From mayonnaise and coconut oil to adhesive remover products, Santa Barbara County residents know how to get creative when it comes to tar removal.

Increased tar can be tied to king tides and heavy rain increasing pressure on underground reservoirs. That pressure hits pockets of oil reserves and pushes more oil out onto the surface.

In response to “higher than normal rates” of tar and oil spotted on South County beaches last month, Noozhawk last week shared tips from readers on how to remove tar from the bottom of feet and clothing.

Noozhawk readers then sent in even more advice.

Mark Hunt said he carries around mayonnaise packets and old rags to get tar off his feet. 

“Squirt it on your feet and rub with a rag — presto, no more tar,” Hunt said.

He’s not the only one. Jordan Bainer said their mother “swore by” using mayonnaise while their father used gasoline to wipe off tar.

While baby oil is a popular product used to get rid of tar, Emma Herrera said she prefers coconut oil. She keeps a jar of coconut oil and cotton swabs or an old towel in the back of her car for after the beach.

“Although baby oil works, it is a highly refined petroleum typically full of fragrance and not good for humans, our pets or our environment,” Herrera said. “I much prefer coconut oil, which is biodegradable and works just as well.”

To get rid of tar on clothes and towels, Beth Vaughan said she has used De-solv-it for decades. She recommended spraying it on the fabrics and washing them as normal.

When tar gets stuck on shoes, Mark Holmgren said to just keep wearing them until the tar comes off. 

“Eventually, through outdoor wear and time, it comes off,” Holmgren said. “No biggy.”

Doretta Bonner said she keeps a pair of flip-flops and tennis shoes in her garage to use on beach days. She also has had success taking tar-stained clothes to a dry cleaner.

“I had a friend who sat in tar with his new jeans, and I took them to the cleaners and they got it out no problem,” Bonner said. “Santa Barbara-area dry cleaners are used to this problem!”

Other readers shared that they use products such as Goo Gone, WD40 or Vaseline to get rid of tar.