Halloween Cleaning Tips
The only thing spookier than ghouls and goblins this Halloween season is a dirty home! But not to worry, One Stop Cleaning Shop is here to share some Halloween-themed cleaning tips, so that the only thing you have to fear is that haunted house down the street.
Halloween Cleaning Tip #1: Disposing of Rotting Pumpkins
If your pumpkins have been sitting outside for a while and are starting to rot, it’s time to get rid of them. You can toss them in with your food waste or add them to your compost pile.
Pumpkins have the tendency to rot very quickly and ooze a nasty smelling liquid that can make the pumpkin itself stick to the surface it is placed upon, be it your doorstep or window sill.
You will need: WD40, a scraper or small shovel, access to water.
How to remove: Apply WD40 to the bottom of the pumpkin, dispose of the pumpkin. Apply a small bit of warm water to soften the pumpkin residue. Gently scrape pumpkin residue and pieces off the surface. Apply water again to wash away.
Halloween Cleaning Tip #2: Clean Up After A Party
Cleaning up after a party can feel overwhelming. So before the party starts, remember that preventative measures are essential.
Put out TOO MANY COASTERS! More coasters than you have people coming. Cover your entire home with coasters! OK, maybe don’t go that far, but having ample coasters available will encourage your guests to use them, which could save you from dealing with drink rings on your furniture.
Have paper towels handy to deal with any spills on the spot. And remember, the biggest part of cleaning up will probably be dirty dishes, so make sure you have an empty dishwasher at the beginning of the party. Then, if you have time, load your dishwasher throughout the night, saving you some clean-up in the morning.
The Next Day…
Of course, you don’t want to spend your party cleaning, so let’s talk about the day after. Start by filling the dishwasher and running it. You may have to do more than one load, so let’s get this started as soon as possible.
Now grab a bin bag and collect all the rubbish. Repeat with the recycling. Once you’ve cleared rubbish and recycling, what’s left is much more manageable. As soon as your dishwasher is done, put in another load if needed.
Next, grab your microfiber cloth and your all-purpose cleaner. Wipe down all surfaces and heavily touched areas, like door handles. Use this time to put chairs back where they belong and straighten tables and pillows.
Finally, it’s vacuum time. You know what to do!
Halloween Cleaning Tip #3: Removing Chocolate Stains
Did chocolate end up on your clothes, carpet, or furniture? Don’t worry, here’s how to handle chocolate stains:
For clothing:
Scrape and dab as much of the chocolate off as possible. You can use a dull knife or the side of a credit card to scrape. Do this as soon as you can to prevent the stain from setting.
Pre-treat the stain by soaking in dish soap or laundry detergent for 10 minutes. Wash as you normally would with cool water.
For carpet and upholstery:
Apply a water and dish soap solution using a washcloth. Let it sit for a few minutes on the carpet. For upholstery, wipe the stain from the outside inward.
Halloween Cleaning Tip #4: Removing Eggs from Your House or Car
If you’ve been egged, clean it up as quickly as possible to avoid staining. Start by using a hose to spray the eggs, working from the bottom up to loosen them, then spray from the top to wash them away.
For tougher spots, use a mixture of cool water and soap, scrubbing with a brush if needed.
Halloween Cleaning Tip #5: Getting Rid of Glitter
Glitter can be notoriously hard to clean up. Even after sweeping and vacuuming, it seems to stick around.
For hard surfaces, damp dusting wipes work well. If glitter remains, use sellotape wrapped around your hand and pick up those pesky remaining pieces!
For carpets or furniture, vacuum first, then use a lint roller or carpet broom. If there’s still glitter, try using masking tape or even rubbing an inflated balloon over the area – the static electricity can help lift the glitter!
Halloween Cleaning Tip #6: Tackling Tough Stains Like Gum and Wax
Gum and candle wax can be tricky to remove. For gum stuck to fabric or carpet, apply a sealed bag of ice to freeze it, then scrape it off. If a stain remains, use a fabric-appropriate stain remover.
For wax on wood floors, use the ice method and scrape it off. On carpets, place a cloth over the wax and run a warm iron over it—the wax will transfer to the cloth. You can also freeze the wax and break it into pieces for easier removal.
Halloween Cleaning Tip #7: Cleaning Up Oil-Based Halloween Makeup & Fake Blood
Costumes are one of the greatest parts of Halloween, but if your family likes to go all out with the makeup, there’s a good chance you’ll have some damage control to do on your rugs or clothes from spilled makeup. Commercial carpet cleaner will be your best bet for getting makeup stains out of carpet or upholstered furniture. You can also use makeup remover or rubbing alcohol on a damp cloth and dab the stain. Make sure to test on a section that’s not visible first in case it causes a change to the fabric’s color. Repeat the process if the stain isn’t removed after the first attempt. Once the stain is removed, blot dry with a towel.
Fake Blood:
Blood stains are a pain in the neck at Halloween, especially because of the bloodthirsty vampires that come to your party! With fake blood usually being made from corn syrup and red dye, this can leave a horrifying stain on pretty much anything it touches.
To clean this up, you’ll need: Surgical spirit (aka: rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol), microfibre cloth and kitchen roll.
How to remove: Apply the surgical spirit to the surface or fabric. Rub in a circular motion using a little bit of elbow grease. Dab the area with some kitchen roll.
Halloween Cleaning Tip #8: Tackling Carpet Stains
Now it’s time to talk about carpet stains. People are always asking how to get stains out of carpets. There are different ways to deal with each kind of carpet stain, so let’s talk about two that you might encounter after a Halloween party: mud and red wine.
Mud Stains:
So your kids and their friends tracked mud all over your carpet after trick-or-treating. What the heck do you do now?!
Wait until the mud is dry. Then vacuum over it thoroughly, removing as much mud as possible.
Make a solution of one part dishwashing soap and two cups of warm water. Sponge the stain with your cleaning solution and blot until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this step until the mud is gone.
Sponge with cold water to remove any excess mud and cleaning solution.
You can even use these tips for your little dog, too… when they track mud all over your new rug.
Red Wine Stain Removal:
So maybe the adults at your Halloween party are a little messy too. You’re going to need to know how to get red wine out of a carpet, just in case.
Blot the stain with a paper towel, absorbing as much wine as possible. Pour a small amount of soda water over the stain, just enough to cover. Blot the soda with more paper towels, and repeat steps two and three until the stain is gone.
Knowing how to properly remove carpet stains is a great Halloween tip and excellent after-party clean-up information.
Halloween Doesn’t Have To Be Scary
Now you’re ready to jump into Halloween without fear. Or at least without fear of stains and party clean-up. So remember, always be prepared with your magic wand, some paper towel, and trusty stain remover.
Happy Halloween!
I’ll leave you with a joke to make you cackle like a witch!
Q. What do you call a cleaning skeleton?
A. The Grim Sweeper!
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