Why You Should Be Using WD-40 On Your Carved Halloween Pumpkins

Everyone who participates in the pumpkin-carving tradition of the Halloween season knows that as soon as the carving is done, the clock starts rapidly ticking on this decoration's continued freshness. For this reason, many people wait to carve their pumpkins until the weekend before Halloween, but this means less time to actually enjoy the decoration you spent so much time and effort creating. If you want to be able to carve your pumpkin earlier and enjoy it for a long time, WD-40 might be just the thing you're looking for. By spraying this magical product on your jack-o'-lanterns, you may be able to keep them fresh for much longer and repel pests.

Pumpkins are seasonal favorites that can add a festive look to your outdoor decor. They're also considered delicious and nutritious to all sorts of insects and wildlife, so in order to preserve your pumpkin for as long as possible, you need to keep those foraging pests away. There are various ways to do this, but one surefire method is to spray Multi-Use WD-40 all over the outer and inner surfaces of the gourd.

To keep various pests from nibbling your carved pumpkins, a bottle of Multi-Use WD-40 is all you need. You're going to be using the wide-spray nozzle, so it's best to wear safety goggles and a mask to ensure you don't inhale it or accidentally get some in your eyes. Place your carved gourd outside or in a well-ventilated space before you begin. Then, spray the whole pumpkin both inside and out, coating it with a thin layer. Once you're done, your jack-o'-lantern should look the same, just with an invisible coat of protectant.

However, there are some important safety precautions to remember. WD-40 is flammable, so it should never under any circumstances be exposed to open flame. This means that using real candles in your Halloween pumpkins is a no-go. This may seem like a problem for pumpkin-carving enthusiasts, but with the advent of flameless candles, you don't have to worry. Battery-operated flameless tea lights are available all over the place at low prices and are the perfect addition to your jack-o'-lantern designs. Additionally, using WD-40 on your pumpkin will likely change the way you dispose of it. For instance, you won't want to throw it in the compost bin after Halloween but should instead follow your local ordinances on disposing of hazardous waste. 

The renowned lubricating effects of WD-40 are the first step in keeping bugs in particular away from your pumpkins. The thin, slippery coating you apply to the pumpkin makes it nearly impossible for bugs to feast on the flesh. For flying bugs, this means they can't land. For crawling bugs, they won't be able to climb up the surface of the gourd. This will, in turn, protect your gourd, keeping it fresh for longer. That said, if unattended pets and other animals are always sniffing around your front porch, it's probably wise to skip the WD-40 to prevent accidental poisoning.

Regarding bugs and other animals, the scent of the WD-40 will likely keep them away. While people tend to think WD-40 smells oddly alluring — so much so that it's now a fragrance – many pests are deterred by the citrus undertones of its signature odor. The other major scent profile of WD-40 comes from vanilla, which some insects also stay away from. The smell of WD-40 is not as strong an odor as some other pest deterrents, but it lasts a lot longer thanks to its waterproof properties. The fact that WD-40 won't wash away in the rain or other precipitation — in fact, it might even last for a year – keeps it working long after other products have washed away. This means that one application of WD-40 should last as long as you need it to.