Why Is Everyone in Michigan Buying WD-40 For Halloween?

You'd think this time of year, WD-40 would be flying off the shelves for winterizing, and preparing mechanical devices for colder weather. Lord knows you don't want to be walking in the dark during spooky season and hear a creaky door, or squeaky tricycle wheel coming through the living room.

But no, in fact, WD-40 is being bought in bulk in Michigan by people who love one of the longest traditions in Halloween, in carving pumpkins... wait, what?

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Yep, people who love craving pumpkins for Halloween are flocking to the stores to buy up WD-40 for their stylized Winter Squash, and if you've ever carved a pumpkin early in October, and prayed that it even makes it to Halloween, you're gonna want to hear this out.

Good Housekeeping recently put out an article about carving your Jack-O-Lanterns for Spooky season, and claims once you've got your Halloween porch product finished, this can preserve it for even longer.

Normally, a fully carved Jack-O-Lantern may only hold its shape for a few days. But, according to this hack if you spray your pumpkin with a light coating of WD-40, it will not only hold the pumpkin together even longer, but might even preserve it long enough to last into Thanksgiving.

How Does WD-40 Keep Jack-O-Lanterns Fresh?

Well, it's pretty simple. The WD-40 serves as a repellant to insects, rodents, and other animals that might otherwise try to make a meal out of the pumpkin. It also keeps the pumpkin from freezing on cold nights, which is especially important in Michigan, since temperatures are beginning to plummet quickly.

So there you have it, if you want to preserve your Jack-O-Lanterns until Halloween, or even later, a little WD-40 should do the trick. However, one recommendation... if you DO use this product, don't use a REAL CANDLE inside the pumpkin to light up its face. LED lights will work fine... and won't also cause your pumpkin carving to burst into flames.