Tips to Protect Your Car on Halloween 2022 from Consumer Reports

• Protect your car on Halloween from eggs, toilet paper, and other mischief
• Park indoors if you want to protect your car on Halloween
• Alternatively, prank your car before someone else does

The holiday season is upon us, which means Halloween tricks and treats for your cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles. If you need some ways to protect your car on Halloween, Consumer Reports has some tips. If all else fails, Halloween decor for cars is the other route. Add some spider webs and a fake arm hanging from the trunk to beat the pranksters at their own game.

Protect your car on Halloween from eggs, toilet paper, and other mischief

A car decorated with toilet paper after Halloween night | Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images

Halloween pranks might be a common occurrence, depending on where you live. This can range from eggs on your Ford F-150 pickup truck to silly string on your old minivan. Egg whites, pumpkins, and even bird poop contain acid that isn’t good for your paint. Consumer Reports says one good way to protect your car could be a good wax.

“Just like your car’s mechanical systems, being proactive with your car’s paint finish—by keeping a good coat of wax on your vehicle and quickly removing potentially harmful materials—is the key to a long life.”

John Ibbotson | Consumer Reports’ chief mechanic

This is less of an issue on new cars as newer paint and clearcoat are better at protecting from Halloween pranks. Used cars, especially those over five years old, will want to get the eggs and pumpkin off as soon as possible. Otherwise, newer ceramic and hybrid products offer better protection. Consumer Reports suggests applying wax a few days before Halloween, which can protect from future winter weather.

Park indoors if you want to protect your car on Halloween

If you have the opportunity to park inside on Halloween weekend, it might be a good idea. You could also break out that car cover you bought and never used. Even just parking off the main street might offer some protection from Halloween hijinks.

If you do get some visitors that egg your car or offer it some other type of human food, give it a quick rinse. Getting the food or liquid off quickly will make it easier to clean tomorrow when you have the chance. Once the sun hits the paint, chemical reactions that are bad for your paint speed up.

If your beloved Jeep Cherokee SUV is parked in the street, keep a close eye on it. You don’t have to do a full detail, but rinse off your car, truck, or SUV as soon as you notice something is amiss. While you can protect your car on Halloween from most mischief, it isn’t worth stressing over.

Alternatively, prank your car before someone else does

You can add some cool spider webs or some blood spatter to your car before anyone has the chance to egg it. Some people go all out with decorations, which doesn’t have to stop with your house. The best Halloween car decorations don’t have to be expensive or extensive. Arguably the easiest and spookiest decoration idea is the arm/leg hanging out of the trunk. Amazon calls it “Realistic Fake Hand with Cloth Arm for Car Trunk Dead Body Prank Decoration Prop.” For $16.99, you can have a fancy fake arm hanging out of your trunk within 24 hours! Halloween decor 2022 starts with the fake arm decoration.

Ever since Dexter came on the scene with his love of blood, that seems to have carried over to the automotive world. People have made cars look like crime scenes by adding fake blood to the outside. Often, people will add handprints and splatter marks reminiscent of vehicular homicide. If that’s your jam, you can probably find some “Bloody Handprint Clings” at Target or Amazon.

Either way, preparing for Halloween doesn’t have to be stressful. You can protect your car on Halloween by parking it inside or off the main road. Otherwise, you can give it a quick wash if you happen to be gifted with broken eggs. Maybe an omelet is off the menu for Sunday morning, but at least your paint is safe.