How to Remove Sap from Clothes

Co-authored by Rani Gorgis

Last Updated: September 7, 2024 Approved

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As soon as sap dries, it sticks to the fibers of your clothes and becomes a stubborn stain to get rid of. Sap is easiest to remove when treated immediately, but you don’t have to throw away stained clothing. Rubbing alcohol, stain removers, and detergent are effective at breaking up a stain. Washing your clothing normally gets rid of any remaining traces of the stain. As long as you don’t set a stain by drying it, your clothing will look new again.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Treating Stains with Rubbing Alcohol

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You only need to do this when you have a lump of sap on your clothing. It won’t come off easily unless you freeze it. Throw your clothing in the freezer or pack some ice in a bag over the sap. After a few minutes, it’ll harden.^{[1]
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Get a blunt butter knife to avoid cutting your fingers or your clothing. Hold the knife flat against the fabric and scrape it over the gob of sap. Be very careful when using the knife. The frozen sap should be brittle and break easily, so you won’t need to push hard.^{[2]
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Pour some rubbing alcohol on a towel. Moisten an old rag, hand towel, or cotton ball with the alcohol. You can find bottles of isopropyl alcohol at any drug or general store. If you don’t have it, you may use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Rubbing alcohol is effective in removing sap from your hair and body as well.
- For leather, try saddle soap instead. A little bit of peanut butter may also work without damaging the leather.
Blot the area with the damp towel. If you put a little rubbing alcohol on the spot directly, you can also rub it in with your finger or an old toothbrush.
You’ll most likely see the alcohol dissolving the sap stain immediately. For large spots, you’ll need to apply more. Use the rag again or apply extra alcohol directly. Rub the spot until it fades.
Wash the clothing as you normally would. You can put it in the washing machine and use your regular detergent. For the most effective cleaning, get the water as hot as it can safely be for the fabric you’re treating. To find this, look at the label on the clothes or search the fabric type online for recommendations.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Stain Removers and Bleach

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Most commercial stain removers are capable of breaking up sap stains with no issues. Also, a little bit of your everyday liquid laundry detergent may also work. Transfer the stain remover with a rag or cotton ball. Spread it thinly over the area you need to clean.^{[3]
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Work the stain remover into the stain with your fingers or a toothbrush, if you’d like. Leave the clothing to dry in open air for at least 20 minutes. This gives the product time to loosen the dried sap, which is very difficult to remove through washing alone.
The temperature you use depends on the kind of fabric you’re washing. Most clothing can be washed in warm water, which is usually enough to remove sap stains. Delicates and darks should be washed in cold water. Washing can be done either in a washing machine or by hand.
Your regular laundry detergent is normally enough to remove sap stains. For extra effect, you may use bleach. Chlorine bleach is safe to use on white cotton or cotton-polyester blends. You’ll need an all-color or oxygen bleach for any other type of clothing. Read the label information to ensure the product won’t damage your clothing.^{[4]
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No matter how tempted you feel, don’t throw a stained shirt in the dryer. As soon as that stain dries, it’ll be a nightmare to remove, especially if you used heat. Wash the clothing again or try isopropyl alcohol. It may take 2 or 3 rounds to fully remove the sap, but you’ll save a perfectly good piece of clothing.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Cleaning with Powdered Detergent

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Get a small container and fill it with a little bit of powdered non-bleach laundry detergent. You don’t need a lot, only enough to spread over the sap stain. Start with a teaspoon of the powder and combine it with an equal amount of water. Stir the ingredients together to create a paste.
Transfer the paste and spread it over the area you wish to clean. This can quickly be done with your stirring spoon or another object, such as a sponge or rag.
Leave the paste alone and it’ll begin breaking up the sap. Since it doesn’t have bleach in it, it won’t damage the clothing.^{[5]
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Non-sudsy ammonia is the clear, colorless ammonia you’ll often see at general stores. Spread a few drops of it over a stubborn stain. This is optional and can also be done for a stain that remains after a wash cycle.^{[6]
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Throw the clothing in the washing machine. Put it through a cycle using your normal detergent. Warm water is safe to use on most clothing, but increase the temperature if the fabric can handle it. Now your clothing will be stain-free until the next time you lean up against the wrong tree.

Expert Q&A

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Question

Will machine washing the clothes get the sap out?

Rani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Rani Gorgis is a Laundry and Cleaning Specialist and the Owner of Park Blvd Laundry & Dry Cleaners in San Diego, California. With several years of experience in the laundry and cleaning industry, Rani specializes in dry cleaning, wash-n-fold, shirt laundry, and servicing smoke-damaged clothes. He holds a BS in Accounting and a CPA certification.

Rani Gorgis

Laundry & Cleaning Specialist

Expert Answer

In my experience, I've found that washing the item with detergent and hot water works well. Ensure that the item is washed alone and not mixed with other items. You can also pre-treat the item with rubbing alcohol if it is heavily stained before placing it in the wash.

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