How to Keep Your Holiday Cheer: Store Decorations Safely ‘Till Next Year
By Home Security Source Jan 8 , 2010 | 2:15:00 pmPosted in: DIY Safety, Fire Prevention, Home We all know that what goes up must come down and that is especially true for home holiday decorations, which can easily become serious home safety hazards if left up too long.
As we’ve mentioned before, Christmas trees can be fire hazards long after they’ve donned holiday ornaments. In fact, The National Fire Prevention Association reports that 22 percent of fires related to Christmas trees occur in January.
When taking down your tree this year, remember to:
- Take all trees, even well-watered ones, down after four weeks. Remove real trees from your home and properly dispose of them.
- Store artificial trees in well-sealed storage containers. Storing artificial trees in original cardboard boxes can leave them vulnerable to insects if cardboard boxes begin to deteriorate.
Holiday trees are just the tip of the holiday-décor iceberg. Electric decorations and holiday lights should also come down immediately after the holidays. Holiday lights should not be left up longer than 90 days. Leaving holiday lights up longer than 3 months could cause fire hazards or lead to electrical shock.
When taking lights and electrical decorations down:
- Inspect each strand of lights for flaws as you put them away. If you notice broken lights, loose wires or cracked sockets on a strand, throw it out. Faulty light strands are major holiday fire hazards.
- Remember to store all electrical decorations in a dry place to avoid water damage. Also make sure they are always stored out of reach of pets and small children.
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