How to Lengthen the Life of Your Halloween Pumpkin

Written by Vanzetta Evans 

Halloween is coming. Is the scariest thing in your house a moldy, rotting jack o'lantern? We have some tips to help your pumpkin survive until the last ghouls and goblins come knocking at your door.

Here are the five simple steps:

1. Clean the carved pumpkin's exterior with a damp cloth.
2. Mix one tablespoon of bleach with a quart of water and put it in a spray bottle and spray inside the pumpkin and in the cut areas with the solution. This will kill surface bacteria and mold.
3. Let the pumpkin dry for about 20 minutes. 
4. Rub the interior and cut surfaces with petroleum jelly. This will keep out bacteria and prevent the pumpkin from dehydrating.
5. Keep the pumpkin out of direct sunlight and keep it in as cool a place as possible.