HALLOWEEN CLEAN UP

HALLOWEEN CLEAN UP – (Aired on October 23, 2017 on 3TV/Phoenix – 8:40am – Good Morning AZ)

Rotten Pumpkin

A pumpkin sitting on a hard surface inside or outside, will most likely leave behind a moldy black stain as it decomposes. Many times you won’t notice it until it is too late. To remove this mess, dampen a microfiber cloth with warm water and a squirt of white non-gel toothpaste, then rub it on the stain in small circles until it lifts. Once the stain is gone you will probably need to polish the area. A warning: If the pumpkin has been sitting and molding for a long time, you may need to refinish the wood.

Preventing the problem is easy. Sit your pumpkin on a plate or other container to keep it from staining wood or cement surfaces.

Chocolate

Carefully scrape off as much of the chocolate as possible without grinding the stain deeper into the fabric. Apply stain remover and wash. Wash again if necessary with fabric- or color-safe bleach. If you have a stubborn spot, wet the spot and work in some Fels Naptha Laundry Bar Soap and then sprinkle with Borax. Work in well. Launder as usual.

Lipstick and oil-based Halloween makeup

Dab a small amount of makeup remover or rubbing alcohol on inside seam to test the fabric for color-safeness. If the color hasn’t changed after 10 minutes, use a washcloth to dampen the stain with remover or alcohol. Dab the stain with a dry paper towel until it no longer picks up any makeup. Treat with stain remover and wash in warm water. Re-treat and rewash if the stain remains.

Costume Makeup Smears On Car and Upholstery

Commercial carpet cleaner can remove costume makeup smears from a seat or carpet in a snap. Apply it using a microfiber cloth on a hidden spot first to see that the upholstery’s color doesn’t bleed. If nothing comes off onto your cloth, use it to blot (not rub) the stain away.

Chewing gum

Rub an ice cube over the stain until it freezes and hardens. Scrape off as much of the hardened gum as you can without rubbing it deeper into the fabric. Use Carbona Stain Devils for Gum according to directions. Find this in the laundry spotter aisle. They are small yellow bottles for different types of stains. Look for the one that says “gum”.

Hair dye

For bleach-safe fabrics, soak the item in a mixture of ¼ cup chlorine bleach to a gallon of cold water. After 30 minutes rinse and wash. For other fabrics, replace the bleach with a cup of ammonia. Stretch the stained area over a bucket and pour solution onto it, then rise and wash.

To get any color staining out of hair, mix baking soda with your shampoo and wash well.

Silly String

Resist the urge to pick at the hardened chunks of dried string. Instead, simply grab your water hose and spray it off, wetting the area above and below it first and then wetting the Silly String. Follow that up by washing the areas on your house or car with soap and water using a microfiber towel.

Eggs

When it comes to paint, particularly on cars, eggs are a serious bummer. Not only are the shells capable of causing scratches, the egg itself is corrosive and can cause permanent damage. Again, resist the urge to immediately scrub the area as you can cause further scratches to the paint, car or siding. Spray the car off with a water hose, making sure to spray off any little bits of shell you can see. On cars, if the egg has sat for any amount of time, you may need to use buffing or polishing compound and then re-wax the area. Egg left overnight on car paint can leave that portion of the paint discolored so deal with it as quickly as you can.

Glitter

The fairies, princesses, and ballerinas who visited your home on their candy-collecting mission may have left behind a dusting of glitter notorious for hanging around months later. Rather than trying to wipe it away with a wet paper towel, swipe a lint roller anywhere you see sparkles.