How to remove common Halloween stains

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Always up for a Challenge

(#ad) This year will be the first year we go trick-or-treating with the girls. We are so excited to have this experience with both of them, and dress up as a family. The one thing we’re not too excited about is the clean up afterwards. I’m definitely no stranger to face paint, fake blood, and glitter, but this will be my first year tackling those messes with my daughters. I’m always up for a challenge and I’m sure these tips and tricks I’ve learned, courtesy of Rainbow International Restoration, will help you once the trick or treating is over, and it’s time to tackle the aftermath.

Candy

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I don’t know about your toddlers, but give my two year old a lollipop and you’re in for a horror story of your own. Sticky hands, face, hair, and clothes, who knows maybe they get it on the walls or your beautiful couch. I usually just give my daughter a bath and throw the clothes in the laundry, but what about the mess they leave behind?

Here’s a quick fix for hard candy that gets left on soft surfaces like couches. Step one, grab a spoon and break up as much candy as you can from the surface. Step two, clear area of loose candy. Step three, create a mixture of water and diluted liquid detergent. Step four, blot with a white cotton towel and clean water. This trick will get the remaining candy off in a flash.

Chocolate

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What about messes left over from chocolate? Well, I’ve got a tip for that too!

First you’ll want to take off as much chocolate as possible with a spoon or a dull knife. Then, you’ll create with a mixture of warm water and clear liquid detergent. Make sure it’s clear! Next, blot the area with a white cotton towel. Once the stain begins to lift, blot thoroughly with another clean white cotton towel and cold water. Repeat as needed.

Glitter

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Planning on wearing or dressing your kids up in a glittery costume? Maybe they wanted to be a fairy or a princess, or a ballerina drenched in the most flashy and eye blinding glittered costume. Did you almost pass on the idea because you didn’t want the headache of cleaning up all that glitter afterwards? Well, this tip is for you.

To remove glitter from surfaces in your home, simply vacuum the area thoroughly and try one of the following two techniques after. The first is a lint roller, you can roll this over carpets, couches and surfaces to pick up any remaining glitter. The second is play dough! I know right? Kind of an oxymoron as play dough is usually a pain to clean up! But in the hands of an adult it can work wonders for picking up those pesky flakes of glitter left behind.

Face Paint

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Planning a last minute costume? Or maybe planned one that relies heavily on facepaint and costume makeup? I know this one year Chris and I were Bride of Frankenstein and Frankenstein, and we unfortunately dropped our face paint on our carpet getting ready. Here’s a tip for removing your face paint or your kids face paint from your carpet like a pro.

First, you’ll want to grab a towel and hold it in place on the stain on your carpet. This will soak up any excess makeup. Next , you’ll blot the area with a diluted detergent solution. The paint will then dissolve into the towel. Now you’ll want to grab a dry cloth and soak up any leftover residue. You can repeat this process until the stain is completely gone. And Voila! No more pesky face paint in your carpet.

With these tips you’ll be well on your way to having a fun, clean Halloween!

Check out this fun giveaway below and Tell us about a frightening Halloween mess you encountered for a chance to win a 12-gallon Shop-Vac courtesy of Rainbow International. It could be anything from smashed pumpkins to a cooking or Pinterest fail, we want to hear all about it! 

Click here to enter!