How to store Halloween decorations so they last
Store Halloween decorations so next October is easy. Dry the inflatables, pull the batteries, wrap the lights and label the bins.
The BoxTrack team · · 5 min read
It's the first of November. The twelve-foot skeleton is lying on the lawn, the inflatable cat is still damp from last night's drizzle, and there's a bowl of candy on the porch that nobody wants. The fast option is to shove everything into the nearest bin and deal with it next year. Next year, that bin opens to a mildewed cat, a fog machine with dead batteries corroded into it, and lights that are one solid knot.
Taking an extra hour now saves that. Here's how to store Halloween decorations so they come out next October looking the way they went in.
Wait for a dry day
Moisture is what ruins stored decorations. Fabric, foam and inflatables that go away damp will smell of mildew or grow spots by next fall.
Inflatables need the most care. Wipe them down with a damp cloth, check the manufacturer's instructions about closing any zippers or vents, and let them air dry completely before you fold them. Patch small tears now, while you know where they are. Roll the inflatable up like a sleeping bag to push out the air, and put it back in its original box if you kept it. If not, a lidded bin that fits it snugly works, with the stakes, tethers and manual in a zip bag inside.
The same goes for fabric pieces like costumes, tablecloths and the gauze that was "spider web" on the porch. Shake them out, wash what needs it, and dry them fully before packing.
Take the batteries out
Battery-powered decorations are the ones most often dead or damaged when they come out of storage. Many devices never fully turn off, so they keep drawing a trickle of power, and a drained battery that sits for months can leak.
Duracell's battery care guide says to remove batteries from any device you won't use for several months, and Energizer says the same. For Halloween, that's the whole year. Pull them from:
- Animated props, talking skulls and motion-sensor spiders
- Battery candles and lanterns
- Remote controls for lights and fog machines
- Light-up costumes and wands
Keep good batteries in their packaging in a dry place at room temperature, not in the garage freezer. Recycle or drop off dead ones following your local rules, and don't store old and new together in a device.
Check the lights, then wrap them
Before string lights go in a bin, look them over. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says to check each set of lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires and loose connections, and to throw out damaged sets. Doing that in November means you're not finding the problem on a ladder next October.
To stop the knot, wrap each string around a flat piece of cardboard, a cut-down shipping box works, or an empty paper towel tube. Tape the plug end down so you know where to start. One string per wrap, and a note on the cardboard saying where it went ("porch railing, 25 ft") makes next year faster.
Outdoor extension cords and timers get the same check. The Electrical Safety Foundation says to inspect lights, decorations and cords for damage before using them, so it's worth doing before they're put away too.
Pick the right bins
| Clear plastic bin | Orange or black bin | Cardboard box | |
|---|---|---|---|
| See what's inside without opening it | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Easy to spot as "Halloween" on a full shelf | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Holds up in a damp garage or basement | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Stacks without crushing | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Keeps light off fabric and printed pieces | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Either kind of plastic bin works. Cardboard is fine for the original box an inflatable came in, but it softens in a damp garage and crushes under the next box.
Fragile things like ceramic pumpkins and glass candleholders go in their own bin with towels or the tablecloths as padding. Heavy things like fog machines and resin tombstones go at the bottom, or in their own bin, so nothing gets crushed.
Where to keep them
A shelf in the garage, a basement or a closet all work for most decorations. Attics are the riskiest spot: they can get very hot in summer, which warps plastic, melts wax candles and makes latex masks sticky. If the attic is the only space you have, keep the heat-sensitive pieces somewhere else. Our post on climate-controlled storage covers which belongings handle temperature swings badly.
Halloween pack-up, two evenings
- Nov 1Bring everything inside; let anything wet dry overnight
- Nov 2, first hourPull batteries, check lights and cords, patch inflatables
- Nov 2, second hourWrap lights, pad fragile pieces, pack by where things go, and label each bin
- Next OctoberOpen the bins in order, starting with the porch
Label the bins so next year is easy
Most Halloween bins say "Halloween" and nothing else, which doesn't help when there are four of them. Give each bin a number and say what's in it: "Halloween 2 of 4: porch lights, extension cords, timers." Pack by where things go, not just by what they are, so the porch bin has everything the porch needs.
BoxTrack makes that list for you. Make a box in the app for each bin, snap a photo as you pack it, and AI lists what's inside. Print a QR label, and next October anyone in the house can scan the bin with their phone camera to see what's in it before opening anything. Search "fog machine" and BoxTrack tells you which bin and which shelf. See how it works for storage. Your first box is free.
If you'd rather just print labels, our free holiday storage labels work for Halloween, Christmas and the rest of the year's bins. For the rest of the garage, garage organization ideas covers zones and shelving.
Sources
- Duracell, Battery care, use and disposal
- Energizer, Battery care: dos and don'ts
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Put safety at the top of your list when decorating
- Electrical Safety Foundation International, Outdoor decoration safety tips
- Scripps News, How to make your Halloween inflatables last for years
This is general information. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for any electrical decoration, and throw out lights or cords that are damaged.
