Tar on Tennis Shoes

This may not help, but it's worth a try! A few years ago I drove my car (with new tires!) over some fresh tar. The road was not marked that it had just been paved, and there was only one entrance in and out of my subdivision, so I had to continue on the road. Well, I contacted the city, who put me in touch with the paving company. They had me come in and they cleaned all that gunk off my tires!! They have some special chemical compound that they use, I guess! Anyway, it would be worth giving a paving company a call to see what they suggest! I know shoes can be expensive!

Contact your local Department of Transportation or a paving company. These people deal in tar and how to remove it from a number of surfaces. They can probably help you by offering you a small amount to help with your problem, or at least advise you what to look for.

I'd say some kind of oily/citrus product like Goo-Gone, De-Solv-It or maybe hand cleaner cream (like mechanics use). Gasoline will do it, but I'd consider that as a 'last resort' measure.

Gasoline is about the only thing you can use and if that doesnt work then it probably wont come off. When we were building our house DH and my FIL were sealing the basement with tar and they had it all over their hands and they used gasoline to clean their hands every evening and it came right off.

Try rubbing the tar with mayonaise! Sounds crazy, but when we're at the beach and someone gets tar on their feet or clothing, mayonaise works to remove it!
K.

I'm sorry to tell you this. The tar is there to stay. The only thing that removes tar is sufuric acid. You would touch up over the tar with some paint. The good news is that the tar will help reinforce the shoes a little bit.

If you can find a product called Lestoil, I have used that when I got tar on my rug. Also Melaleuca makes a product called Sol-u-mel that is good especially when you use it full strength. Good luck! I know tar is a terrible thing to deal with.

turpentine or mineral spirits should help. You can always call a paving company and ask! :o)

The Melaleuca answer has two votes. Totally non toxic and it *will* remove the tar off of a smooth surface...canvas may not work. I got red fingernail polish (hit the floor, aplattered everywhere) off a men's pair of dress pants without harming them at all - two weeks after the accident. Used it on the wall paper, ceramic tile, tub...no polish.

J.
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