Tar remover
A tar remover is a solvent-based spray or gel that softens and lifts road tar from a car's paint and wheels without scrubbing.
What it means
Road tar accumulates as small dark specks along the lower body panels, behind wheels, and along sills, especially after driving on freshly resurfaced roads. Tar bonds to paint and is hard to remove without softening it first; physical scrubbing scratches the clear coat. Tar remover dissolves the binder in the tar with a solvent (often a citrus-based or petroleum-based formula), softening it within seconds so it can be wiped away with a microfibre. The product is sprayed onto the affected area, allowed to dwell briefly, and the tar wipes off cleanly. Tar remover is part of the chemical decontamination workflow alongside iron remover and clay bar. On freshly cured paint or on plastic trim, an aggressive solvent can also strip wax or sealant, so tar remover is usually used before any protection layer is applied, not after.
Why it matters in Singapore
Singapore road maintenance is frequent and recently resurfaced sections of road bleed tar onto cars passing close behind the work. Cars that drive expressways like the PIE, SLE, or AYE pick up tar visibly along the sills and behind the wheels. Treating it chemically rather than scrubbing avoids damaging the clear coat.
How Revol Carz handles this
Revol Carz uses tar remover as part of full grooming sessions and as a prep step before paint correction or ceramic coating. We work in panel sections with proper microfibre, never abrasive cloth.