How to Remove Sticky Halloween Candy Residue From Pretty Much Everything
Jolie Kerr is a cleaning expert, advice columnist, and New York Times bestselling author of My Boyfriend Is Boiling In My Purse … And Other Things You Can’t Ask Martha About . Her flagship column, Ask a Pure Man, debuted in 2011. Here at Offspring we’ve launched a new iteration dedicated to parenting and all the mess it brings.
Someone in my family managed to put sticky, sweet leftover Halloween candy (chocolates and fruit / lollipops) on our wooden coffee table. NBD in the sense that it wasn’t an expensive item anyway, but I’d still rather clean it up than replace it. How do I remove the adhesive tape without ruining the finish? I have tried using a coarse sponge and detergent with no success.
I think this should be pretty easy to fix! Before we get into what to do with leftover candy on hard surfaces like tables, countertops, and floors, a little planning: As Halloween approaches, this week and next week’s columns will focus on cleaning up after the world’s best holiday. year. This week we’ll tackle the regular candy, and next week we’ll tackle the costume clutter, from face paint and colored hairspray to glitter and wigs.
So! If you have questions next week, or just expect your child to mess up the bathroom with a tube of fake blood, email me or leave a message in the comments. I will try to solve as many Halloween costume problems as possible.
But first, let’s talk about candy.
Removing chocolate and other sticky candies from hard surfaces
There is a very simple way to get rid of sticky marks on hard surfaces, which is to apply a hot compress; all you need is a rag or sponge and very hot water. What you will do is:
Soak a rag or sponge in hot water (if you have sensitive hands, you can wear a pair of household gloves) and, moving quickly, wring them out to keep them damp but not dripping. Then apply it to the sticky area by pressing firmly on it. Keep the compress in the sticky place until it starts to lose heat, then dampen it again, squeeze it out, and repeat as needed. The combination of heat and moisture will loosen the sticky substance, allowing you to wipe it off. After removing the stickiness, dry the surface so that moisture does not linger on the wood.
Another route you can choose is to use products like Goo Gone , Goof Off, or even the good old WD-40 . With any of these products, take the time to spot test to make sure they won’t damage the surface in need of cleaning.
Chocolate stains on clothing, upholstery and carpet
Shout is great for removing chocolate stains from fabrics. (One of our commenters also mentioned that it does a great job on fecal stains, so maybe Shout is just a brown stain remedy?!?)
The most effective way to use Shout to remove chocolate stains from clothes (or bed linen – I’ll equalize and say I can’t eat chocolate in bed sometimes while observing the Vanderpump Rules ) is to spray a small amount of chocolate on the stain. , then rub the soiled cloth against yourself until the chocolate comes out.
To apply Shout to upholstery or carpet, spray it onto the stain, then gently wipe the stain with a damp cloth or sponge. Once the stain is gone, wipe off any remaining Shout with a clean, damp sponge or rag.
Ground candy
If candy gets stuck between the floorboards, it can be removed with a scraper or butter knife. Then use a vacuum cleaner to pick up the spilled candy.
Do you have a piece of candy on your hands that I haven’t talked about here? Let me know in the comments and I will do my best to help you. Also, don’t forget to ask all your costume cleaning questions so I can get to them next week!