Car Wash Woes....

[Helen]

Picture your beautiful trailer covered with globs and streaks of tar... Heartbreaking!

In March I took my 1981 5500 Trillium to the car wash for her bath for the first outing of the year. We go to dog trials usually the morning we leave we've gone to the local place to shine her up. They've got a great bubble brush on a long wand and it's nice and roomy. I used the bubble brush with all the pink soapy suds and was shocked when I washed it all off....big globs of tar had been stuck in the brush and now were attached to my Trill. I washed off the soap and went to my dog show, thinking I would get it all off when I returned. Disaster struck again.....I suffered two ruptured disks at the show and barely made it home to go right into surgery. My poor Trill has been sitting in the yard baking in the tar-Dalmatian spots for three months!

Finally my PT approved trailer scrubbing and this week I've been scrubbing using all the ideas I've gleaned from our forums. She's looking pretty good, finally, and I should be done soon. Long story short....

IF YOU USE CAR WASHES CHECK THE BRUSHES BEFORE THEY TOUCH YOUR FIBERGLASS!

[Robin G]

So sorry for your tar issues! I don't use those brushes for just that reason. There is always something in them. Anyway, not sure if your heard about the product Awesome (dollar store) a worker at a tire store told me about it. That is what they use to remove road gunk, tar off wheel wells.


I also just read somewhere that WD40 takes off road tar! haven't tried it, so I don't know. But worth a try....... good luck!

[Roy in TO]

I seem to remember reading here that WD40 and gel coat should not meet.

[Donna D.]

I NEVER use the brushes at coin-operated car washes. If for no other reason, the dirt stuck deep inside the brushes have a tendency to scratch the surface of whatever I'm trying to wash. I take my own long-handled brush. Coin-operated car washes are a favorite of four-wheel drive owners AFTER they've gone mudding!

Helen, I'm glad you were able to get your trailer clean and hope you're mended too

[Helen]

Thanks for the words of encouragement! I'm looking at this as a great opportunity to really get her clean and shiny, inside and out. Lemonade from lemons philosophy.

[Thomas G.]

I'd use mineral spirits or kerosene. Both are mild solvents and not highly flammable.

[Archie G.]

I had an uncle that would mix diesel with his car wash bucket to remove road grime and tar. He swore by it. Might want to test a small spot first.

[kootenaigirl]

What an unfortunate series of events, glad both you and the trailer are progressing along.

[Ian-Vicki]

Coca-Cola takes tar off easily.

[john warren]

awww that stinks,,whats a matter fer people ? just too many slobs in the world.

[RogerDat]

Bummer about the tar, good heads up posting for all.

Hope your back continues to improve and you get back to major Q or QQ action at the trials soon. Assuming trial = agility.

[Imo.]

Sorry about the tar.....if you live in a rural area watch out for manure in those brushes. Most of the local livestock haulers do not use the brushes when cleaning out their trailers but that manure has a habit of getting into the brushes that are just hanging there......a lot of bull S. is thrown around.

[mike_bc]

Originally Posted by Ian-Vicki

Coca-Cola takes tar off easily.

Seems to me I heard it was Rum & Coke. Gently apply the Coke to the stains and...well ....you know the rest!

[Bivwack]

I just bought some bug and tar remover made by Turtle. It worked really well on the wheel wells and no damage to the gel coat. Sorry to here about trailer and back..

[Dick & Joanne]

Originally Posted by mike_bc

Seems to me I heard it was Rum & Coke. Gently apply the Coke to the stains and...well ....you know the rest!

I love it!

Dick

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Imo.

Sorry about the tar.....if you live in a rural area watch out for manure in those brushes. Most of the local livestock haulers do not use the brushes when cleaning out their trailers but that manure has a habit of getting into the brushes that are just hanging there......a lot of bull S. is thrown around.

I went to wash my truck on Saturday at the local truck wash. I got an unpleasant surprise ! When I opened the garage door to the wash area the smell hit me . There was horse manure all over the floor grate (Drain) and the car wash brush was coated with it.
I told the truck wash owner about it and he said he has problems with people washing out their livestock trailers in the truck wash. So off I went to a different truck wash

[Thomas G.]

I stopped once in the boonies (on the way to a funeral) to give my car a quick wash. Someone had used the wash bay to degrease an engine and I got grease all over my clothes and hands from the wand and hose.