Halloween brings fun times, lots of candy, and beautifully thought-out costumes. It is a time to make new memories and friends. But after the fun is gone, we are left with paint on our faces, fake blood on our clothes, and chocolate all over our children and their bedroom floors.
But don’t let Halloween stains spook you! There are many different methods for cleaning up post-trick-or-treat without using harsh chemicals. Here are some ways to get you started based on common types of frightening Halloween stains:
Fake Blood
The best way to remove fake blood is to lather on some shaving cream, rub, and rinse with warm water. The shaving cream foam prevents the dye from seeping into the pores of your skin.
Face Paint
To remove face paint, use a product that contains oil. The oil will break down the makeup and face paint quickly without damaging your skin. Try using Burt’s Bees Nourishing Baby Oil.
Fake Tattoos
A pair of scrub gloves and some warm soapy water is the easiest and quickest way to remove fake tattoos. Try using Earth Therapeutics Exfoliating Hydro Gloves, which won’t harm your skin.
Pumpkin Stains
To remove pumpkin stains on fabric and carpets, start by scraping off the excess pumpkin. Add 1 tablespoon dish liquid to 2 cups cold water. Dip sponge into solution and blot stain until liquid is absorbed. Once the stain is dry, rinse with cold water.
Candle Wax
Scrape off excess wax. For fabrics, place in freezer until wax hardens. Scrape off the rest. For removing candle wax on carpets, scrape off excess wax first. Next, cover carpet stained area with a clean white cloth. Use the tip of a warm iron and press into the cloth until the wax is transferred from the carpet to the cloth.
Apple Stains
Run the fabric inside out under cold water to remove as much juice as possible. Dab some liquid dish soap onto stain. Launder as usual.
Lipstick
Using a dry white washcloth, dampen the lipstick stain with alcohol. With a dry paper towel, blot the area until it is no longer picking up any lipstick. Treat stain with liquid dish soap. Launder as usual.
Chocolate
Scrape off as much chocolate as possible without spreading the chocolate deeper into the fabric. Spray on hydrogen peroxide or vinegar. Soak. Rinse. Machine wash.
Colored Spray from Hair
To remove colored dye from hair, mix a small amount of clarifying shampoo and dish detergent into a small bowl. Wearing gloves, apply mixture to hair. Wait 20 minutes and rinse with cool water. If color is still in hair, combine apple cider vinegar with luke warm water in an applicator bottle and apply to hair. Wait 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water then with cool water.
What are you going to be for Halloween? Share you costume ideas (and your ideas for cleaning them up) with us!
