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When you begin to think about how you want to decorate for Halloween the first thing that pops into your mind are scary, carved pumpkins! What’s scarier is when you carve your pumpkin and it starts to rot before Halloween night even starts. Ugh! A pumpkin usually only last 3 days to a week once they have been carved so you always want to try and carve it as close to Halloween if you can but if you are having a party before or just want to start the festivities early here are some ideas that may help prolong the life of your Jack-o-lantern.
- You know those silica gel packs you find inside of boxes from the Halloween decorations you bought? Simply place one or two inside the carved pumpkin to absorb moisture. Just remember to keep it away from a burning candle.
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- If you notice your Jack-O-Lantern is starting to degrade early, you can try dumping it into an ice bath! Keep in mind you can only do this once because pumpkins don’t respond to well to too many temperature changes.
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- Just like with yourself, a solid moisturizing regimen is always a good idea. If it's a carved pumpkin you're treating, you can use petroleum jelly or vegetable oil to rub into all the exposed parts (do this after a bleach soak for twice the benefits). Petroleum jelly, according to these carving experts, helps it to not dry out and shrivel up, like us! PLEASE REMEMBER: Petroleum jelly is highly flammable so don’t use real candles if you chose to use petroleum jelly.
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- After carving, the most important step to having the longest lasting jack-o-lantern is a long soak in a bleach/water bath. Using a large bucket or container, submerge your amazing work in a bleach/water solution of 1/3 cup bleach per gallon of water. Your pumpkins should soak for several hours, but no longer than 24.
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- After you have carved your pumpkin, wipe down all its surfaces with a vinegar-water solution (one part vinegar to one part water) to kill bacteria & fungal spores. Then spray the pumpkin daily with this solution.
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- Lastly, don’t use real candles. As well as obvious safety concerns, burning a candle inside will shorten the pumpkin’s life span, because the heat that results can “cook” the pumpkin and reduce its longevity to a matter of hours. Try flameless LED candles instead! And yes, we sell them here at Gale's!
Happy Halloween!
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