Mechanical cleaning master trick will save your car from ‘bird crap and tree sap’ – drivers are using $10 product wrong

A HOME mechanic revealed a product that he always has in his car to protect the paintwork and that can even remove hardened sap from a tree in an hour.

Almost everyone has heard of the product, but only those who know how to use it.

3

3

Scotty Kilmer is one of the most popular automotive experts on YouTube (@Scotty Kilmer).

He regularly shares DIY videos, mechanical educational videos, industry news coverage, and product reviews.

On a video Uploaded in 2018, he covered one of his favorite products he uses to keep paint safe from corrosive substances: Goo Gone.

He loves the product so much that he reminded his 6.2 million subscribers that he always carries a bottle in his trunk accompanied by microfiber towels to use.

“I always keep a bottle of this stuff in my wife’s trunk,” he said.

“I don’t want to ruin the paint on this Lexus.”

Goo is gone can remove various types of “goo” such as hardened bird droppings, tree sap, paint, asphalt, adhesive residue, and brake dust.

The secret is citrus oil, which is tough on gunk but easy on the vehicle’s clear coat.

Many stores with an automotive section, like Walmart, Target, or even some Safeways, sell a 16-ounce bottle for $10.99.

Kilmer said he likes to use it to remove bird droppings from his Toyota Highlander, which is important to remove because bird droppings are not suitable for paint.

“Of course, you want to clean [the bird poop] as quickly as possible,” Kilmer said.

“Because the bird crap has a lot of acid in it, it gets really hard and it bakes into the paint. It will actually burn holes in it, so you should do it as soon as you see it whenever possible.”

To further protect the paint, Kilmer says it’s critical to use soft towels to clean the product, not abrasive materials like paper towels or napkins.

“[Paper towels] It can actually put micro scratches on your paint,” he said.

His first trick has to do with the environment: he never uses the product in direct sunlight, as it reduces the product’s effectiveness.

Therefore, he says it is important to get your car out of the sun, parking it under a tree or in the garage to use the product.

He then lets the Goo Gone soak in the “goo” for a few minutes before wiping it off with a clean towel.

3

The ease of extracting sap from trees made him a big fan of the product.

“What really sold me on Goo Gone in the first place was my Lexus and this Chinese tree of life it’s parked under,” he said.

Tree sap is notoriously difficult to remove due to its viscosity and stickiness, which makes it extremely risky for automotive paint.

If left on the paint for too long, it can remove some of the clear coat that protects the paint underneath, exposing the paint to the elements and destroying it over time.

“It’s a beautiful tree and you don’t want to cut it down and it’s healthy, but the thing releases a ton of sap,” he continued.

“And it was all over the car and it got almost as hard as amber — almost as hard as a rock — and I couldn’t figure out how to get it out.”

How often should you clean your car?

Professionals recommend an interval that may surprise you when cleaning your car,

Depending on where you live and what your typical day is like, the suggested interval for cleaning a vehicle is every two weeks.

“Regularly washing your car removes everyday contaminants like tar, road debris, and bird droppings that can ruin your car’s paint over time,” wrote Progressive.

“But there is no right answer to this question – it depends on factors such as your lifestyle, the climate where you live and how you store your vehicle when you are not driving it.”

However, if you apply a fresh coat of wax after each cleaning session or if the vehicle is parked in a garage, cleaning may not need to be done as regularly.

“Waxing your car creates a barrier between the clear coat – the top layer of paint – and external elements, so it won’t be able to absorb and affect your car’s exterior,” the website continued.

Source: Progressive Auto Insurance

Notably more difficult than removing bird feces, it was still easy to remove over time.

“I left it there for half an hour and started rubbing, then little pieces gradually came off,” he said.

“But after about 45 minutes of gentle rubbing, it all came off.”

It even worked to remove fresh paint from the side of the car during a road trip.

He used the bottle he keeps in his car and managed to remove the paint in minutes, preserving the paintwork of his Toyota Yaris.

“If you keep a bottle with you and clean it as often as possible, your ink will be protected.”