Cleaning Up After Halloween Pranksters Trash Your Home

Halloween is such a fun holiday; you get to dress up and pass out lots of candy and treats to the adorable kids in your neighborhood. What could be bad, right? Well, unfortunately, plenty can go wrong. There are always some kids and teenagers that take the term “trick or treat” to an extreme. Don’t worry – we have all of the great advice and recommendations to help with your Halloween clean-up. Whether culprits left egg splashed all over your siding and brick exterior, shaving cream on cars or windows, or the infamous toilet paper thrown all over your yard, we have a solution for you. All of these “tricks” can be a nuisance and must be cleaned thoroughly to avoid wreaking havoc on your home’s exterior.

These Halloween pranks can be tons of fun for the pranksters, but then there’s the aftermath for homeowners are the ones that must deal with a real mess; hooligans may plaster your home in eggs, or shower your car in shaving cream, or trim your trees with toilet paper. In fact, around this time of year, there are some areas that ban the sale of eggs to minors in an attempt to keep these messy incidents to a minimum.

If you’re one of those unlucky homeowners faced with a post-Halloween cleanup job, these tips will be extremely useful. Broken down by type of ammo (egg, shaving cream, and toilet paper) these tips will save you time, energy, and further damage to your property, so your home is no worse for wear, at least until next year!

Egg

Whether they’re splattered on your home or your car, Halloween pranks involving smashed eggs are bad news because they can destroy paint. It is critical to clean eggs as soon as possible. Light power washing or pressure cleaning is sure to do the trick for removal. If the egg has hardened, you need to apply water to loosen it up. If you see eggshells, it is best to try and pick those off as if they are on a painted surface; the shells can cause scratches. If the egg has discolored or damaged the paint on the surface, not all is lost. If the egg is on a car, use an oxidation remover that can be purchased at an auto supply store. This compound is designed specifically for this. If the egg is on the exterior of your home, you will need to prime and repaint.

Shaving cream

Shaving cream may be fine for your skin, but it’s a killer on paint, so this is another Halloween prankster mess you’ll want to clean quickly. If you spot shaving cream while it’s still wet, a pressure washer can remove the shaving cream with light pressure – no strong PSI necessary. But if it’s dry, you shouldn’t scrape it because you may damage the paint. This is another instance where pressure cleaning or pressure washing can be your friend. Gentle water pressure should remove the shaving cream with any problems.

Toilet Paper

It may look fun, but the cleanup can be a hassle. If it’s a dry day, you’re in luck, and you can easily remove the toilet paper. The paper that you can’t access, a contractor with a tall ladder or extension poles can remove it for you. Window cleaning companies will have any equipment necessary for that. If the forecast is rainy, the shredding of the toilet paper that occurs makes it a bit more challenging to remove, but not impossible. To gather the paper without damaging your trees, use a rake or broom to comb over the branches gently; a leaf blower can also help you clear twigs without damaging them.

There is nothing wrong with a harmless little prank, and Halloween is certainly one of those times that it may occur – My trick – turn off all my lights, and people think you are not home – a prank deterrent that has worked for years. But then you don’t get to see what the popular costumes are!