How to Get Tar off Skin: Having tar on your skin can be a literal and proverbial pain. You may think you can only get tar on your skin when doing construction work or home repairs. But you can also get tar on your skin from effects like walking on the beach. The tar will be very sticky, making it difficult to remove from the skin. In some situations, the tar can burn the skin or cause other injuries that need medical attention.
However, you can remove tar from the skin by performing first aid, removing tar from the skin with ice, and removing residue and stains.
Table of Contents
Removing the Tar
You Will Need:
- Rubber gloves
- A plastic bag
- A plastic scraper
- Margarine
- Mayonnaise
- A cleaning rag
- Olive oil
- Baking soda
Steps to Remove the Tar:
- Here you should wear rubber gloves or cover your hands with plastic bags to keep tar out while cleaning your feet.
- If you have large tar beads, scrape them off with a plastic scraper or another item that can be disposed of later.
- Spread a generous amount of margarine or mayonnaise over the tar. Let the mayonnaise be on the tar for several minutes, then wipe off it and the tar with a dry cleaning cloth that can be disposed of far ahead.
- Wipe oil, such as olive oil, off the tar with a paper bath sheet or cotton ball. Keep the oil on the tar for quite a few minutes, then wipe off both the oil and the tar with a dry cleaning cloth that can be disposed of later.
- Combine one part of water for every three portions of baking soda to make a paste
Spread the paste over the tar. - Let the paste dry on the tar for several minutes, then rinse it off.
- Repeat the process as many times as necessary to remove all tar.
Tips and Advice
However, do not try to use water to remove tar. Usually, the water will help the tar settle, making it harder to remove.
Instead, Lone uses the water after removing as much tar as possible with one of the removal cleaners.
Don’t let the tar come into contact with anything you don’t want to have to remove later. However, if you have to walk somewhere with tar on your foot, place a plastic bag over your foot to avoid leaving a trail.
Sources
- The Complete Household Handbook by Good Housekeeping
- Joey Green’s Cleansing Magic from Joey Green
- Vinegar, Duct Tape, Milk Jugs, and More from Earl Proulx
- Strange Uses for Ordinary Things by Reader’s Digest
- The Don Aslett Stainbuster Bible by Don Aslett
Using Household Products
Layer on polysorbate cream:
Apply Neosporin ((polymyxin B sulfate-neomycin sulfate-gramicidin) or Tween 80 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate 20) to skin that has tar. Allow it to work on the tar and skin for a few minutes before gently cleansing with a clean cloth. Or rinse with warm water. It may be the most effective and safest way to remove tar. Both products break down tar, are virtually non-toxic, and may cause less pain and damage to the skin.
Spread on mayonnaise:
Smear a thick layer of mayonnaise over the cooled tar. Let the mayonnaise sit on your skin for at least 30 minutes.
It allows the mayonnaise to break down the tar. Then gently wipe the mayonnaise and tar off your skin with a clean cloth or soft brush. Follow up by cleaning the affected skin to remove any debris, stains, or bacteria.
Coat the tarred area with household oils:
Look in your pantry for the different fat you eat or put on your skin. Pour a generous quantity of your chosen oil over the tar and surrounding skin.
Let the oil act on the tar for 20 minutes. And also, gently peel or scrape the tar off your skin. Here wash or wipe off excess oil and tar with mild soap, clean water, and a soft cloth.
However, the following household oils can also remove tar.
- Sunflower oil, which can be especially effective
- Butter
- Baby oil
- canola
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
