Everyone knows that Halloween is the time of year to dress up their children in costumes and take them trick or treating. The holiday for others however,  is the excuse they need to cause misfortune to others by egging, toilet papering, and making graffiti on building, homes, and even cars. The night before Halloween, also known as Mischief or Devil’s Night, is another known day were teenagers play these pranks on unsuspecting citizens.

Nevertheless, there is no need to fear, there are some ways in which you can prepare for the chaos that might occur as a result of these holidays. There are ways in which you can protect your vehicle from getting pasted with eggs, silly string, or even the remnants of a smashed pumpkin. These pranks could result in long term damage of your car’s finish, for example eggs can permanently damage your car’s paint job. Obviously not every vehicle in your neighborhood will get tagged, but the five tips listed below are available so you can take precautionary measures to protect your car from anything pranks that may occur.

1. Apply a coat of wax to your vehicle a few days before Halloween( so that would mean you should do that today so it will be ready in time). Not only will this protect against Halloween pranksters, but it will also protect your car through winter weather by thwarting salt, sand and other road grime. Most waxes wear off after a few weeks, but this is a solid preemptive measure to take.
2. Your car can’t get targeted if it is not visible. If you have a garage or car cover, park your car in or underneath it. Taking the five minutes to clean out your garage will be well worth it to know that your car is safe from vandals.
3. If you do happen to get targeted on Halloween, wash off the pumpkin/silly string/egg white residue as soon as possible. After you get the bulk of the remains off your car, either wash your car or take it to a professional detailer.
4.  If you decide that you would rather clean the car yourself, take a small spray bottle and fill it with soap and water used only to clean off a car. DO NOT use dish soap  as it will only undo all of the hard work you’ve put into waxing the car.
5. Waxes made with abrasives can help get rid of paint damage caused by eggs for example. As long as the equipment used to tag  your car hasn’t eaten through the clear coat, certain types of wax can take a thin layer of paint off giving way to the undamaged paint beneath. But if the layer underneath is damaged then you are going to have to get your car repainted. If you have a newer car consider yourselves lucky because many automakers now use a paint that is resistant to these types of attacks.