It's the most wonderful time of the year...

No, we're not talking about Christmas. Halloween is just around the corner so we're going full steam ahead with everything spooky, scary and haunted in the run up to October 31. And it wouldn't be Halloween without getting very competitive over our pumpkin carving skills. If you've ever carved one you know that a few days later they usually start to look a bit peaky and a bit gross. Here's some tips to help your pumpkin last all week, not just for one night. Get rid of all the pumpkin guts It's actually pretty gross (and smelly) but make sure you clean out your pumpkin really well before you start to carve it. Scoop out all the seeds and stringy bits until the walls of the pumpkin are smooth. Don't worry about making the outside of the pumpkin too thin, it won't make much difference. Use some Vaseline When you're finished cutting, rub some Vaseline into the edges of the carved areas. The vaseline acts like a barrier and will prevent the exposed areas of the pumpkin from drying out, meaning it will last a lot longer. Give it a bath The reason pumpkins look gross after a few days is usually because they become dehydrated. Place your carved pumpkin in a basin of water (carved side down) once a day to make sure it stays fresh for longer. Mist it with diluted bleach Mix a small amount of bleach with some water in a spray bottle and shake. After carving, mist your pumpkin with the solution and let dry. The bleach kills the bacteria that causes the pumpkin to rot, meaning it will be around for a few days longer. Keep it in a fridge at night Okay, this might sound like a bit of effort but like any vegetable your pumpkin will last longer if you pop it in the fridge at night. Wrap your pumpkin in a plastic zip lock bag or just an ordinary plastic bag and pop it on the shelf overnight and put it back out in the morning. It's simple but it actually works.