Tree sap might seem harmless, but for car owners, it can be a sticky situation—literally. If you’ve ever parked under a tree only to find stubborn sap glued to your car's surface, you know the frustration. This guide from San Diego Select walks you through how to remove tree sap from your car safely, whether you're dealing with a tiny drip or a full-on splatter.
Tree sap is more than just a nuisance. It can harden into a resin-like substance that eats into your car’s clear coat, causing discoloration and permanent damage if not removed properly. Especially under the Southern California sun, the sap can bake onto your car, making removal even more difficult. The faster you act, the less likely you are to harm your paint.
Not all tree sap is the same. Pine sap, which is highly resinous, is the most notorious culprit. Maple sap is thinner but equally sticky. Eucalyptus, common in areas like East Lake, adds a strong scent and quick hardening to the mix. Understanding what you’re up against helps you choose the right removal method.
Before reaching for anything abrasive, try these safe techniques:
Avoid harsh chemicals, razor blades, or scraping tools. They can scratch or dull your car’s finish, especially if it’s a luxury model like a Bentley.
If sap has baked in or left a stain, DIY methods may fall short. This is when you should contact the Team at San Diego Select. We use professional-grade tools and techniques to safely remove sap from all car types, including high-end brands.
Our Services are designed for everything from daily drivers to exotic vehicles. We offer mobile car detailing, meaning we come to your home or office. Sap removal is included in many of our packages, and we pair it with scratch-safe buffing and protection coatings for lasting shine.
After sap removal, your car might benefit from extra care:
These add-ons restore your car to showroom quality, inside and out.
We proudly serve a wide range of areas across San Diego, including San Carlos, Poway, and 4S Ranch. You can explore all our Locations to see where we offer mobile car detailing. Booking is simple through our app or website.
From family sedans to luxury exotics, we treat every car like royalty. We’ve detailed everything from Fords and Toyotas to elite brands like McLaren, Lamborghini, and Rolls Royce. For a complete list, visit our Brands page.
Tree sap is stubborn, but it doesn’t have to leave a permanent mark on your car. With the right tools—or the right team—you can restore your vehicle to its original luster. Whether you’re handling it at home or calling in San Diego Select, act quickly and choose quality care.
Want ongoing protection and priority service? Contact us today and check out our Wash Memberships for unbeatable value and convenience.
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Perfection & Protection.
Frustrated with everything that the car wash leaves behind?
Does your paint not shine like it used to?
In love with your car and want to preserve your investment for the long term?
That is why we are here. Not only do we leave you with flawless results, but we make sure that your paint, leather, and other materials are protected for years to come. We will treat your car (and you) like one of our own.
The shampoo and hot water extraction is the best possible care for your FABRIC seats.
We will bathe your seats in thick foam shampoo, agitate it with a fabric brush attachment on a drill, and then extract all the grime, dirt, stains and contaminant from the seats with hot water at 210ºF. If your seats need a refresh, this is as good as it gets. Because the service takes 45 minutes on average, and only a small percent of vehicles need it we charge extra for it. Don't worry - its only $50 extra. Totally worth it.
Do you have any little scrapes and scratches that bother you?
We can handle it.. to an extent. We are polishing experts - so if the scratch isn't too deep, we can get it out. Ever heard of "The Fingernail Test", this is a great way to know if your scratches are fixable. If you feel the scratch will your fingernail and you can feel a groove in the paint, it it probably a little bit too deep ~in the sections where the groove is~
A clay bar is exactly what it sounds like, a little ball of malleable puddy.
This is used in the decontamination phase of the detail to prepare your paint for protection. Clay Bar Detailing is essential for preparing your vehicle's paint for protection by ensuring it is free of contaminants.
Every exterior detail has 3 phases: 1. Wash 2. Decontaminate 3. Protect. The decontamination stage is responsible for removing from the paint everything that doesn't come off from the wash.
Remember when you bought your car and the paint was smooth to the touch? That is the goal of this stage. Remove all the crusty junk that is stuck to you paint. This way, when we apply sealant (protection) to your paint it will adhere to the paint itself, rather than the junk sitting on the surface. This will give the sealant its longest possible useful life.
For the same reason that you get an oil change. Engines are expensive to replace (8-15K) so we take good care of them. So is your paint - the average paint job costing around $5,000. If you don't protect your paint with some type of ceramic, wax, or sealant, your paint WILL fail.
In San Diego, our biggest enemy is the sun, or the salt if you live near the beach. Next time you are in a big parking lot, look around at the hoods of the vehicles. You will notice around 1/6 vehicles have completely delaminated clear coat.
That means the paint looks like dead skin on the surface and you could peel it off with you fingers. Not pretty. There is a simple solution to ensure your vehicle never ends up like this. Exterior Detailing. Bonus points for a ceramic coating with is the best protection possible.
