Ever carved a creepy face on your pumpkin, only to watch it turn into a soft, moldy mass within two days? Enough pumpkin disappointment! This simple trick with WD-40 will extend the life of your pumpkin this year—almost like biohacking your fall decorations.
And because one trick with WD-40 is never enough, here are three additional methods to keep your orange decoration fresh, sturdy, and photogenic long after the kids have eaten the last of the gummy worms from their Halloween candy stash. Ready? Let's see how to turn a pumpkin into a hardy queen of fall.
1. WD-40 Trick: Not Just for Creaky Doors – Also Against Pumpkin Rot!
If you think: "WD-40 on a pumpkin?! Isn't that a little crazy?" – let us tell you, this is exactly the kind of madness that works.
How It Works:
WD-40 creates a protective layer that repels moisture and repels insects—both key culprits in making a pumpkin start to decay like an old secret.
Process:
Using a Smart Straw (because pumpkins love technology too), lightly spray the entire pumpkin. Be careful, but don't overdo it - you don't want it to turn into an oil totem.
Warning: Due to the flammability of this pumpkin spray, do not place it near an open flame. So, candle not = no. LED light = yes, please.
2. Bleach: Pumpkin Spa Against Bacteria
If bacteria and mold had a nightmare, they'd be swimming in a bleach solution. That's exactly what your pumpkin needs.
How to:
Mix 1 tablespoon of bleach with 4 cups of water and soak the pumpkin in it for about 20 minutes. Dry it well after the "bath".
For carved pumpkins, use a spray instead: whitening care with manicured precision.
Here too: no fire. Pumpkins are sensitive souls, especially when soaked in bleach.
3. Floor polish: Make your pumpkin shine like the parquet in an old mansion
Floor + pumpkin = new fall aesthetic. If the polish is good enough for your precious oak flooring, it's sure to help the pumpkin too.
Process:
Mix 1 tablespoon of polish with a damp cloth and gently wipe the pumpkin. You'll create a thin protective film that repels moisture, mold, and all those microbes that would love to colonize your decoration.
Bonus: The pumpkin will have a glow like it just came off a Vogue cover shoot.
4. Rubbing alcohol: Clean, fresh, and low risk
That alcohol you keep in your car to remove ice from your windshield or smudges from labels? It also plays a role in this noisy drama.
Usage:
Pour it into a spray bottle and spray the outer layer of the pumpkin. Alcohol kills bacteria and mold faster than you think. "trick or treat".
And let's not repeat ourselves: flammable. Candles? Only if you're a fan of live drama.
Conclusion: Pumpkins that last more than one weekend
Now you're equipped with all the secrets to extending your pumpkin's life. Choose your favorite trick (or combine all four if you're a true pumpkin extremist), and this year, make your pumpkin the one that not only survives Halloween, but maybe he'll also see Christmas, New Year's and some other birthdays.
