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7 Tips for Making Your Post-Halloween Cleanup Less Scary

7 Tips for Making Your Post-Halloween Cleanup Less Scary
October 7, 2022

Halloween is a spooktacular holiday that tends to bring out the wild side of every little boy and ghoul in town. Whether you have little ones enjoying the festivities or are throwing an adult gathering, you might find yourself left with some unusual messes in the aftermath.

7 tips for making your post-Halloween cleanup less scary

If you’re contending with sticky messes from candy, smeared makeup, waxy drips, or pumpkin guts, it takes a little cleaning finesse to tackle this particular breed of disarray. 

If you’re terrified of tackling the post-Halloween pandemonium, we’ve got seven great tips from a professional cleaning service that will help make your clean-up less scary. 

Here, we look at seven of our tips for making your post-Halloween cleanup less scary.  

1. Sticky candy messes

Whether it’s chocolate-covered fingers, dropped gummy candies stuck in the carpet, or gooey messes from all kinds of treats, the glucose mess of candy can be difficult to remove. 

Because all candy is sticky, and often heavily dyed, acting fast will reduce the risk of staining. 

You can mix up a witch’s brew of dish soap and warm water to blot up the stain using a clean cloth to get rid of the stickiness. If you find there is still residue, use a stronger potion of a third of vinegar to two-thirds of warm water. 

This will break down the sugary mess further. If the candy is particularly sticky (like taffy), you can first apply some ice to harden it and then scrape it up with a wooden spatula or credit card.

2. Pumpkin guts

At one time or another, we’ve all likely forgotten about the pumpkins out on the porch after the last trick-or-treater goes home. 

Pumpkin guts are pretty messy, especially if we’ve let them sit around for a few days (or weeks!), which allows enough time for the pumpkin to start rotting. You want to ensure anything that comes into contact with rotting pumpkin is thoroughly cleaned, as this is a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. 

With gloves on, pick up the parts that are still solid, and then use a large spoon to scoop up the rest. You can then try to wash away the residue with a hose. If there is anything left behind, grab your soap and water mixture, and give the area a good scrub with a brush.

3. “Tricky” messes

Although Halloween “tricks” are less common these days, if you were the victim of a good old-fashioned egging, the sooner you act, the better. Remove the shells and then use a hose to wash anything still wet. 

If you didn’t realize you were egged, you’ll have to use a cloth sopped in vinegar and water to loosen the mess up before you can wipe it away. Let the cloth sit on the caked-on egg for about 20 minutes, and then wipe it away. 

Make sure you get rid of all the mess, as it will attract local wildlife and really start to stink up the place. 

4. Glitter-related incidents

If you (or your guests) got a little carried away with the glitter, it has likely left a trail of memories throughout your home. Glitter is stubborn and difficult to clean up, so it takes a few steps. 

Start with a vacuum to get the majority of it. Hopefully, you have a hose attachment, as this will work best. Next, grab your kids’ play dough, a ball of tape, or a lint roller, and use the stickiness to clean the rest of the glittery bits.

5. Ghastly “spirit” spills

If you decided to serve up some Halloween-inspired cocktails, these messy spirits could be real stain risks when guests get a little tipsy. 

Cocktail and wine stains should be removed from your furniture, clothes, and carpets as soon as you spot them by first dabbing at them with a clean cloth or paper towel. 

Then, use a mix of dish detergent and warm water on a clean cloth to dab away the remaining stain. 

Be sure to test a less-obvious area of the rug or sofa to ensure it is colourfast. Also, never rub carpet or upholstery stains, which forces the dyes deeper into the fibres. Rinse away the detergent using three teaspoons of vinegar in a cup of water, and blot away the residue. 

6. Wicked wax spills

If you were burning candles all night, chances are you’re going to find some wax spills. Here’s how to deal with wicked wax spills for each surface:

  • Wood furniture: Hardened wax can be scraped away with a plastic or wood spoon or spatula. A credit card works well, too. Avoid metal utensils, as they are more likely to damage the finish.

    You’ll probably see a thin layer of wax left behind. You can heat the last remnants of wax with a blow dryer and then wipe it up with a soft cloth and mild dish soap.
  • Carpet and upholstery: This is trickier. Place a paper bag or piece of paper over the wax, and then iron it on the lowest setting to loosen the wax.

    The wax should adhere to the paper so you can lift it away. You might need to do it several times until you’ve removed most of it.
  • Walls: When candles are blown out with force, the melted wax sprays onto nearby walls.

    You can use the paper and iron method to remove it. In this case, however, add a layer of folded paper towels in between two layers of paper to protect the walls.

If the heat method doesn’t work, you can also try the opposite approach. Fill a baggy with ice cubes and allow it to sit on the wax until it hardens.

This makes the wax more brittle so you can “snap” it away. Once you remove the larger bits, you can tackle the remnants using the heating method.

7. Maniacal makeup smears

With all that Halloween makeup, you’re sure to find smears on your sofa, chairs, or pillows. To clean up zombie green, vampire red, or ghoul grey, use a butter knife or credit card to first scrape up the mess, being sure not to press too hard.

Then, sprinkle the stain with baking soda and let it sit for about 20 minutes. This will help absorb the grease and oil in the makeup.

Vacuum up the powder, and then use your soapy concoction to blot at the remaining stain. Continue to blot and clean until the stain is gone.

Rinse with a clean, damp cloth and then use another dry clean cloth to absorb excess water. 

If this all sounds like too much work, let our cleaning services at Maid4Condos bust that ghostly mess. Click here to reach out to us today, or call us at 647-822-0601.

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