You can usually get soft tar off your feet safely with common household products, but you need to be gentle with your skin and stop if anything burns or feels wrong.

Quick safety checks

  • If the tar is very hot, stuck deeply, or your skin looks burned (blistered, very red, or very painful), rinse with cool (not icy) water and seek medical help instead of scrubbing.
  • Do not use strong solvents like gasoline, paint thinner, turpentine, or harsh chemicals on your skin; they can cause burns and poisoning.

Step-by-step: how to get tar off feet

  1. Cool and rinse first
    • Run cool (not cold) water over the tarred area for 15–20 minutes if there’s any chance it was hot road tar.
 * Gently pat dry, do not rub yet.

  1. Soften the tar with an oily product
    Use one of these you probably have at home:

    • Sunscreen lotion or spray.
 * Baby oil, mineral oil, petroleum jelly, or even cooking oil.

 * A thick cream like petroleum jelly, medicated ointment, or mayonnaise if nothing else is available.

How to apply:

 * Coat the tar spots with a **thick** layer of your chosen product.

 * Let it sit 15–30 minutes so it can penetrate and loosen the tar.
  1. Gently work the tar off
    • After soaking, use your fingers or a soft cloth you don’t mind ruining to rub in small circles.
 * The tar should start smearing and lifting onto the cloth as it softens.

 * Keep adding a bit more oil or sunscreen and rubbing until most of the tar is gone.

 * Avoid scraping with anything sharp; that can tear skin.
  1. Wash with soap and water
    • Mix mild soap with warm water and wash your feet thoroughly to remove leftover oil and tar residue.
 * Use a soft washcloth or a very soft brush; don’t scrub so hard that the skin gets raw.
  1. Exfoliate gently if needed
    • For tiny remaining specks, you can use a mild exfoliant like a paste of baking soda and water and rub very gently.
 * Rinse well afterward.
  1. Soothe the skin
    • Pat dry and apply a gentle moisturizer or aloe-based lotion to any areas that feel dry or irritated.
 * If there are small raw spots, you can cover them with a bandage.

Things that work but need extra caution

  • Commercial heavy-duty cleaning wipes made for skin (not for engines or tools) can remove tar efficiently, but follow the label and stop if you feel burning.
  • Avoid using anything on broken or blistered skin unless a medical professional says it’s okay.

When to get help

Stop home treatment and contact a doctor or urgent care if:

  • The tar covered a large area or was very hot.
  • The skin is blistered, weeping, or extremely painful.
  • You feel dizziness, nausea, or trouble breathing after using any product.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.