Real Christmas trees are beautiful. They look great and smell terrific. One of the disadvantages is that the trees can have sticky sap oozing from the branches. If you’re planning to be near a real Christmas tree this season, read about our tips on removing tree sap from your hands.
Soap and water
Regular soap and water has worked for us. However, some soaps work much better than others. We found that soap with exfoliator works great. Bath and Body Works makes a Deep Cleansing Hand Soap that has exfoliating beads in it. We always seem to have the Kitchen Lemon Scent on hand, and it has worked to remove tree sap.
We are also huge fans of Sleepy Moon Soaps. This brand is hand-made in Eastern Connecticut, and can be purchased at local farmers markets and artisan shops. After putting ornaments on the tree, a little bit of sap stuck to my fingers. I used the bar of Sleepy Moon Soaps at my kitchen sink, and it all came off.
Brillo Pad
If you have some stubborn sap stuck to your fingers, consider using a Brillo pad. Just be sure to add lots of water so that you make use of the suds. Gently scrub the area with the sap. We’ve tried this ourselves, and it did work.
Note: Be careful when trying this method, and check your steel wool pad for loose edges. We used the brand by Brillo. It seems to be well made, and didn’t have any pieces of steel wool coming off.
Mayonnaise
If you’re looking for a natural way to remove tree sap from your hands, rub them in mayonnaise. Then, wash with soap and water. This combination seems to remove tree sap naturally.
Toothpaste
Toothpaste will also remove tree sap from your hands. You won’t need the gels or extra-whitening toothpaste for this project. Just the standard light blue toothpaste. Rub some over the spot with the sap, and the stickiness should rinse off.
Best of luck with your sticky fingers. 🙂
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