatula, but this should be done with the utmost care!

Usually, to remove dried bitumen stains, products with isopropyl alcohol are used in the composition (example: Cleaner with fresh citrus scent No. 7230 from Dinitrol, Sweden). Attention! They must be used only with rubber gloves and a masking respirator to avoid any harm to health. They are applied to a cooled surface. After application, you must wait until the bitumen dissolves. You may need to repeat the procedure several times. Just don't overdo it! After removing the stain, wash the car with shampoo and see if there are any yellow or black marks left. If you're unlucky, don't try to scrape off the stain again. You can try to remove the yellow mark with a professional deep polish. The chances of avoiding marks are greater if the paint is not metallized. From homemade means for removing dried bituminous stains, kerosene, gasoline and diesel fuel are suitable. More details about such cleaning methods will be discussed below.

If you cannot purchase a special composition for any reason, you can use improvised materials to remove stains. They can be conditionally divided into several groups:

• kerosene and kerosene-containing products;
• solvents.

For many years, aviation kerosene has been considered the reference agent for combating tar and bitumen stains at home. To get it, however, did not become easier, so you have to make do with ordinary kerosene. And for the company with him - diesel fuel, gasoline, WD-40, carburetor cleaning fluid and white spirit, of which about half of WD-40 consists.

The main disadvantages of these methods are that you act at your own peril and risk, and do not tolerate the most pleasant smell to the pile. White spirit can deprive the cleaned area of ​​shine, WD-40 is suitable only for fresh stains, and kerosene can "grab" part of the paint along with the stain if you overdo it. However, kerosene and diesel fuel in this respect are still safer than gasoline.

While some argue that these home remedies can, if applied, remove stubborn stains, it's best not to risk it. It did not work out with one, maximum - with two approaches, go to special means or contact specialists. The duration of action of kerosene, gasoline and diesel fuel is 2–5 minutes.

Let's talk in more detail about working with white spirit.

• Use a mask and gloves when working.
• Wash your car thoroughly with a special shampoo.
• Wait for the vehicle to dry.
• Dip a foam sponge or cotton pad in the solvent.
• After waiting 5 minutes (some people think that 3-4 minutes will be enough), start erasing the stain.
• If you see that there is no effect - do not try to put more effort. Switch to a dedicated tool. Although there is an opinion that you can safely repeat these manipulations up to 5 times.

And a few recommendations for using other tools.

• It is enough to keep WD-40 on a fresh spot for 3-4 minutes.
• If you don't have car shampoo on hand, dishwashing detergent will do a great job of removing the smell of diesel oil and greasy residue after it.
• Gasoline, diesel fuel and kerosene are extremely flammable. This seemingly simple truth is often forgotten. And such forgetfulness is costly.

You can also find a cleaner in the first aid kit. These folk remedies include formic alcohol, 3% boric acid and ammonia. Again, you should proceed with caution. And they work more slowly - the stain will dissolve at least 5-10 minutes, and, most likely, longer. For example, ammonia is used as follows:

• moisten a cotton swab with the product;
• put the tampon on the stain;
• wait 5 minutes;
• remove the swab and wash the car.

From what can always be found in the refrigerator to combat bitumen stains, use butter or sunflower oil and margarine. The fatty acids they contain break down tar and bitumen. If the stain is fresh, it will simply creep away. For stubborn stains, these products are useless. A separate item among homemade bitumen cleaners is blue clay. Everyone admits that the effect of it is impressive, but at the same time the risk of damaging the bodywork is enormous. Working with clay is based on friction and the consequences can be dire.

Brake fluid should be used with caution. If you do not want to be engaged in painting a car afterwards, it must have a standard not lower than DOT-4. Turpentine, foam remover, antisilicone, hand sanitizers and wet antiseptic wipes are also used to remove bitumen.

When using any of the products, you should follow simple guidelines that will help wipe off stains, maintain the appearance of the body and ensure your own safety.

• If you are the owner of a light car, do not delay cleaning in any case. You are most at risk of getting dirty marks after bitumen removal.
• Haste in the process of removing the stain is your enemy. Already in the very spot there is enough sand and dust to scratch the body.
• Do not try to remove the stain mechanically. You will only damage the surface.
• Use homemade products only in extreme cases, when it is not possible to apply a special cleaner.
• Using a special tool, carefully read the instructions and follow them exactly - this way you will reduce the risk of damage to the paint to a minimum. For example, the manufacturer does not recommend using some cleaners on freshly painted (less than a month ago) surfaces, including new cars.
• When buying a purifier, do not be lazy to read the reviews on it. Price doesn't always mean quality.
• Clean in the shade, avoid bright sun. It is especially important to remember this when using white spirit. The sun, in combination with it, can leave traces on the paint and varnish surface.
• The temperature, on the other hand, should be positive. It is easier to get rid of stains while being warm.
• Use a respirator (preferably a paint mask) and gloves.
• Forget about smoking during work! Most cleaning products are not only flammable, but have flammable vapors.
• Wash the machine before cleaning. It is important to wash off the dust from it.
• It would be best to use a pressure washer, you need to be as careful as possible with sponges and rags. If you are still going to use a rag, opt for microfiber.
• Wait for the surface to dry properly.
• Apply the product from above, taking into account that it is likely to flow down.
• Avoid getting sand on the cloth.
• Any volatile compounds must be applied in small portions.
• When calculating the soaking time, take into account not only the age of the stain, but also the time indicated in the instructions for the cleaner. Do not overexpose the product, but do not wash it off prematurely.
• When working with a stubborn stain, you can use a brush or a brush, but not with a hard and, moreover, not with a metal bristle.
• Wash off the solvent and residual bitumen with shampoo and clean water. Again, it is best to use a sink.
• If it is not possible to remove the contamination, contact a specialist.

They should also be used correctly, after cleaning the car, evenly applying polish, and then polishing the surface with microfiber. After application, you need to allow the product to harden - this takes about 8 hours. All manipulations should be carried out in a place protected from dust and dirt as much as possible.

Compliance with the speed limit and distance will help to reduce the likelihood of bituminous spots to a minimum. When driving on a newly repaired road surface, slow down to the minimum speed. And stay away from wagons without mud flaps. Thus, with a timely response and due care, removing tar and bitumen stains will give you much less trouble.

For information on how to wash bitumen and tar from a car without damaging the paint, see the next video.