Halloween is right around the corner and while it may look a bit different this year, there are still many ways to get the family into the spooky spirit at home.  Get laundry-themed costume and décor ideas, post-Halloween costume care tips and more in our Halloween laundry guide.

Squeaky Clean Costume

It’s simple, cheap and quick—it’s a laundry basket Halloween costume. Create this fun costume for your little ones by following these easy steps: 

  • Cut the bottom out of a round plastic laundry basket and sand the cut edge so it’s not sharp.
  • Have your child stand inside and hold the basket halfway up their chest. Using twine or ribbon, create two straps that will rest on the child’s shoulders and tie to the basket to hold it in place.
  • Lay socks, washcloths and other small laundry items along the top of the laundry basket, using tape between the basket and material so it stays in place. Add enough items to make the basket look full.
  • Top off the costume by creating a headband or hat with extra laundry, detergent cup or box of fabric softener.

Make it a family costume by creating baskets for each child, while parents can dress up as boxes or bottles of laundry detergent and fabric softener.

DIY Decorations

Nothing says Halloween like skeletons, owls and other creepy critters hanging around your yard. Create the spookiest yard in town by hanging cages of them from your trees using laundry baskets.

  • Take two black circular laundry baskets (or whatever color you prefer) and set one on its bottom. Set your creepy critter inside and cover with your second laundry basket, which will be turned upside down.
  • Zip tie the wide openings of the two laundry baskets together in several spaces, until securely fastened. 
  • The cages can be hung from trees using chain or clothesline weaved through the bottom of the top basket. Tip: Spray paint the clothesline the same color as your baskets so it blends in.
  • For an extra spooky feel, add battery powered candles to the cages so they are lit up at night.

Costume Care

Once the excitement of Halloween has passed, it’s time to wash Halloween costumes for storage or perhaps a hand-me-down. Be sure to follow the washing instructions that come with your costume, but keep these Halloween laundry tips in your back pocket for reference:

  • Hand wash: Delicate fabrics, such as tulle or lace, or costumes with embellishments, like beads or glitter, should be hand washed or spot treated. 
  • Machine wash: It’s typically safe to machine wash costumes made from cotton, polyester and nylon. Skip the dryer and line dry to avoid heat damage or shrinking.
  • Dry clean: Costumes made from wool, rayon, velvet and similar fabrics will likely require special care from a dry cleaner.

Scary Face Paint Stains

If your child’s costume was topped off with face paint, odds are some made it to their costume by the end of the night. Follow these steps to remove dry face paint stains:

  • Cover the stain with an alcohol-based cleaner like rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover. 
  • Turn the item upside down and rinse the spot with cold water to help release the stain.
  • Pre-treat the stain with spot remover and use a soft bristle brush to rub it into the fabric.
  • Wash the item as normal.

For additional stain removal tips, see our blog on how to remove frightful makeup stains. 

Do you have tips, costumes or games that should be part of our Halloween laundry guide? Share them with us on our Facebook® page or Instagram®.