If you do just about any amount of driving, you’ll eventually be forced to drive on a freshly laid blacktop surface or a piece of road that has some kind of tar or oil based substance that’s been applied to it for one reason or another. It’s frustrating to wash and shine a truck’s paint until it glistens only to have it end up covered in a sticky and grimy mess. Here are some ideas to use in the battle against road grime to remove sticky messes from your truck’s paint.
Prevention
An ounce of prevention really is better than a pound of cure when it comes to keeping your truck’s painted surfaces free of tar and other sticky substances. The best way to protect your truck’s paint is by waxing it on a regular basis. Before waxing, wash your truck thoroughly with a soap designed specifically for automobiles. Many of the best automobile soaps are a concentrate designed to be diluted in water. Once your truck is dry, apply a high quality wax to the painted surfaces. Once the wax dries, remove it with a buffer or cloth. Be sure to apply the wax to a cool surface while the truck is in full shade. Wax your truck every three months for maximum protection against road grime. Removal of any road grime that’s picked up after waxing can be more easily removed because of the protective layer of wax.
Removal Methods
If you end up with a particularly nasty case of road grime on your truck, you can use a small amount of gasoline on a micro fiber cloth. Once you apply the gas to the cloth, wipe the dirty portion of your truck’s painted surface from front to back and back to front. Follow the application of gasoline with an application of degreaser to the same area. You can use the same cloth you applied the gasoline with. Once you’ve completed the gas and degreaser application, wash the area thoroughly using a high quality soap.
While there are several name brand bug and tar removal liquids on the market, an easy alternative is the always handy WD40. Just spray the WD40 on the area you wish to remove tar and other grimy substances from and wait three minutes before washing it off. This method is usually best for smaller tar and bug spots but can be utilized on larger ares as well.
Use these methods and you’ll keep your truck looking as good as new no matter what kind of grime and grit you encounter on the highway of life.