After Halloween, compost or toss carved pumpkins within a few days, before they rot and draw pests. Clean and fully dry decorations, take batteries out, and store anything heat-sensitive indoors rather than in a hot Arizona garage. Unplug outdoor lights, check the cords for damage, and wrap them loosely so they're ready for the holiday season.
Start with the pumpkins
A carved jack-o'-lantern doesn't last long in the Valley. Our fall afternoons are still warm, and once a pumpkin is cut open it starts to soften and mold within days. A rotting pumpkin on the porch draws fruit flies, ants, roof rats and other critters you'd rather not invite to the front door, and it can stain concrete and pavers.
Plan to clear pumpkins off the porch in the first few days of November. Uncarved pumpkins last much longer, so you can keep them out as fall decor until they show soft spots.
- Compost it: if you have a backyard compost bin, chop the pumpkin into small pieces so it breaks down faster. Only compost plain pumpkins; leave out any with paint, glitter, marker or candle wax.
- Bury it: chopped pumpkin buried a few inches deep in a garden bed will break down and feed the soil.
- Bag it: if composting isn't practical, bag it and put it in your regular trash rather than leaving it loose in the bin, which keeps flies and odors down.
- Scrape out the wax: remove candle stubs and wax before composting or burying.
Clean and dry before anything goes in a box
Decorations that go into storage dirty or damp come out next year smelling musty, stained or chewed. Take a few minutes to wipe down plastic pieces, shake the dust out of fabric items and brush dirt off yard stakes and signs.
Inflatables need extra care. Let them run for an hour on a dry afternoon to blow out any moisture, then deflate them and let the fabric air-dry fully before folding. Mildew on a folded inflatable can ruin it by next fall. The same goes for fabric banners, tablecloths and costumes: wash what's washable, then make sure everything is bone-dry before it's packed.
Pull the batteries
Battery-powered candles, light-up signs, animated figures and remote controls all deserve a quick check before storage. Batteries left inside for a year can leak and corrode the contacts, and heat speeds that up. Take them out, toss any that are spent, and store good ones in their original packaging or a small labeled container away from metal objects.
While you're at it, test each item once more so you know what still works. Tape a note to anything that needs a repair or replacement so next year's decorating day isn't a surprise.
Mind the garage heat
Most of the country stores seasonal decorations in the garage or attic without a second thought. In Surprise and Sun City West, garages and attics can get extremely hot for months each year, and that heat is hard on many decorations. Wax candles soften and warp, latex masks and rubber props get sticky or crack, glue joints let go, and some thin plastics bend out of shape.
A simple rule: sturdy, heat-tolerant items such as metal yard signs, heavy plastic bins of fabric decor and wooden pieces can go in the garage. Anything with wax, latex, foam, glue or electronics does better in an interior closet or under a bed.
- Use lidded plastic bins instead of cardboard boxes, which attract pests and break down.
- Label bins on the side and the lid so you can see them on a shelf.
- Keep bins off the garage floor on shelving to protect them from water and pests.
- Store bins away from the water heater and furnace, and never stack anything that blocks access to them.
Take down and store outdoor lights the right way
Orange string lights and spotlights often go up with the Halloween decorations, and many neighbors leave some lights in place for the holiday season. Either way, now is a good time to inspect them.
Unplug everything before you handle it. Look over each strand and extension cord for cracked insulation, exposed wire, crushed sections, broken sockets or scorch marks near the plugs. Anything damaged should be thrown away, not taped up. Make sure lights and cords used outside are rated for outdoor use.
For storage, wrap each strand loosely around a piece of cardboard or a cord reel rather than balling it up, which kinks the wires and breaks bulbs. Bag each strand with a label noting where it went on the house. Keep ladder work to a minimum: use a sturdy ladder on level ground with someone holding it, and skip anything on the roof. Lights that need a climb onto the roof are a job for a helper or a professional.
Tidy up the yard and front entry
Halloween can leave a trail behind: candy wrappers in the gravel, faux cobwebs snagged in shrubs and stakes left in the ground. Fake cobweb material is worth removing carefully and completely, because it can trap birds and small animals and is hard to pull out of thorny desert plants. Pick up stray wrappers and stakes, sweep the walkway and check that hoses and drip lines weren't knocked loose by foot traffic.
Bring leftover candy inside to a cool spot, since chocolate can still soften on a sunny patio. And if trick-or-treaters left the porch a bit scuffed, a quick sweep and rinse gets it ready for fall decor or the holiday lights to come.
Set yourself up for the holiday season
Once Halloween is packed away, take five minutes to plan for the next round of decorating. Pull the holiday bins forward on the shelf, note which extension cords and timers passed your inspection, and make a short list of anything you need to replace. Doing it now, while the weather is pleasant, beats untangling lights on a chilly evening in December.
For more seasonal tips, browse the My AZ Pro blog or sign up for our newsletter. My AZ Pro keeps homes in Surprise, Sun City West and across the Valley comfortable all year. If you need help with heating or cooling, call us at 833-692-9776.