Presever your Jack-o'-Lantern

10/19/2018 (Permalink)

Halloween is right around the corner and for most of us that means we’re already starting to see decorations on every residential street, pumpkin-everything at Trader Joes and of course one of America’s favorite pastimes, the Jack O’ Lantern! It seems though that every time the perfectly-designed Jack O’ Lantern is set out on display for all to see, it too quickly loses its rich and robust appearance and in just a couple short days, mold creeps in making all that’s left into a dilapidated pile of mush.

As a professional mold remediation company, we’ve put a lot of thought into this topic and have come to the conclusion that as long as spores travel through the air and moisture settles in the pumpkin, the Jack O’ Lantern will always be an ideal source for mold to grow. Although there’s a short shelf live for your Jack O’ Lantern, we at SERVPRO of Chatsworth / Stevenson Ranch have thought of a couple ideas you can do to extend its lifespan. 

Steps:

1. After your pumpkin has been carved, rinse it out with water to get rid of excess strings and gunk.
2. Using a large bucket or tub, fill it with 3 gallons of water or enough that will completely submerge the pumpkin.
3. Stir three teaspoons of bleach into the water.
4. Dunk the pumpkin underwater for a few minutes.
5. Remove from bucket and place upside down for a couple hours until any pooled moisture evaporates. Using a hairdryer may speed up this step.

The bleach solution will slow down the mold growth and acts as an inhibitor however it will only be a matter of time before Thanksgiving arrives and let’s be honest….who wants to keep a Jack O’ Lantern for more than a couple weeks anyways?

We’ve also heard using the small silica packs (found in beef jerky bags, shoe boxes and electronic shipments) can help absorb excess moisture found in the environment and can help prolong the life of your sculpted pumpkin.

Happy Halloween everyone!!