Winter had just ended with its problems in the form of corrosive reagents from the roads, and motorists were able to breathe a sigh of relief, when another, no less serious problem appeared on the horizon. These are poplars, and not even the tree itself, but its buds.
Unlike pollen of various flowers, debris, and insects, dark resinous stains from poplar buds are very difficult to remove from the surface of the body. Many people are interested in the question of how to wash poplar buds from a car.
Today there are a lot of different chemical cleaning products for cars, but not always a car enthusiast can purchase these products. In this case, you can use folk recipes.
The danger of poplar buds
If these same buds get on the surface of the body, they will leave brown spots, which are very difficult to remove. The resin that is inside the kidney very quickly eats into the paintwork and methodically destroys it.
It is very important that the car can avoid contact with this rather aggressive plant. Otherwise, the owner will have to think about how to wash poplar buds from the car. Several methods and solutions are proposed to get rid of this spring scourge and eliminate any contact with this “garbage”.
How to remove poplar resin, traces of linden and pine from a car body with your own hands
Getting rid of Velcro means making sure that not even a speck remains from the contact of a tree bud with the paintwork. As already noted, the fourth day is the deadline when the body surface can still be saved without the use of polishing. Later, chemistry is no longer able to remove the famous yellowness that remains after removing the resin.
The proposed method is relevant precisely from the moment the poplar, pine or linden tree gets in contact with Velcro until the end of the fourth day:
- Remove buds from the body surface. This must be done so that the resin does not leak out of them. Use the following method: dampen a cloth in warm water, wring it out as much as possible and brush the tree flowering products to the side. Dry rags are not suitable for these purposes - they do not allow brushing. You should not remove it with your hands or a brush - the Velcro will open at the slightest hard touch.
- Wash the outside of the car. Contactless washing is preferred because it leaves fewer scratches.
- Wipe the body dry. There is no need to worry about defective areas - ingrained resin cannot be smeared with a rag.
- Remove tar stains. Soak a piece of cotton wool or a cotton pad in alcohol/acid and, without applying much effort, wipe off the resin. In most cases, the Velcro mark needs to be soaked: place a swab soaked in chemicals on the contaminated area and leave for 10-15 minutes. After soaking, the stain is removed with a slight movement of the hand.
- Final cleaning of the treated area. Produced using special auto chemicals to remove resin. Usually this is any can with the Bug & Tar Remover attachment. The operation is not always necessary; it is done at will.
How to avoid “poplar aggression”
The best and most popular way to avoid any problems caused by these same kidneys is to completely eliminate the possibility of them getting on the body. When choosing a parking spot, you should avoid those under these trees. You can park a car under others - only poplar leaves stains. But this is in an ideal situation.
Also, to avoid stains, it is recommended to use car covers.
Polyethylene is suitable for this outdoors. They can cover the roof and hood. The edges can be pressed against the door and hood.
To minimize the damage, so that you don’t have to think about how to clean poplar buds from your car later, it is recommended to cover the surface of the body with long-acting polishes. This product creates a thin film that will protect the surface for three months.
These products are made on the basis of Teflon, nanoparticles, and liquid glass. In addition, these products will also help protect the body from minor scratches and car paint fading in the sun.
Another popular method of protection is gluing a special film. If it is done well, then this will preserve the quality of the coating for several years from physical and chemical exposure.
Let’s clarify how to remove poplar and road tar from a car: branded detergents and reviews about them
A simple car wash, even with warm water, is not enough. It will wash away road dust and dirt, but it will only highlight the tarry areas, nothing more. Even strong chemical-based products do not always cope with their task the first time. And it doesn’t matter whose production they are - domestic or imported.
A detailed analysis of reviews shows that not every product is worth paying attention to. No, tests confirm the cleaning ability of each product, but not many do it properly. The products of such companies command respect:
- Astrohim (Russia).
- Hi-Gear (USA).
- Texon (Russian Federation).
- Doctor Wax (USA).
- Grass (Russia).
- Prestone (USA).
- Autoprofi (Russian Federation).
- Abro (United States of America).
It is noteworthy that half of the TOP is occupied by Russian models. Moreover, their price does not exceed 200 rubles. Foreign analogues will cost at least 250 rubles. The price difference is purely marketing. The functionality is at approximately the same level.
The owner of Toyota RAV4, Vladimir A., was interested in how to remove poplar resin from his car for a long time, and decided to settle on a product from Astrohim. The result is this:
“I’ve always used alcohol, but I didn’t dare use it on the new machine. I bought a domestic product, sprayed it on the mark of a poplar bud, waited 3 minutes, as the instructions said. I was pleased with the effect of the product, but a small trace still remained. I decided to repeat the processing cycle. The second time everything really went away. This is considering that the stain was clearly not fresh. I was pleased with the aroma - unobtrusive.”
Where are the Germans?
Curious car enthusiasts have probably noticed that there is not a single German cleaner in the rating. They were excluded due to satisfactory cleaning quality. This is despite the fact that their price is high.
Car owners tested Liqui Moly, Sonax, Pingo. Even distinguished editors included them in the tests. These drugs have a rapid-fire effect - pop them and wipe them off immediately. Therefore, they can only handle fresh bitumen “blots”. They can be washed with the same success by the well-known assistant - WD-40.
How to clear kidney stains?
If it was not possible to avoid the problem and the buds have already reached the surface, then you should start removing them. This process must be started as early as possible, otherwise the resin will stain the paintwork. And then you will have to think not about how to wash the poplar buds from the car, but about the cost of repainting the car body.
Kidney damage is very critical for light-colored cars. These stains will be very noticeable on the body.
The easiest way is to clean it at a car wash. Often, professional cleaners know a good and effective way to combat this problem. But again, this is in an ideal situation.
But if the question is about how to wash poplar buds from a car at home, then the car owner will have to visit the auto cosmetics department. Typically, stores offer specialized cleaning products to combat the most serious stains and various types of dirt. When choosing such products, you should immediately make sure that, along with a huge number of stains, they also remove organic tar and grease stains. If the product is specially designed for poplar buds, then it is worth purchasing it.
What you should not buy are imported products from European manufacturers. Residents of Europe do not face such a problem, but the Russians are familiar with it firsthand. Domestic products are quite effective and successfully cope with this problem, and they are inexpensive.
Removing scratches
Often, car drivers themselves leave various scratches on the body, which significantly spoil the appearance of the car. What to do? The modern market of cleaning products offers a lot of options on how to remove a scratch, from special pencils that remove operating errors in one second, as well as polishes with an “anti-scratch” effect.
Anti-scratch polish effect
Of course, small chips can be removed in this way, but serious damage will require professional help from specialists at a car repair shop. And also be sure to watch the video:
All car body cleaning products are used in the same way:
- applied in a generous layer to the area of contamination;
- stand for 5-10 minutes;
- washed off with water;
- The body is rubbed with a soft sanding sponge.
It is important to carry out cleaning in a well-ventilated area and use special eye and hand protection.
Attention! All modern drugs are very active, and if used incorrectly, they can cause significant damage to the car. You can recommend proven products, gasoline, simple solvents, acetone or diluted kerosene. Yes, they leave a persistent odor, but they can’t damage the body of the car that much.
All such problems can be prevented rather than dealing with various external damage to the car. To do this, you must not park in places where parking is prohibited. It’s better to spend 5-10 minutes in the morning cleaning the car body from minor dirt than to mess around with toxic substances for several hours.
Wash your car in a timely manner, and also regularly apply a special protective coating, which costs several times less than new-fangled cleaning products. When driving onto a road with a fresh bitumen surface, you should maintain a low speed and make a minimum number of maneuvers. Move along the rolled track and keep a large distance between the trucks in front, from under whose wheels particles of the asphalt surface will fly.
Let all your car care products be at your fingertips, in a small box in the garage or in the trunk of your car, away from fire and mechanical damage.
Have a nice trip and less pollution!
Special active foam: effectively remove kidney stains
Probably, many car enthusiasts have high-pressure devices in their garage or private home and these people wash their cars themselves. There is a special preparation, an additive to the main shampoo, which effectively copes with traces of any insects and poplar buds. The product is sold in any auto stores.
Among the obvious advantages of this composition for combating kidney disease is the complete absence of any damage to the paintwork of the body. Also, using the composition will not cause difficulties and is ideal for use at home. With a high-pressure washer and this product, you won’t have to think twice about removing traces of poplar buds from your car. It's reliable, simple and effective. But not everyone has such a sink. For those who don’t have it, you’ll have to look for folk recipes.
Prohibited actions
If it was not possible to avoid contamination from poplar buds, the main thing is to properly clean the car so as not to cause even more harm. You cannot remove such defects with stain removers in the sun; it is better to carry out the procedure in a closed space. When removing stains, you do not need to be zealous; you need to clean linden and poplar Velcro with light movements, without using brushes, abrasive pastes, or sponges. Before cleaning, the car should be washed with shampoo, degreasing its surface. All these precautions will help remove poplar stains without causing damage to the car.
"White Spirit"
This popular product works much more gently than household aggressive liquids.
It will not damage the paint and copes well with bitumen stains. But there is an opinion that “White spirit” still copes with kidney stains, and does it well. If you don’t want to go to the store for specialized auto chemicals or have nothing to wash poplar buds from your car, then this is the best way. You can safely use it without fear for the body coating.
An interesting and inexpensive way
Here is another rather interesting method for those who do not know how to wash poplar buds from a car.
For this you need a construction hairdryer, although you can get by with a household one.
So, the stain should be warmed up, then it should be carefully wiped off with a cotton swab dipped in ammonia. Next, you need to quickly wipe the area. It is best to wash it with soapy water.
Alternative means of cleaning poplar buds
If you have a hair dryer, try cleaning the surface of the car with it. To do this, warm up the area where the poplar resin is sticking well and wipe it with a cotton swab dipped in ammonia, and then with detergent or soapy water. You can try to do the same, but with a regular hair dryer, if it has a high enough power.
You can try to solve the problem with the help of well-known drinks - Pepsi or Coca-Cola. They must be applied according to the instructions described above, constantly monitoring the condition of the car’s coating. At the first sign of a change in paint tone or other changes, immediately wash off the folk remedy with plenty of plain water.
If none of the remedies help or you don’t want to test the strength of your car’s paintwork, contact a service station for a professional cleaning service. The cost of cleaning poplar resin is unlikely to be low, but the main thing is the end result. Please note that some salons quote a price for cleaning the entire car, while others charge the treatment of each stain separately.
A few important rules
If a car enthusiast has already figured out how to wash poplar buds from a car and has chosen the best option for this, it is necessary to follow several basic rules. They will help not harm the body coating.
So, you should not start the cleaning procedure in direct sunlight. It is better to do this in a garage if the sticky stain was not removed immediately for some reason. Next, do not scrub the stain with zeal.
This can damage the paintwork. You need to work slowly and effortlessly. If alcohol is chosen as the main cleaning agent, then to be safe, it is better to dilute it with water.
Before starting work on the surface, you should wash the body with water and some detergent. This will degrease the area. Also, the procedure should be repeated after removing the stain.
And the last thing that can be said about this. It is best not to park cars under these trees. But if there is no other option and is not foreseen, then antibacterial wipes will help. They can quickly and effectively get rid of these problems. And if the stains are old, then now you know how to wash poplar buds from your car quickly and effectively.
So, we figured out how to deal with this problem.
Drug "Antitopol"
These formulations are ideally formulated for tasks such as removing poplar bud stains.
They are fighting this problem as effectively as possible. They work and are popular, but the result will be if the stain is less than a year old. Nothing can deal with one-year-old spots.
Important: do not delay removal and do not try to wipe off the resin mechanically - this will only damage the paintwork.
