How to remove chocolate, fake blood, candle wax and other Halloween stains

As if Halloween wasn't scary enough - then comes the clean-up! Whether it's sticky trick-or-treat candy, messy pumpkin carving, or a fake blood on Halloween costumes nightmare - we're here to magic it all away with some handy cleaning tips on how to clean off Halloween stains.

With all the crafting that goes on to fill your home with Halloween decor, not to mention baking spooky Halloween biscuits, and of course, dressing up, there's bound to be all kinds of different mess and Halloween stains to deal with. So, we've covered the main scary scenarios below.

Here are some cleaning products you might find useful:

How to remove chocolate stains

It's difficult not to start imagining all the potential opportunities for mess and stains when the words 'kids' and 'chocolate' are used in the same sentence. A cleaning plan-of-action can keep any anxiety at bay...

Your simple no-fuss guide to cleaning chocolate stains:

• Scrape off excess chocolate straight away with a spoon or dull knife

• Apply Stain Remover or soak with your usual washing detergent for up to 30 minutes

• Wash as normal according to care instruction of the item

• Let it air dry

How and why it works:

The key is to remove as much of the actual chocolate from the garment or surface as possible, otherwise you'll just be rubbing more of the chocolate into the fabric or fibres, making it even harder to remove. So try using a blunt knife or spoon to scrape up any lumps of chocolate first. If it's liquid chocolate you're dealing with, use white paper towels to gently blot up as much as possible. Avoid rubbing at all costs, or the tissue will break up and get rubbed into the fabric along with the chocolate, and you do not want to deal with that horror, trust us!

Next, you'll want to soak, as this will help to loosen and separate as much of the chocolate as possible so that it dissolves into the water. Most clothes (except wool or silk) can be soaked for up to half an hour in a bucket of warm water in a solution of biological detergent. For extreme cases you can either apply a stain remover to the affected area instead, or take the clothes out of soak every five minutes to gently blot the stained parts, helping remove as much as possible before it's time to wash as normal according to the care instructions on the clothes.

If you're dealing with chocolate stains on a carpet, clearly you won't be able to soak it in a bucket, unless it's a small washable rug. Instead, you can try using a carpet stain remover like the Dr. Beckmann Carpet Stain Remover above, and follow the cleaning instructions on the bottle.

How to remove sugar stains

Sugar is one of the reasons chocolate can be a tricky stain to remove. Sugar stains will leave a sticky patch on clothes and surfaces that can attract dirt and pests, so it's important to clean stains thoroughly, and deal with any spillages as soon as you can, to make it easier.

Dried sugar that has spilled out of a trick-or-treat bag onto the floor or into the pile of your carpet is easy to solve - just whip out the hoover! With wet sugar stains, it's a bit trickier, but essentially you can take the same steps as above with removing chocolate stains.

We also like the Vanish Oxi Action Upholstery & Carpet Cleaner above for spot cleaning and removing targeted marks on furniture or carpets quickly, with it's handy spray nozzle for targeting the stains.

How to remove hard candy stains

One of the most annoying things ever, is finding hard candy and lollipops stuck to the backs of cushions or inside coat pockets, days or weeks after Halloween has passed - but kids will be kids!

You should treat this in a similar way to both the removal of chocolate and sugar because the first step is to dissolve the sugars in the candy so the candy becomes soft enover to scrape of the surface it is stuck to. You can do this by spraying the area with plain water and letting it soak for a bit until you get to scraping. Then treat the area with a stain remover as above.

Alternatively you could try some distilled white vinegar or an enzyme cleaner. If you're using vinegar, use one part of white vinegar to two parts water. The vinegar should help to break down sticky sugars and remove any residual stains.

How to get red wine out of the carpet

If you're having a halloween party, red wine is a popular ingredient for an adult punch, but with kids running around, there are bound to be some splashes. If you end up with red wine on your carpet, try not to freak out at the kids, accidents happen, and we have the solution...

Try dabbing the area with sparkling water to dilute the wine, and then blot up as much of it as possible with a clean cloth or white paper towels. Alternatively, there are red wine stain removal products that are really handy to have in your kitchen cupboard for any occasion, like the Wine Away product we've mentioned in our list above. You simply spray, leave for a few minutes and then repeat if needed.

TIP: Don't use your Halloween-themed napkins or the orange, black or green colours will transfer onto your floor - we honestly don't know what's worse!

How do you safely remove Halloween face paint?

It's really important to buy high quality and child-safe face paints for Halloween, and these are always water-based, which makes cleaning pretty easy. Unless your child refuses to have their face washed and will scream the building down if so much as a drop of water gets near their eyes - there's always that.

The best way to safely remove halloween face paint is to use a soft wash cloth with some mild soap and warm water, and work slowly and precisely to wipe away the paint, being extra careful around the eyes, and rinsing your cloth clean as you go. You could also use cotton pads.

TIP: Try to do face cleaning a little while before bed-time because you just know tired toddlers are likely to be more niggly and difficult.

How do you remove Halloween makeup stains?

What if you discover Halloween makeup stains on your children's clothes, cushions or bed sheets? It's easy for little ones to transfer the makeup onto the clothes or things around them if they wipe their face with their hand and then touch something. Also, we know sometimes it's just easier to let kids go to bed as ghosts and vampires and deal with their faces in the morning, in which case their bed sheets will suffer!

If this happens, rub some mineral oil on to the stain and leave for around twenty minutes, then wash as usual. You can also use an in-wash detergent booster for stain removal like - Vanish Gold Oxi Action Laundry Booster & Stain Remover Powder for colours, or Vanish Gold Oxi Action Stain Remover & Whitening Booster Powder For Whites - which is ideal for ghost costumes.

The great thing about these products is that you can make a pre-soak solution using the powder and water in a bucket or sink before washing, and the instructions are always very clear on the tub!

How to get fake Halloween blood off clothes?

Fake blood can be alarming - especially if you get in on your clothes or another absorbant surface. It's not usually as simple as using water to get it out of fabric, as fake blood is often oil-based.

There are a few different cleaning methods you could try:

• Always blot wet stains (don't scrub) with a paper towel to soak up excess liquid
• Try applying shaving cream and then clean the stain with cold water and a cloth
• If soaked in, rub talcum powder into the stain then apply white vinegar, leaving to soak overnight, then put on a cold wash with a biological detergent

How do you clean dried candle wax?

Candles are perfect for setting the mood for a spooky Halloween family dinner, but if the melted wax drips onto your table cloth, your banshee scream might be enough to scare everyone away!

So, before you freak out, follow these steps to clean up the disaster:

• Don't be tempted to try and clean up fresh candle wax - chill and let it harden

• If you want to speed up the hardening process, pop the affected fabric into the fridge for a bit

• Now it's nice and hard you'll be able to scrape excess wax off gently using a butter knife or spoon

• Run the remaining stained area under cold running water

• Get your prewash stain remover out and apply to the affected area

• If you don't have any fancy stain remover, that's okay, you can use your normal laundry detergent or just mix some dish soap and water together

• Now pop the item into your wash and clean according to its care instructions

How to clean up pumpkin mess from carpets

Carving pumpkins is a fun but messy business, especially when the kids get involved, so you can expect to be cleaning up a few pumpkin stains this Halloween.

The good news, if you want to know how to remove pumpkin stain from clothes, is that the stain removal process is pretty much the same as above.

But if the pumpkin stain is on your carpet, you won't be able to pop that into your washing machine. So, in this case you can use your carpet stain remover instead.

Proud aunt to her teen niece, Zara Mohammed is a Digital Writer for Mother&Baby. She has 10 years freelance writing experience creating lifestyle content for various platforms, including pregnancy, women’s health, parenting, child development and child mental health, plus lots of fun seasonal family articles and celebrity news.