Your scariest Halloween decoration shouldn’t be a moldy pumpkin.
Remember: A pumpkin is just a fruit. After exposure to the elements for several days, your jack-o-lantern’s grin will begin to sag.
Your pumpkin deserves to be preserved, so here are four ways you can keep it healthy with household items.
1. Gut It
This may seem obvious, but make sure you remove all the pulp! When that stuff piles up, it attracts bacteria and pests. Cut a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin, and scour the walls and base for all loose pulp.
2. Clean It
Wet & Forget Ready-to-Use is more than a moss, mold, mildew and algae stain remover. It can do double duty for pumpkin preservation.
Spray your carved pumpkin with Wet & Forget Ready-To-Use. Be sure to spray the full interior, lid and crevices of your pumpkin.
Apply Wet & Forget just once per week for an easy way to keep your pumpkin mold and mildew free for at least 2-3 weeks.
3. Hydrate It
Keeping moisture in will keep your pumpkin plump leading to Halloween. Consider applying lubricant to the cuts you make. WD-40 works great for this, but you can also use vegetable oil or even petroleum jelly.
Something else to try is hairspray — that or any other sealant can keep your pumpkin from getting dehydrated.
4. Avoid Sunlight
If placed outside without cover, your pumpkin can rot fast.
Try to keep the pumpkin as cool as possible.
