If you’re the type of driver who always hunts for a parking spot next to the biggest tree, then you know what it’s like to roll out from under the glorious shade, only to discover brown, sticky drops all over the hood of your car. Or maybe you’ve come back from a camping trip and realized your mosquito-bitten ankles weren’t the only casualty of the great outdoors.

Tree sap stains can be a big pain to remove, and the longer you wait, the less likely they are to budge. The best thing you can do for your car is take care of the mess right away, so here are three ways to safely remove tree sap from your car and make your ride less tacky (no pun intended)!

Before we get to the how-to portion of this how-to, what is it that makes tree sap so sticky, anyway? The answer: terpenes.

Terpenes are bio-active molecules produced by thousands of plant species, particularly, coniferous trees. Their purpose in the wild is to protect plants from hungry animals and infectious disease, but they’re also responsible for the distinct pine odor you smell on a hike through the woods, and that delicious maple syrup flavor you enjoy on your pancakes. They also make things sticky.

How sticky? That depends on the tree. Some trees, like oak and maple trees, produce a much thinner concentration of oils, resin and terpenes, the three main ingredients that make up tree sap. Removing tree sap from these types of trees is a piece of cake, especially if you catch it fresh.

Cedar, fir and pine trees, on the other hand, produce a much thicker, glue-like sap that can be much more difficult to remove. This type of sap rarely comes clean with soap and water, and if removed incorrectly, it can pull the paint right off your car. With this much hassle, it may be tempting to just throw your hands in the air and call it a day, but there’s one more use for terpenes we forgot to mention.

They’re also an all-natural paint thinner.

That’s right. Turpentine, a much more distilled combination of resins and terpenes, is also an active ingredient in most paint thinners. So, imagine the damage a much more concentrated paint thinner could do if allowed to sit for hours, or even days, on the surface of your car. Needless to say, you’re in a sticky situation (see what I did there?).

The best way to prevent damage to the clear coat or permanent stains is to remove tree sap deposits as soon as you notice them. And the good news is, this type of clean-up isn’t always difficult. In fact, with the right products and know-how, removing tree sap from your car is just as easy as getting rid of any other stain!