Wax and gum family: freeze, scrape, melt
How to get tree sap and pine pitch out
Resin that won't dissolve in water. Alcohol and oils dissolve it.
Do this first
Freeze and scrape hardened sap
Fresh stain
- Freeze and scrape hardened sap
- Dab rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer
- Dish soap
- Wash warm
Dried or old
- Repeat alcohol
- Solvent remover
- Fabric care
- Leather: a little alcohol on a cloth, test first, then condition.
- Time
- 20 min
- How to tell
- Look: amber sticky drops; Feel: tacky; Smell: pine
Where this fix comes from
- Household folk practice, checked against the guides above
- American Cleaning Institute, Stain Removal Chart
We check every fix against these published guides. We do not run a test lab of our own.
Before you start
- Test on a hidden seam first.
- Never mix cleaners.
- Keep it out of the dryer until the stain is gone.