Taking Down the Christmas Tree & Storing Everything Safely

After the energetic rush of the holidays has finished, it dawns that someone’s got to clear up all this mess! The way to finish quickly and remove the situation from your mind is to plan an organized clean up session.

When untrimming the tree, consider keeping similar ornaments wrapped in paper and in small plastic boxes to prevent breakage. The plastic boxes can be labeled with their specific contents for easier use next year, and all of the small plastic boxes can be kept in one big plastic tub/container. Any garlands you use can be placed in their own boxes and then in the big plastic tub. Also include your star or angel in the big plastic tub, carefully wrapped in its own small plastic box to protect it.

When it comes to using a big box for everything, you should bear in mind how much weight you’re adding to the box. Too heavy, and you’re going to regret filling them so much when it comes to lugging the box into the attic or basement. Try separating the items into 3 smaller boxes for example.

Christmas lights can be a nightmare to untangle (unless you have one of those trees with embedded lights). Try buying some (or make your own) reel to wind the lights and wire onto. Start from the plug socket, and wrap it round the reel first, then gradually work your way to the top.

Youll finish at the top of the tree, which is exactly where youd want the strand of lights to start next year as you begin putting the lights back on. It would be ideal to fit the reels into the plastic tub with the ornaments. However, if theres any possibility that the reels make the box too heavy or could damage the ornaments, opt to start another plastic tub for the reels, and include the tree stand, tree skirt, and any other Christmas tree items here.

The tree should be stored in the box it came in (no, not if it’s a real tree!), which may be a bit fiddly, but will get there in the end. Alternatively, it can be kept in a canvas bag or new cardboard box. Some people wrap the tree in plastic, but that isn’t the best thing to do, as creepy crawleys often find their way into any small holes. The synthetic material of the tree may warp in excess heat, so try to find a cool storage place.

A live tree needs to be disposed of properly. Resist the temptation of throwing it on the side of the road; the dead tree doesnt belong there. Research the disposing of Christmas trees in your area and find out where you can recycle it by going to www.earth911.org.

Contact your waste disposal advice line to find more information on the local authority’s policy for xmas trees. They should direct you to the appropriate place. Fortunately the trees are biodegradable, so it should be easy to dispose of them. It does seem a bit of a task to do all this, so perhaps next year you could use a faux tree.

It does seem tempting to simply gather up all the decorations and shove them in a single box, but you’ll find it a lot easier next year if you take the extra time now to put things away in the proper order.