No matter the time of year, treating your Halloween decorations and animatronics with love is always important. Whether you’re unpacking your animatronics for Halloween or putting them away for the season, you want to do your best to take care of these products, ensuring they’ll be able to haunt your home for the long haul. You spend your hard-earned cash to create the scariest, most impressive display of Halloween decorations, so keeping your collection in good shape is essential. This guide will help you take the steps to properly care for your Spirit Halloween décor and animatronics.

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10 Ft Giant Death Ray Animatronic
10 Ft Giant Death Ray Animatronic


Basic Animatronic Care

Reading the instructions guarantees the most successful care for animatronics. Here are some of the most important tips when it comes to packing up your animatronics for storage:

  • Unhook and decompress any mechanism springs during long periods of inactivity or before storing the prop. Disassembling the prop can remove spring tension on the welds, which could otherwise lead to mechanical failure.
  • Periodically apply White Silicone Grease around any visible plastic ball joints or mechanism operation rods.
  • Keep the animatronic in a cool (not cold), dry place during storage. High temperatures can damage latex, while cold temperatures can damage electronics.
  • Remove the batteries before storing the prop for extended periods of time to avoid corrosion or damage. If the batteries are damaged and leak while inside your animatronics or décor while they’re in storage, they can ruin the entire item. This easy step is one of the best ways to extend the life of your Spirit decorations.
  • If the costume becomes dirty, do NOT machine wash; ensure only to spot clean by hand.
  • Even if your prop is outdoor rated, do not leave animatronics exposed to the elements. This will help prevent color fading or oxidation.

Lastly, when storing, be mindful of what is placed on top of the animatronic. Pressure from excess weight can cause damage to welds or possibly crush the item. We love our animatronics too much to see this happen.


Taking Animatronics & Decorations Out of Storage

Be careful when you remove items from boxes and packaging to prevent accidentally breaking something. Also, read and follow directions for every animatronic and piece of Spirit décor you own. Doing so will ensure that these exciting items will always be ready to use.

Once you’ve carefully removed everything from storage, you can use a soft towel to wipe plastic pieces clean and canned air to clear dust from all hard-to-reach areas, like joints and electronics. If not properly cleaned, dust can short electronics or clog gears in your animatronics over time.


Detailed Animatronic Maintenance

This start-of-the-season maintenance tip will help you preserve your animatronics and moving parts for many Halloweens to come! Start by opening up the mechanism or gearbox on your animatronic while running it. Make sure there isn’t any damage, and apply a coat of White Silicone Grease.

If there is any burnt grease inside the mechanism, mix baking soda with hot water, apply the mixture to the grease with a cloth, and scrub it off. Then, use a soft cloth with warm water to clean all residue, let it air dry, and apply a new coat of White Silicone Grease. This will keep your motors and gears working properly.


Power Supply

In terms of power, check the adapter or batteries when you take items out of storage to ensure that everything works properly. Do not plug in an adapter if an item is also connected to batteries, as that could damage the mechanism. Either use batteries for an animatronic or plug it in using the correct adapter. Using the wrong adapter could also damage the mechanism.


What Decorations Can Be Left Outside?

Spirit Halloween has lots of outdoor decorations, but the presence of lawn stakes is usually a telltale sign that decorations can be left outside in the yard. As we mentioned above, do not leave animatronics exposed to the elements. This will help prevent color fading or oxidation.

Spirit has all the items you need to turn your yard into a truly haunting experience!


Are Animatronics Rain-Safe?

No. Animatronics must be kept in covered, relatively dry areas. Condensation, morning dew, and rain can all destroy your precious animatronics. We know that’s hard to hear, but just know that you can extend the life of your animatronics if you take care of them properly!


Displaying Your Décor

Avoid displaying your animatronics and décor in constant, direct sunlight. Sunlight can cause the decorations to discolor or the animatronic’s costume materials to deteriorate. Prolonged, direct sunlight can also cause latex rubber to dry out and crack.


How to Care for Outdoor Decorations

Dry everything completely before putting items back into storage. Let everything air dry or use a soft towel, but never use a hair dryer; these can melt the adhesives anchoring internal electronics.


How to Clean Your Fog Machine

It’s always a good idea to quickly test out your fog machine when you take it out of storage. Plug everything in, test your remote and timer, and decide if you need more fog fluid. You don’t want to realize that your fog machine needs supplies right before you intend to use it!

When you’re ready to pack it away after Halloween, unplug the unit and make sure it has time to completely cool before cleaning. Always remove or use up any excess fog fluid and replace it with fog machine cleaner. Run the machine until the cleaner is gone. You can then pack your fog machine away after it has completely dried out. For more information, see our post on how to use a fog machine.


Latex Care

Make sure you take care of all the various materials in your décor and animatronics, especially the latex that is often used in the heads and hands. Before storing, wash the latex with clean, warm water, without soap. Wipe off excess water with a soft towel, allow the latex to air dry, and then apply a light coating of talcum powder before storing.

If the latex becomes marked, smudged, or dirty, clean it with a small amount of rubbing alcohol on either a soft towel or a cotton swab. Then, wash the area with warm water without soap before letting it air dry.


Zombie Tech Squad

If all else fails, the Zombie Tech Squad is a Spirit Halloween call center for all your animatronics and décor repair needs. They’re available via live chat, email, and phone from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET Sunday.

They carry parts for the current year of animatronics, which are supplied on a first-come, first-served basis. However, the Zombie Tech Squad cares about your animatronics and décor, so they will help you troubleshoot your items or send them in for repair.

Contact Dr. Zombie and his team of experts today! To start a live chat, call 1-866-580-5819 or email zombietechsquad@spirithalloween.com.

7.7 Ft Bobby Strings Animatronic
7.7 Ft Bobby Strings Animatronic


There’s nothing quite like the excitement of starting to decorate for Halloween. Check out the extensive FAQs on the Zombie Tech Squad page, or contact them directly with any additional questions!