Whether you’re shopping at Lowes, Home Depot or D&B Supply, you may notice that once the fall arrives you have to reach a little bit further to get a can of WD-40. Is there a correlation between the time of year and a lower stock of multi-use spray? 

Looking back on your childhood, WD-40 made your dad look like Mr. Fix It. Squeaky swing set? WD-40. Key won’t turn in the lock in the garage? WD-40. Zipper’s stuck on your boots? WD-40. Google unique uses for WD-40 and you’ll be shocked by how long the list is. Some of the uses are seasonal like using it to keep your shovel snow free, waterproofing your boots or stopping snow from building up on your windows during a storm.

READ MORE: Why Every Idahoan Should Be Keeping a Quarter In Their Freezer

While we know that snowflakes flying are inevitable in Idaho, people aren’t stocking up on WD-40 in October as a preventative measure. Apparently, it’s very popular in the fall because people discovered that it can help preserve all that hard work you put into carving your jack-o-lantern. Good Housekeeping explains that once you plunge your knife into a pumpkin, scoop all the guts out and give it a spooky facelift, those carved pumpkins only last about 3-5 days. 

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WD-40 even shares the pumpkin preservation hack on their website, saying: 

After you’re done carving, spray your pumpkin with a light coating of WD-40® Multi-Use Product. Not only does it grant extra shine, but the coating will help the pumpkin last a bit longer and delay the onset of decay. 

How Does WD-40 Keep a Pumpkin Fresh?

Family Handyman also says that because of its solvent-like properties, WD-40 is also an effective insect repellent. Many people use it as a way to prevent wasps from building nests or spiders from entering through your window sills, so it’s effective at keeping away bugs that want to munch on your pumpkin, too! 

A moldy, decaying jack-o-lantern sits on someone's front steps after Halloween.
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People who swear by this lifehack say that WD-40 does a great job when it comes to preventing pumpkins from freezing. At press time, that’s not a huge risk since the lowest temperature in the forecast is 39 but as we get closer to Halloween, frosty temperatures are possible. In fact, in 2002, it was a bone chilling 13 degrees on Halloween! 

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The Smithsonian Magazine says temperatures in the upper 50s and lower 60s are best for your carved pumpkins. If it freezes then thaws, it could speed up how quickly your pumpkin rots. 

WD-40 Safety Warning

WD-40 is flammable. If you plan on lighting up your pumpkin with an actual candle, you should NOT use WD-40 on your pumpkin. Nor should you spray it anywhere near an open flame. If you go the WD-40 route, a LED candle will be your best bet. 

Photo by aisvri on Unsplash
Photo by aisvri on Unsplash
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Like bleach, another popular method for keeping pumpkins fresh, the spray can be toxic to wildlife which means if you have a lot of deer, squirrels or other critters in your yard you may want to skip WD-40. 

The Old Farmer’s Almanac offers a more natural solution. They say that spraying it with a solution of one part vinegar to one part water can help kill bacteria and fungal spores that may develop on your jack-o-lantern and make it rot more quickly. 

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Spooky Season is here and before you know it, the kids will be dressed up in their costumes and on the hunt for their favorite sweets! This is a round-up of Trunk-Or-Treat events currently set for this Halloween season! Click the event for more details about what they have planned. Some have costumed contests. Others have adoptable pets in costume. If you're hosting one and would like to be added to our list click HERE.

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