Everyone likes to have a little fun on Halloween. Whether that means dressing up and going to a party, or trick or treating with the kids, there is a lot of fun to be had for all ages. Unfortunately, some individual’s idea of fun involves pulling pranks on your home. Obviously, prevention is the best weapon when it comes to these pranksters. If you have the option to park your car in the back or in a garage, you should certainly do so for the night, and maintaining a well-lit home can go a long way in deterring potential attackers. But if you do wake up in the morning and find a mess, here are a few tips to help you get it cleaned up right away.

The first thing you should do is prioritize. If you find that someone has egged your property, then this is something you want to clean up right away as egg whites and yolks can corrode painted surfaces. Check your car and house for any egg matter and clean it up promptly using a hose. Be careful scrubbing as the egg shells because they might scratch your surfaces. If all else fails and  the eggs are really on there, utilize an enzyme based cleaner or contact a local professional because you may need pressure cleaning services.

With the eggs taken care of, the next priority should be cleaning up any toilet paper mess, especially if you are expecting rain in the forecast. Cleaning up dry toilet paper isn’t that big of a deal, and you can utilize rakes and brooms to gather it up. This is an entirely different story if it rains. Soggy toilet paper becomes impossible to deal with, and it can take weeks for it to weather away naturally.

If you are confident it isn’t going to rain, and also have a problem with an aerosol string can mess, then you should tackle this before the toilet paper. This is relatively benign at first, but as the strings dry out, they harden and actually adhere to surfaces. Again, simply use a hose and only gently brush away any residue, if you rub too hard you risk scratching painted surfaces, this is particularly the case if you were unfortunate enough to get this on your car.

Shaving cream is another popular prank item, but thankfully this prank washes away quite easily. While it does harden, a good spray with water will cause it to melt and wash away. Hopefully, you never have to use any of these tips, and your Halloween will be full of innocent fun, but it never hurts to be prepared and if worst comes to worst you can always hire cleaning professionals you know and trust like Inside Homes Cleaning & More!