How To Bring Home a Christmas Tree without Killing Your Car

When setting out to get a Christmas tree, you're probably not hoping to repeat a certain famous scene from "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."

After letting the professionals chop down your tree, you'll have to get it home. AutoWorldNews has compiled some tips on how to attach a tree to the top of your car safely and to clean up any sap left behind.

First of all, pick a tree that's the right size. It needs to fit inside your vehicle or rest on top of the roof.

If you don't have a roof rack, make sure you have the right materials to secure the tree on top of your car. Put a plastic sheet on the roof to protect the paint, swathe the tree in a large tarp and then secure the tree on top with a rope or bungee cords. The rope should be tied around the tree, through the car windows and around the tree again.

Second, make sure the tree stays netted when it leaves the lot, making it easier to carry and attach to the top of a vehicle if needed. The trunk should face front while on top of the roof in order to reduce wind damage to the branches, according to Cars.com.

It's also important to remember details. If you can, shake the tree gently to get rid of any loose needles as well as insects and insect eggs before putting it in or on top of your car. Keep in mind that you're moving a live tree with foliage that can be damaged from warm spots on your car (e.g., the exhaust pipe), so put an old blanket underneath it if you're using the back of a pickup truck for transportation.

What if sap gets on the car in spite of your best efforts? Good Housekeeping says not to scrape the offending sap; instead, use a car-wash product and some elbow grease to remove. Household detergents aren't recommended since they can damage the finish. If worst comes to worst, try an auto cleaner with petroleum distillates that's specifically made to remove sap, tar and bugs.

Finally, take it easy on the road. Avoid driving on the highway if you can, and go slowly; heavy objects on the roof of a car change the vehicle's center of gravity and can affect handling.