With nearly all roads around the world being asphalt based, it is nearly impossible to not need a product like CarPro’s Tar X Tar & Adhesive Remover. While darker colors do a great job of hiding tar spots, lighter colors such as white or silver show specks of tar very easily. Typical washing products will simply not do a good job of removing these marks in a safe timely manner, and that is where Tar-X comes in. This product really needs very little explanation as the name does a great job of describing what it does.
As with all my reviews, here is the product description as provided on Detailed Image’s website.
Product Description
The CarPro Tar X Tar and Adhesive Remover is far more than an ordinary degreaser so don’t underestimate just how amazing this product is. It’s a very strong yet relatively gentle product that can quickly remove not only tar but also asphalt, bug smear, tire marks, stubborn adhesives, road grime, brake dust and so much more. When you spray it on tar you can literally see the tar start to dissolve within seconds which saves you from scrubbing with too much arm pressure or using aggressive clay bar treatments.
To explain why this formula is so advanced we’ll start off with how it’s made. Tar X utilizes all of it’s cleaning power from the solvents extracted from orange peels, which contain no chlorinated solvents or harsh chemicals so it’s non corrosive. The number one ingredient in many cleaning product is actually water or fillers but Tar X boasts 60% active ingredients and a thicker viscosity that clings to the paint and won’t run as fast.
Another original characteristic is the “glow color tracer” which you have to almost see to fully believe. When you spray it on the paint it leaves a neon green glow on the paint so you can see exactly where you have sprayed. In fact, this neon glow will quite literally glow in the dark if you use it at night, but it rinses clean with just a quick spray from the hose.
To apply it just spray it on the paint and wait about 1 – 2 minutes before rinsing it off or for stubborn buildups agitate with a soft sponge and rinse clean afterward. During use avoid direct sun and don’t leave it on the exterior for more than 7 – 10 minutes, especially plastic parts. The only other precautions for the vehicle is to not use it on acrylic paints and work in a ventilated area. It’s safe on fresh paint, vinyl films, chrome trim, vinyl/plastic trim, etc., again just don’t leave it on excessively or dry up. After you apply it you’ll be amazed at how much this formula can remove from the exterior because the tar literally melts away where as many other formulas just soften it up at best. Please remember despite the strong cleaning power you are using a citrus based cleaning product that is non corrosive.
If you choose to follow up with a clay bar you will have saved yourself a lot of time and the now clean surface will enhance the results of any polish, glaze, sealant or wax used afterward. The CarPro Tar X is truly an incredible product that is going to save you time and improve your results so pick some up today!
I recently had a Volvo C70 come in that had quite a bit of tar on it after following a construction vehicle on the highway. This was a great vehicle to show the abilities of Tar-X.
You can see the thin strings of tar running up over the hood and front bumper cover. The entire car had streaks of tar like this from front to back going up over the roof.
Another picture of the front bumper cover showing a close view of the tar, along with quite a large buildup of bugs and other debris.
The directions for using CarPro Tar-X are quite simple and listed directly on the label of the bottle.
The directions are as follows:
DIRECTIONS
- Shake well, spray on dry surface.
- Let react 2-3 min. or brush/wipe on surface. Avoid leaving on for more than 7 ~ 10 min. Avoid spraying on acrylic paint.
- Rinse well with water or power wash.
For the removal of the tar I sprayed a generous amount of Tar-X on the affected areas and let the product sit and begin to work. After a few minutes of breaking down the tar buildup, I used the Tuf Shine Scrub-All No Scratch Sponge from my wash bucket with Chemical Guys Citrus Wash to gently scrub the areas. Some of the streaks required more than one application to be fully removed.
Following the use of Tar-X on all the affected areas, the vehicle was washed using the 2 bucket method prior to being treated with Iron-X for the final step of the chemical decontamination process. After being chemically decon’d, the surface was washed one final time using the Nanoskin Autoscrub Fine Wash Mitt. The surface at this point was clean and free of Tar and bugs. Once the exterior was clean it received a quick polish using my Griot’s The Boss G21 and Optimum Hyper Polish to boost the gloss prior to being sealed with Carpro Hydr02.
Without a product like Tar-X it would have been quite difficult to provide a spotless white vehicle as pictured above in a reasonable amount of time. So if you have problems with removing tar from the surface of your vehicle, this is a product you should not be without.