As Halloween passes in Illinois and we take down all our spooky decorations, there's one thing that tends to stay on our doorstep through the fall season: pumpkins.

Did you know that nearly 150 millions Americans carved pumpkins for Halloween? We're only two-thirds of the way through fall, so that means there's an entire month left for us to carve pumpkins before winter hits.

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After a carving session, I think we've all questioned where we should dispose of the pumpkin guts, or pumpkin pulp, if we aren't going to cook with them.

There are many ways to get rid of the guts, but you should definitely stay away from this method. Here's why.

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#1 Most Harmful Thing To Put In Your Garbage Disposal In Illinois

Pumpkin guts might be fun to play with after carving because it's sticky and slimy, but when you're ready to throw it away you shouldn't put the guts down your garbage disposal.

"The slimy gunk is ideal for clogging sink drains. It's stringy and sticky and when it dries and hardens it will choke-off drainpipes and garbage disposals creating all sorts of havoc." [mikescottplumbing]

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You'll end up with a horror show in your sink if you even try to attempt to dispose of the guys in your garbage disposal. In the long run you'll be thankful you didn't do it.

Don't even think about flushing it down the toilet, either. That is definitely not a better option - your toilet will also clog up.

Here's a helpful tip: put all your pumpkin guts on a pad of newspaper so you can wrap it up and toss it in the trash with no mess afterwards!

Peep These Sweet Pumpkins! Rockford Showing Off Their Carving Skills

We asked to see what people are creating this Halloween and boy did we get to see some mighty fine pumpkin work. Take a look at some of our favorites.

Gallery Credit: Steve Shannon