Lots of people know bleach can be used to help cut flowers stay beautiful longer, but may not know that the same bleach solution can also help keep that gross fuzzy mold from making a home inside your cute (or scary) Halloween pumpkin.
Items needed:
– Bleach
–1 clean 5 gallon bucket (or bucket large enough for the pumpkin)
–1 quart measuring cup and Measuring spoons
–A pumpkin
–Sharp knife, spoon, marker or pencil or stencil (for cleaning and carving)
–Paper towels
–Spray bottle
What to do…
- Cut the top off the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. (Remember to keep the stem to use as a handle when removing the top). Try to remove as much of the stringy fibers on the inside of the pumpkin by scraping them away with the spoon. Be sure to clean the underside of the pumpkin top, too. NOTE: Keep thee seeds if you plan to cook them later for a great snack.
- Rinse the pumpkin inside and out with water.
- Draw a face and carve it out.
- Measure 3 gallons of water into the bucket.
- Add 3 teaspoons bleach the water in the bucket, and use the measuring spoons to stir the bleach solution. (always be careful when using bleach not to splash onto your clothing – Can’t fix a bleach stain)
- Immerse the pumpkin in the bleach solution. Pumpkins float, so be sure to stir it around to cover all surfaces with the bleach solution for a full two minutes. (The top too!)
- Remove the pumpkin, and let it air dry on a few paper towels, but save the water mixture.
- Easy clean-up—just fill the spray bottle with some of the water mixture for misting of your pumpkin should it dry out as the days pass on and pour the rest of the bleach solution down the drain.