Easy Tricks for Cleaning Up After the Christmas Tree
For many homes, it just doesn’t feel like Christmas until the tree is up and decorated. There is something so magical about a beautifully decorated tree all lit up in a room, and many people think the only way to go is a real live tree. Come the last week of December it is time to clean up the tree, pulling down the decorations and leaving the tree on the curb to be recycled by boy scouts is just the beginning of cleaning up after your live Christmas tree.
Cleaning up after your tree is not so magical, but with these cleaning tips, you can be on your way to a clean home and a great backdrop for accomplishing those new year resolutions.
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Use a Tree Disposal Bag
This is a nifty gadget you can google and find for purchase online. Place the bag between the tree and the floor during tree setup, place your tree skirt over it to camouflage the bag, when you are ready to remove the tree just pull the bag up over the tree and carry it to a recycling place.
If you don’t want to spend the money on a fancy bag you could always wrap the tree in an old sheet to carry it out of your home.
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Recycled Wrapping Paper is Great for Ornament Storage
If you don’t already have a way to cushion and protect breakable ornaments in storage use the many pieces of used wrapping paper to keep them cushioned, cozy, and safe.
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Set Up Some Padding for Accidental Ornament Falls
Before un-decorating, the tree, place some blankets or towels around the base of the tree to help catch and pad falling ornaments and prevent breakage.
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Store Lights Smartly
Save yourself the headache of untangling lights when opening up decorations next year by packing lights away with a bit more organization and care. When removing the lights from the tree wrap them around your forearm then tie them in the middle to secure and place in individual bags to prevent them from tangling with other items before placing in the box.
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A Turkey Baster Makes for a Nifty Clean Up Tool
The water in the tree stand is not clean clear water that can just be soaked up should it spill on the carpet. Use a turkey baster to suck the water up out of the tree stand and into another container before moving the tree and keep the sap, wet needles, and dirt out of the carpet.
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Get a Rubber Broom
The biggest nuisance of a live tree is all the needles, especially in the carpet. Before you reach for the vacuum grab a broom instead. A rubber broom is even better than a regular broom it works wonders to create static electricity and almost magnetically pull things to it. A rubber broom is also great on animal hair so it is doubly useful if you have pets in your home.
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Duct Tape can Fix It
For those pesky needles that just won’t let go of your carpet wrap duct tape around your hand sticky side out and pick up needles like a lint roller.