How To Get Road Tar Off Your Car With WD-40

By News Update On Oct 24, 2024

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A freshly paved road can kick up fresh tar as you drive, and this can make a mess and stick to your car or truck. Thankfully, it’s not hard to remove with something you could already be using to keep your car in tip-top shape, WD-40.

It only takes a few simple steps to wipe away road tar with the aid of WD-40 Multi-Use Spray. First, wash your car with car shampoo, taking special care to be thorough on the tar-impacted areas. Once the car is washed and dried, apply WD-40 and let it sit for a few minutes to work its magic. Next, add a bit more WD-40 to a clean cloth and wipe away the tar spots. You should then give the WD-40-applied areas a quick wash with soap and water to remove excess product. Finally, give the cleaned area a buff with a fresh cloth, and you should be all set.

While this may be a great way to clean your car after a drive through unsettled tar, you should be aware of some disclaimers before starting this cleanup process.

Cleaning tar with WD-40 requires awareness and the right product

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As useful as WD-40 Multipurpose Spray is, it’s not perfect. You can make mistakes when using WD-40 that might lead to it damaging surfaces as it cleans. When removing tar spots from a vehicle, WD-40 formula can impact your car’s wax or polish, so it’s best to test it on a small area first before treating a larger one. The last thing you want is to use it widely, only for it to leave marks across your vehicle.

Also worth bearing in mind is that the aforementioned steps to removing tar spots involve WD-40 Multipurpose Spray specifically. But there’s more to the WD-40 brand than its original formula. There are products within its catalog that are designed for different purposes, from degreasers to electric parts cleaners. Using the wrong type of spray could lead to damage to your car’s paint or polish, so check the can before applying to ensure you have the right product.

There are several unexpected uses for WD-40, and it’s an undeniably solid cleaner — so long as you’re using the right product and know what it can do to your vehicle ahead of time.