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Home / Cleaning Guides / Clothing & Fabrics / Stain Removal / How to Remove Tree Sap from Clothing

How to Remove Tree Sap from Clothing

Table of Contents:
  1. You Will Need
  2. Steps to Remove the Sap
  3. Additional Tips and Ideas

Sam asked: How do I remove tree sap from clothing? It is pine sap and little spots of it got on the back of my white t-shirt when I leaned up against the tree. Thanks!

Treesapstains sap seems to cling to everything including skin and especially clothing. The removal techniques are similar to those of removing adhesives. The most success comes when you either lubricate the sap to remove it or dry it out so it will release from the clothing fibers.

You Will Need:

  • Cleaner (choose one)
    • Rubbing alcohol
    • Hand sanitizer
    • Peanut butter
    • WD-40
    • Cooking oil
    • Goof Off
    • Nail polish remover
  • Soft cloth
  • Laundry detergent

Steps to Remove the Sap:

  1. First, gently scrape off the sap using a dull knife or spoon. This works well for old, dry sap, and also for fresh sap so you have less to remove with cleaning solutions.
  2. Select a cleaner from the list above. Any of the above cleaners can work. Many site readers have said that the rubbing alcohol worked well, and several others have said peanut butter did the trick. However, always test cleaners like rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover on a small hidden spot first (such as inside a hem) to ensure that there is no damage from the cleaning product, such as removal of the fabric dye. If using hand sanitizer, be sure it is alcohol-based.
  3. Once you have made your selection, apply a small amount of the cleaner by moistening a soft cloth and blotting at the sap.
  4. If the sap is thick or the area is large, pour the cleaner directly onto the sappy area and work it in with your fingers.
  5. Launder the clothing as usual with regular laundry detergent and warm water.
  6. Prior to placing the piece in the dryer, check to ensure all of the sap was removed. (If using one of the oil-based products like peanut butter, also look to be sure all of the oil is removed. Usually there is not an oil stain. If there is, just rub some laundry detergent into the area and re-wash the item.)
  7. If any sap remains, repeat the above procedures.

Additional Tips and Ideas

  • It’s important to ensure all of the sap is removed before placing the piece in the dryer. If there is sap remaining, the heat from the dryer can melt it and spread it to other clothing items.
  • Sunscreen can also be used in a pinch. Spray it on and rub it in. Launder as usual.

Cleaning Guides, Stain Removal

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About the Author

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Susan

I'm a stay-at-home mom who used to run a small housecleaning business. These days I consider myself more or a mad cleaning-scientist. I do most of the testing for our articles - as well as helping Mark & Melanie write them.

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Comments

  1. Peb says

    September 26, 2010 at 6:12 pm

    Got this advice from a vet when my cat finally got down out of a huge fir tree and was a mess with pitch. Have since used it successfully on my own hair and clothes and car upholstery. Just rub the baby oil in slowly and the pitch pretty much dissolves. Works amazingly well and smells better than most other options too.

    Reply
  2. Mona says

    September 27, 2010 at 12:01 pm

    Hand lotion of any kind will get rid of pitch. Used it on the belly of my puppy and it took it right off. Great for getting it off your hands, etc., and it smells nice!

    Reply
  3. Rydzyk says

    October 3, 2010 at 9:28 am

    Use the butter. Rub it in to the stain and then wash with the soap.

    Reply
  4. Amber says

    December 5, 2010 at 12:00 am

    I got tree sap on my winter jacket. First, I let it dry, then I took a warm damp cloth and tried to removed as much as possible. Then, I followed this article’s advice, taking a warm damp cloth and a little bit of peanut butter and applying it to the area; it worked like a charm!

    Thank you, I love this jacket!!

    Reply
  5. DLoupe says

    December 17, 2011 at 4:14 pm

    I let the sap dry on my black dress pants. Then, I took an old toothbrush and made a paste with my washing detergent. I gently rubbed on the spots where the sap was, then threw it in the washer. Worked like a charm!

    Reply
  6. Sap-Free says

    April 12, 2012 at 2:43 pm

    Rubbing alcohol, or surgical spirits as it is known in the UK, works amazingly well at removing dried tree sap from clothes. Very quick and clean, no hassle, no oil after stains; just great!

    Reply
    • Cheetah says

      July 23, 2016 at 2:54 pm

      WOW! Thank you for this! I attended a garden party, wearing an expensive new dress. Did not realize some of the chairs had pine sap on them… thought my dress was ruined. The next morning, I found this post and tried it. MAGIC!! The alcohol took out the sap, and did not ruin the fabric or affect the color. Thank you!

      Reply
  7. Sapoff says

    August 21, 2012 at 5:01 pm

    I tried the rubbing alcohol technique from Sapfree (above) and it worked to remove the dried sap on three different pairs of pants, all made of high-quality stretch nylon and/or polyester from REI and Royal Robbins. Yay!

    Reply
  8. Leah says

    August 26, 2012 at 9:05 pm

    I used peanut butter on my fleece sweats when they got sap on them, and it took the sap out! I’m glad I looked on this website; I never would’ve thought to try peanut butter.

    Reply
  9. Sharon says

    August 27, 2012 at 12:35 pm

    I sat on a bench and didn’t notice that sap was seeping out of it, and got it on the bum of my black shorts. I googled how to get it out and it said to use rubbing alcohol. Why not, the shorts are destroyed anyway, right? Well, I rubbed the alcohol on the sap spots with a rag until the shininess disappeared, and then washed them in cold water and laundry soap. I now have my shorts back. Great job.

    Reply
  10. Sarita says

    February 10, 2013 at 10:13 pm

    I just used alcohol swabs on the seat of a pair of denim shorts in order to remove sap that had been dried after several washes.
    Brilliant advice! It worked straight away. It required a bit of a hard rub in the thicker spots, but all was removed.

    Reply
  11. Tom says

    February 24, 2013 at 5:40 pm

    I just used 70% isopropyl alcohol on a patch of scrap fabric. It took the tree sap right off of my 100% wool pants.

    Reply
  12. Diane says

    May 7, 2013 at 10:18 pm

    Coconut oil also works incredibly well; just rub on and it melts away, then throw it in a regular wash.

    Reply
  13. Rob U says

    August 4, 2013 at 11:27 pm

    Isopropyl alcohol worked instantly! Pour it on and let it sit for 15 seconds, then wipe it off. Wow!!

    Reply
  14. Rachel says

    August 7, 2013 at 7:08 pm

    I used the hand sanitizer version on my son’s Nike shorts and then washed, and the oil/darker residue still remains. Will try a second wash to see if that will remove it. Better than the sap was, but still not great. Hoping for the best!

    Reply
  15. Matt says

    August 19, 2013 at 1:34 pm

    I used a dryer sheet and a clothes iron. Pretty amazing; just comes out. Don’t forget to fold the dryer sheet once or twice to protect the iron from sap. Then, put it in the washer.

    Reply
  16. Marie says

    September 10, 2013 at 1:53 pm

    I tried the rubbing alcohol suggestion from Sap-Free on my Columbia polyester hiking pants and it worked like a charm. Some spots were gone before I even began wiping. And no damage to the pants.

    Reply
  17. Megan says

    February 22, 2014 at 8:24 pm

    My eight-year-old’s brand new school dress had sap all over the backside. I didn’t want to battle an oil stain on the fabric so I used nail polish remover… brilliant. Just dabbed the area and it came off. Thanks so much.

    Reply
  18. Ricky says

    May 25, 2014 at 9:52 pm

    We just had a BBQ today and I got sapped with my new dry fit Oakley white shirt. After reading this article, I tried the rubbing alcohol and brushed it off with a soft toothbrush. Works great; no sweat. Sap disappeared. Thank you!

    Reply
  19. Diane says

    June 19, 2014 at 9:32 pm

    I tried the cooking oil option. The oil stained the blanket and did not remove the sap… will try isopropyl alcohol next.

    Reply
  20. Norma says

    July 5, 2014 at 3:52 am

    Try the alcohol; I tried it today. It works great. It takes some rubbing to get rid of it, but it does work.

    Reply
  21. Jenni says

    July 28, 2014 at 6:26 pm

    The rubbing alcohol works great. I just used it on a new pair of REI pants that I got sap on the first time out with them on… gone!

    Reply
  22. Heather says

    August 2, 2014 at 9:47 am

    I had tree sap on my black over shirt, and washed it in the washing machine and dried it. I didn’t think anything was going to get it out at that point. I used suntan oil; worked like a charm. Washed it after; can’t even tell there was anything ever there. So, thank you for the tip!

    Reply
  23. Loreen says

    September 1, 2014 at 10:23 pm

    WOW! The alcohol really worked. I just poured some on the spots and scrubbed it with a tooth brush, laundered it and it was completely gone!

    Reply
  24. Jan says

    September 26, 2014 at 4:38 pm

    I used blue cheese dressing (don’t ask!) and threw it in the washer; it came out!

    Reply
  25. Suzana says

    November 7, 2014 at 10:58 am

    I didn’t have rubbing alcohol and used a liquid deodorant (it has a lot of alcohol) and it came of in a couple of minutes, with me removing it with my fingers.

    Reply
  26. John says

    May 6, 2015 at 10:13 am

    I used lighter fluid. It also worked great; came off right a way.

    Reply
  27. Suzie says

    May 21, 2015 at 12:34 pm

    The alcohol and P-butter sounds way better to use for getting pitch off skin than what my mom used on me as a kid…turpentine! Wouldn’t recommend that now. 🙂

    Reply
  28. Malcolm says

    May 30, 2015 at 11:48 am

    Baby oil worked perfectly on my golden retriever’s nose. (Although I think that she would have chosen peanut butter!!!!)

    Reply
  29. Jo Ann says

    June 25, 2015 at 11:21 pm

    Got pitch on my expensive Kerritts riding pants. The rubbing alcohol worked great and didn’t damage or discolor the (black) pants. Thanks!

    Reply
  30. Sarah says

    July 6, 2015 at 7:22 pm

    It worked! Thanks!

    Reply
  31. Laura says

    July 27, 2015 at 1:43 pm

    Another thing that works is hand sanitizer. You have to work at it and scrub it awhile, but it really works. I got sap that had dried for 5 days out of a fluffy cotton towel!

    Reply
  32. Judy says

    October 20, 2015 at 5:31 pm

    I used WD-40 on hubby’s hooded dark blue sweatshirt and he had a lot of it. He was cutting pine lumber boards out of logs. I used a toothbrush and scrubbed it. It all came out in the wash, but I did wash it twice to make sure I got all the oil out of it and rinsed it twice also. But, it did a good job; no fading at all.

    Reply
  33. Meg says

    February 5, 2016 at 3:09 am

    Hand sanitizer worked like a charm.

    Reply
  34. Becky says

    June 24, 2016 at 9:10 pm

    What about the oil stains coconut oil, WD-40 & probably peanut butter leave? I used coconut oil, which did get the sap off but left a huge oil stain, despite immediate washing & then another wash using stain remover.

    Reply
    • Avatar photoMelanie says

      June 25, 2016 at 12:43 am

      Becky,
      Most oil stains come out with a regular wash, but I have had coconut oil stains on fabric survive a wash as well – not sure why. You can try using the tips in the article How to Remove Oil Stains from Cotton. For me, they just eventually came out with repeat washings. Applying liquid laundry detergent directly onto an oil stain can help (as long as it’s not a dyed detergent, which could deposit a dye stain onto the fabric). Rubbing alcohol might also be a good thing to try since that might work remove both the sap and the oil simultaneously.
      Source: HowToCleanStuff.net – How to Remove Motor Oil from Tile

      Reply
    • Rita says

      July 1, 2017 at 3:50 pm

      Dawn dish soap will remove oil stains. Put it on the oil stain, leave it over night, and wash as normal. Works like a darn!

      Reply
    • Lynn says

      July 7, 2018 at 4:07 pm

      To remove oil stains, cover the spot with any talc, baby powder, perfumed talc, etc. I leave it on overnight. Shake the powder out and the stain is gone. Wash as usual.

      Reply
    • Cally says

      October 10, 2019 at 4:23 pm

      I always use corn starch on oil stains on clothes and couches. Just let it sit for a while so it absorbs all the oil (may need to reapply once), then wash or vacuum it off.

      Reply
  35. Fran says

    July 27, 2016 at 5:03 pm

    I went straight to the Goof-Off … it seemed to dissolve the sap/pitch quickly … then washed it out and then again with soap … now just letting the shorts air — hopefully it took all of it out. Looks good.

    Reply
  36. Angela says

    September 1, 2016 at 10:59 am

    My son “thinks” the stains on his shorts are from tree sap. But they were already washed and dryer dried before he informed me. I have been trying the rubbing alcohol and hand sanitizer with no luck – but thinking stains are now set in after being in dryer.

    Reply
    • Angela says

      September 2, 2016 at 1:48 pm

      I did finally get the tree sap stains out that were dryer dried with Goo Gone and Zout, washing twice more.

      Reply
    • Julie says

      March 28, 2019 at 2:08 am

      Did you get any answers? My son works for a tree lopping company and all his work clothes are stained (tree sap).

      Reply
      • Avatar photoMelanie says

        April 1, 2019 at 12:43 pm

        Hi Julie,
        Using alcohol or hand sanitizer has worked for many people, so give that a try. It looks like Angela came back to report that she was finally able to remove the stains with Goo Gone and Zout. Good luck!

        Reply
  37. T says

    October 17, 2016 at 12:23 pm

    Got lots of sap on work sweats. Had been washed AND dried, but thought “what the heck”. Used hand sanitizer. Didn’t give a tick whether the color changed as these were work clothes. Rubbed in liquid hand soap because it was handy. Felt soft. Rinsed even though I was not sure it was all out. Because I was curious, used my hair dryer on that spot. It worked. No color change. Thought I should share. End of story.

    Reply
  38. Mark says

    July 18, 2017 at 1:08 am

    Nail polish remover and a wash worked like a charm after scraping with a dull knife on a pair of heavy cotton shorts. Still trying to figure out where the sap came from, as I was not anywhere near a pine tree at the time. Thanks for the tips.

    Reply
  39. MWH says

    August 20, 2017 at 12:40 am

    Well, I had pitch/sap on my new waterproof down sweater from leaning up against a tree. It was on the shoulder and all the way down the back. I tried washing it, since that worked for my friend. That failed. I tried alcohol and hand sanitizer with no luck at all!! But, nail polish remover did the trick! Rubbed off easily and after washing – it’s perfect! Thanks!

    Reply

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