How to Clean Pine Tree Sap

Say goodbye to the woes of Christmas tree sap. Whether you have a mild case of sticky, sap hands or you look like Clark Griswold, we've got your fix. Learn how to get pine tree sap off your hands, floors, carpeting, and upholstery with these Eliminate the sticky fuss with simple, quick solutions that eliminate the unwanted cling.

“While real trees make a home look incredibly festive, they do need to be looked after and can leak sap and resin onto your floors or furniture, potentially damaging your home or leaving potentially toxic stains for pets,” shares Aaron Christensen, the resident cleaning expert and VP of Growth at Homeaglow.

“It’s important to know that while pine sap and resin can seem similar, they can have slightly different properties - tree sap is a bit more watery while tree resin is thicker and a stickier residue. Another way to tell them apart is by their color, tree sap is usually white or clear whereas resin has more of a golden color. Knowing if you’re dealing with sap or resin is pretty important when it comes to cleaning hard floors. Pine sap is (usually) easier to clean than resin, and typically can be cleaned up with common household cleaning products.”

Clean it Off Your Skin

Use an alcohol-based nail polish remover, gel hand sanitizer, or mineral spirits from your painting cabinet. It will break down the sap, and you can then wash your hands with soapy water. (It's no worse than getting Superglue off your hands, am I right?)

Clean it Off Your Carpet With Ice Cubes

Using ice cubes is one of the best and easiest ways to clean sap and resin from your carpet as it helps to prevent it from spreading and makes it easy to “pick” out of the fibers. It is also less likely to leave or cause any chemical damage to your carpet.

1. Identify the spots of sap on your carpet.

2. Put several ice cubes into a sandwich bag.

3. Apply the bag of ice cubes onto the sap and leave to harden, this should take about 15-20 minutes.

4. Once the sap is hardened, remove the bag of ice cubes.

5. Pick the sap from the carpet fibers using your fingers or with a butter knife.

Clean it Off Your Carpet With Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and mineral spirits help to dry the sap and make it easier to break off and out of carpet fibers. This treatment also helps if the tree needles transfer pine sap to your tree skirt or fabric upholstery.

1. Soak a small clean cloth or paper towel in the alcohol.

2. Blot at the sap stain gently, avoid rubbing or you’ll potentially make the problem worse or spread the sap.

3. Repeat as needed.

4. Allow it to dry, then pick the sap up off of the fibers.

Clean it Off Your Carpet With Dishwashing detergent

Before using detergent on your carpet, be sure to test it on a small and inconspicuous area of the carpet. The detergent itself helps to loosen and remove the sap but can sometimes leave stains or attract dirt if left on the carpet for too long.

1. Identify where the sap is on the carpet.

2. Create a cleaning solution, made up of two teaspoons of liquid dishwashing detergent with one cup of hot water.

3. Apply the solution to the sap with a soft-bristled brush.

4. Use a cloth or towel to blot away the soapy solution.

5. Rinse the area with plain, cool water to remove the soapy residue.

6. Blot dry with a clean towel or cloth to remove any remaining marks or debris.

7. Leave the area air dry or vacuum to help lift the carpet fibers.

Clean it Off Your Hardwoods With Dishwashing Detergent

Removing sap from hardwood floors is fairly straightforward, using a mixture of dish soap (or oil soap) and warm water should be sufficient for most instances. Remember: Don't allow too much water to get onto your hardwoods as it can lead to warping or the finish being discolored.

1. Create a cleaning solution of warm water and soap.

2. Dip a soft clean brush into the solution and gently rub the stain, working from the outside in.

3. Leave the sap to loosen for a few minutes, and rub clean water on a damp cloth across the surface to clear up any remaining debris.

4. Use a microfiber cloth or mop to dry the area.

Clean it Off Your Hardwoods With Rubbing Alcohol

While sap can lift quite easily from a hard floor, resin often needs to be broken down to make it easier to clean. Remember: Always avoid using sharp tools to remove resin as it could damage the floor. It’s also important to do a test to make sure the alcohol won't affect the finish.

1. Apply rubbing alcohol or alcohol-based hand sanitizer to a clean cloth or cotton ball.

2. Dab the resin stain with a cotton ball or cloth.

3. Leave the stain for several minutes to allow the alcohol to dissolve the resin.

4. Use a solution of warm soapy water to remove any debris and prevent staining.

5. Leave to dry as you would normally, or use a mop/towel to help speed up the process.