Halloween is the season of spooky surprises, but not all scares come from ghosts and goblins. Some of the most frightening scares in apartment living are the ones you can’t see or don’t think about—until it’s too late. From “haunted” drains to terrifying trash tales, we’re here to help you avoid the real-life nightmares that can creep into your home. It’s best to let these nightmares stay the stuff of Halloween only!

TALES FROM THE TRASH

If your trash could talk, what would it say? While Tales from the Crypt might be a spooky-yet-fictional Halloween movie, you’d be shocked to hear the stories your trash could tell if it had a voice! One tenant fright we see far too often is improper trash disposal. Sure, your lease mentions a few guidelines, but we won’t make you dig that out like a Halloween ghoul from the grave. Instead, here are some helpful tips to keep your own “tales from the trash” from turning terrifying:

• Bag items securely. This is especially important for cat litter—a huge mess if it escapes! Always double-bag cat litter so it stays contained, even if one bag breaks. And while we’re not asking you to splurge on trash bags made of gold, sturdier bags will help prevent messy disasters.

• Follow rules for bulk items. Fines are a scary side effect of ignoring local guidelines for getting rid of bulk items like couches, TVs, or armchairs. These rules are in place for health and safety—and the city isn’t too thrilled when they’re broken. Instead of placing a couch on the curb and hoping for the best, check Pittsburgh’s regulations here before discarding larger items.

• Handle sharp items with care. If you’re disposing of anything sharp—broken glass, metal, etc.—wrap it in heavy paper or place it in a plastic bag, then put it in a box or thick packet clearly labeled “sharp.” A spare Amazon box or envelope works perfectly for keeping dangerous debris contained!

• Don’t put trash into recycling containers. While they may look similar, trash and recycling bins serve very different purposes. Always check for a recycling label on the container before disposing of items—this helps ensure everything ends up where it belongs and keeps the recycling stream clean. Click here for the full scoop on recycling in Allegheny County!

Your trash may have stories to tell, but if you follow these simple tips, none of them will be too terrifying, even on this spooky Halloween night!

A GHOST IN THE DRAIN

There are plenty of things that can haunt your drain—and we’re not talking about Casper! These unfriendly “ghosts” include grease, oil, fat, food scraps, dirt, harsh chemicals, paint, and the Grim Reaper of them all: flushable wipes. Despite what the label says, flushable wipes do not dissolve—and they are anything but flushable. Don’t flush them unless you want a real mess on your hands!

Here are a few other drainage no-nos that might surprise you:

• Starchy foods like pasta, flour, and rice swell when mixed with water and create a gluey substance.
• High-fiber foods, such as celery and potato peels, love getting tangled in pipes.
• Eggshells – if you have a disposal, these pesky shells will damage the blades.

When in doubt, throw it out! It’s far better to take the trash out a little more often than to deal with a clogged drain—and potentially a small repair charge—later.

DON’T GET CAUGHT IN SPIDERWEBS

A lot of people have a fear of bugs—and don’t worry, we won’t make you admit it! Spiders, house centipedes, bees… these tiny critters may be mostly harmless, but no one wants to see them scurrying across the floor. While we partner with a professional pest control service and are always here to help if needed, there are a few simple things you can do to help keep pests from creeping into your home.

First, store food properly. Bugs love food—especially sweets (they’re not so different from us after all!). Make sure pantry and fridge items are sealed tightly with no cracks or openings. Toss out expired items, and avoid storing any food directly on the floor where pests can easily find it.

Take your trash out regularly. To bugs, your garbage isn’t garbage—it’s a five-star buffet. Letting trash sit for too long creates the perfect invitation for creepy crawlers to move in. Thirdly, clean up spills as soon as you find them. If something splashes or drips, wipe it up right away. Even a few drops of juice can attract pests faster than you might think. It may feel inconvenient in the moment, but it’s far better than discovering a bug in an unexpected place later!

Keep these tips in mind, and the only things creeping around your place this Halloween will be decorations and delighted trick-or-treaters—not real-life frights.