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House Cleaning Blog

How to Clean Up the Mess Left by Halloween Tricksters

  Fernando Gutierrez  |    30 October 2015  |    House Cleaning Tips,  |    Santa Monica

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Cleaning up after a Halloween nightmare is a simple, straightforward business, but you don't want to make a bad situation worse by using the wrong cleaners or methods. But keep in mind that it's easier to clean up eggs, toilet paper, and other Halloween tricks sooner rather than later. So let's get to work.

Eggs on Your House

Cleaning materials: Strong alkaline cleaner, warm water, garden hose and nozzle, siding brush mounted on an extension pole or low-psi pressure washer.

Procedure: Wash from the bottom up. Wet the siding below the egg to reduce its adsorption (adhesion to the surface), then gently hose the egg off the side of the house. (Don't hit it with a high-pressure stream of water, which will cause it to splatter.) If that doesn't take care of it, scrub gently with a solution of alkaline cleaner and warm water using pole-mounted brush. Rinse thoroughly. Finally, remove the egg as soon as possible.

Don't: Use hot water. This will cause the egg's proteins to congeal and stick to the siding.

Eggs on Your Car

Cleaning materials: Neutral-pH automotive detergent, microfiber car polishing cloth, garden hose and nozzle.

Procedure: Thoroughly hose the area below the egg, then gently hose the egg off the car. Moisten thoroughly to ensure that you soften the material. If particles remain, clean then with an automotive detergent. When you're sure that the egg and its shell particles have been removed, rinse and wipe the car dry.

Don't: Scrub with hot water and strong alkaline detergent and kitchen scrub pads. This will damage the car's clear coat.

Toilet Paper in Trees

Cleaning materials: leaf blower, swimming pool cleaning pole, painting extension pole, hose and nozzle.

Procedure: Less is more. First, decide whether you really want to deal with it—toilet paper disintegrates rapidly, so it shouldn't be up there long. If you really must remove it, first try blasting it out of the trees using water from a hose pipe or a shot of air from a leaf blower, or by snagging it with a pool-cleaning pole.

Don't: Get too worked up about it. But, most importantly, don't let the swimming pool pole touch a power line.

Soap or Shaving Foam on Windows or Siding

Cleaning materials: Garden hose, gentle scrub brush, rags, bucket to hold warm water.

Procedure: Soap comes off very readily with a gentle scrubbing action and plenty of water. If it's on thick in some areas, use warm water and a brush.

Don't: Leave it in place and hope the rain will wash it off. Soap becomes difficult to remove the longer it's left in place, and it can stain siding, trim, and other exterior surfaces.

For a professional cleaning service give You've Got MAIDS of Santa Monica a call at 310-435-5420 or visit us at www.santamonica.youvegotmaids.com.

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