If you spill cold tar on your clothes act fast to prevent permanent staining and fiber damage.

Cold tar is a viscous hydrocarbon that bonds strongly to fabric fibers, so begin by removing excess material with a dull edge like a credit card to avoid pushing it deeper into the weave. Apply mineral spirits to a clean white cloth and blot from the fabric edge toward the center to lift tar without spreading it, changing cloths as they become saturated; do this in a well ventilated area and avoid using on delicate fibers like silk without testing a hidden seam. After most of the tar is removed pretreat the area with a heavy duty liquid laundry detergent, working it into the fibers with your fingers or a soft brush for several minutes to break down remaining oils. Wash the garment in the hottest water safe for the fabric using a full dose of detergent and add a cup of distilled white vinegar if the garment tolerates it to help remove residue and odor. Inspect the stain before drying because heat will set any remaining tar permanently; if you still see tar repeat the mineral spirits and pretreatment steps rather than using heat. For work clothes that have heavy tar saturation or where health and safety are a concern consider discarding them to avoid contaminating household laundry and to reduce risk to skin and breathing.

Three common mistakes are rubbing tar which spreads it further and pushes it into fibers, using heat before all residue is gone which sets the stain permanently, and assuming all fabrics respond the same way so trying harsh solvents on delicate garments. If you rub stop and switch to scraping and blotting from the outside in using absorbent white cloths. If heat was used already repeat solvent blotting and consider professional cleaning for persistent residue rather than drying again. If the fabric is delicate test mineral spirits on an inconspicuous area first and if it fails use a professional textile cleaner who can use milder solvent systems.

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