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Trick or Treat: Cleaning Up After Halloween

mmanhoff • Oct 29, 2013

Whether you're cleaning up after the youngest costumed trick-or-treaters or older pranksters, there are plenty of things that need to be taken care of following Halloween fun.

Maid services can help with your house in the days following, but here are some things that can be done right away:

Cleaning Up After Trick-or-Treating

From bags full of candy to faces--and possibly clothes--covered in make-up, take a few steps to clean up after the fun:

  • Cleaning up the pumpkin. If you spend some time making a jack-o-lantern, you could end up with pumpkin  goo on your table, counter, or floor. Scrape off every bit that you can, and scrub the rest with warm water and dish soap for an easy clean.
  • Have a place to keep the candy. Put the candy in a platic zipper bag or sealed container and put it away as soon as you get done checking it and sneaking those first few pieces.
  • Getting rid of make-up and stuck-on candy. If clothes have been the target of stains from make-up or sticky candy, take the steps as soon as you get home to clean them. Make-up can be cleaned from clothes with rubbing alcohol or a bit of detergent and warm water, blotting until the cloth comes back clean. Candy can be scraped off with the help of a bit of vinegar and water.

Erasing the Prank

Pranksters come out in full-swing on Halloween, and if your neighborhood has a few, you're likely to get hit eventually. Here's how to clean the mess left behind:

  • Shaving Cream. On your car, on your windows, on your mailbox--you could find shaving cream smeared onto several different surfaces. If it's had time to dry, it's going to be a little harder to clean, but the method is the same: grab a hose and start spraying the shaving cream. With a little patience, you will start to see the shaving cream dissolve.
  • Toilet Paper.TP is a classic Halloween prank, and time is the most important aspect of recovering from this one. Try to get to it as quickly as possible afterwards, but if you have to wait until morning, let the dew dry completely first, as cleaning wet toilet paper is a disaster. Pull down as much as you can, and then use a leaf blower, broom handle, or rake to get down stubborn pieces.
  • Egg. An egging can actually be damaging to your home's siding, so act on this as soon as you're aware of it. Spray around the egg to wet the siding, then point the hose at a spot right above the egg. This will cause it to slide down without splashing yolk.

House cleaning in the days after any holiday can feel daunting, but dealing with the important issues first will help!

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