How To Get Sap Off Your Hands

The Cure for Getting Sticky Tree Sap Off Your Hands is in Your Pantry

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Christmas has come and gone, gifts have been opened, paper has been recycled (or not), and sadly, it's time to haul your tree out to the curb. That can lead to a mess of needles on the floor as you drag it outside, but it can also lead to a mess on your hands, which can get covered in sticky sap that's hard to wash away with just soap and water.

Luckily, there's a method for removing the gunky stuff that's endorsed by the American Christmas Tree Association (which is to say, the people who seriously know Christmas trees). Even luckier? There are two totally workable options, and I am almost 100% certain you will have one of them already in your pantry.

Option one? Good old olive oil! If you don't have any of that on hand, simple peanut butter can do the trick, too. In both cases, the oils help break down the sap to release it from your skin; after applying to the affected area and letting it sit for a few minutes, wash with soap and water to fully remove both the sap and the oil or peanut butter.

This method works for pet hair, too, in case your dog or cat got too close to the Christmas tree. Rub the oil into the affected area, let sit, then rinse with a pet-friendly shampoo. Since both olive oil and peanut butter are edible, you don't have to worry about your pet accidentally ingesting either of them, either.

If this isn't proof that a well-stocked pantry can cure anything, we're not sure what is.

Megan Baker

Home Projects Editor

Megan is a writer and editor who specializes in home upgrades, DIY projects, hacks, and design. Before Apartment Therapy, she was an editor at HGTV Magazine and This Old House Magazine. Megan has a degree in Magazine Journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. She is a self-taught weighted blanket connoisseur.

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