8 Best Ways To Remove Sticky Tree Sap From Clothes

It's a situation that many of us are familiar with. It's a beautiful spring day, and you're enjoying the weather while relaxing under the shade of a tree. Maybe you're preparing for Christmas, bringing home a gorgeous, lush fir you're excited to decorate. You don't notice anything in the moment, but after you step away, there it is: sap. This sticky substance might look pretty when it catches the sunlight, but it's an absolute nightmare to try to remove.

Sap is essentially the lifeblood of a tree. It transports nutrients around the plant, and is especially noticeable in the spring when trees are doing the bulk of their growth. If you're dealing with a tree that's producing excessive sap or simply trimming back or transporting branches of a healthy tree, there's a risk you'll get some of this substance on your clothes. In most situations, a typical wash cycle won't cut it, but with some special treatments, you can keep your clothes from becoming permanently stained.

Whether you decide to use rubbing alcohol, peanut butter, olive oil, vinegar, or acetone as a stain remover, you'll get the best results if you act fast. Don't let the sap fully harden, or try to just toss the item into a regular wash cycle — the stain will take much more effort to remove if you do.

Rubbing alcohol is by far the most commonly recommended treatment to remove tree sap. To use it, all you need to do is douse the area with alcohol and launder as normal — it should melt away without issue. If you got sap on a delicate item, however, it's important to do a spot test on an inconspicuous area beforehand. A strong stain remover like rubbing alcohol could fade certain colors or leave marks on certain fabrics, so if you notice an issue during your spot test, it's best to try out a gentler option.

Sometimes, the most effective way to lift a stain is by force. If you want to see how much sap you can remove without using harsh treatments, or you're dealing with a clothing item that can't be easily laundered, consider popping it into the freezer. After some exposure to the cold, the sticky sap on your clothing item will become solid, giving you the chance to chip it off with a dull knife. Sap that's soaked into the material will be harder to remove, but this is an excellent, chemical-free removal method for those surface-level stains.

Store-bought pre-treatments are effective on a variety of stains, including sap stains. After you've used alcohol to dissolve the sap or have scraped most of it off after freezing, you can use a regular pre-treatment on your clothing item before putting it in the washing machine. Allow this treatment to sit for around five minutes, then wash your clothes on the hottest cycle recommended on the care tag. If you notice that the stain is still there, repeat the process rather than putting the item straight in the dryer.

Peanut butter might seem like an odd choice as a stain remover, but if you've tried everything to remove sap and aren't seeing any progress, it might be time to try this method. The oils found in peanut butter will help to break down sap stains and make them less sticky, making it easier to lift them from fabric. The problem, however, is that peanut butter will also leave behind staining of its own. If you attempt this method, follow it up with the easiest way to remove grease stains from your laundry.

Dish soap isn't just for dishes — it's also a convenient stain fighter that you likely already have in your kitchen. Often used as a first line of defense against stains because of its gentleness and strength, dish soap is a solid option for sap stains on clothing items that are harder to launder, like coats or shoes. Mix a few drops into some hot water, then use a soft-bristle brush dipped in the mixture to scrub stained areas. You may have to repeat the process a few times, but you should notice the stain lifting.

Similar to rubbing alcohol, acetone can be used to dissolve sticky tree sap. While it's more commonly used to remove sap from solid surfaces, like the exterior of cars, the same process can be used for clothing in a pinch. First, of course, make sure you perform a patch test. Acetone is very powerful, so there's a chance it could damage or leave marks on some fabrics. If you've determined that you're good to go, use the acetone to gradually dissolve and wipe away the sap stain. Follow up with a rinse with baking soda and hot water.

Just like peanut butter, olive oil can be used to reduce the stickiness of sap and allow it to more easily lift from clothing. Unfortunately, it also comes with the same downside — you'll likely be left with pretty obvious grease stains in the area where you used olive oil as a treatment. These can be lifted, though they might be just as annoying to tackle as the sap stains themselves. Keep in mind, however, that olive oil and peanut butter are great for removing sticky sap from pet fur or hair, no leftover staining necessary!

Vinegar is seemingly included in just about every natural cleaning solution, so it shouldn't come as a shock that it can be used as a treatment for sap stains, too. Start by freezing the clothing item and physically removing as much of the now-solid sap as possible. Once the bulk of the sticky substance is gone, use a cloth or a soft toothbrush soaked with white vinegar to scrub at the stain. It might take a bit of work, but it should eventually start to lift. Rinse, then launder the clothing item as normal, and you should be set.