How to Take Down the Christmas Lights on Your Garage

Christmas lights make the season especially dazzling, whether strung around your tree or displayed in your garage. The lovely decorations do, however, come with certain safety risks.

From 2015 to 2019, there were approximately 160 home fires that required the assistance of fire departments in the United States during the holiday season; according to the National Fire Protection Association, lighting equipment, and electrical distribution were the cause of nearly half of these fires. Therefore, regarding fire safety during the holidays, it’s crucial to exercise caution anywhere you have Christmas lights set up in your home.

How to Take Down the Christmas Lights

Someone will inevitably leave them up too long. This year, try not to be that person. Here are some suggestions for safely taking down and storing your Christmas decorations.

Do It Safely

Wait to start ripping the home and tree lights off. You might damage the wiring and bulbs, which could result in a fire hazard. According to the National Fire Protection Association, holiday decorations cause about 790 house fires yearly. So before taking down your Christmas lights, ensure they are fully unplugged. Also, be careful when using ladders.

Use Christmas Light Tester

Don’t let a string of inoperable Christmas lights dampen your spirits as the anticipation of the next season arrives. Before storing them, check every electric adornment, including light sets. Then, to test whether they work, plug them in, or use a Christmas light tester to identify and fix typical issues such as strings that are only partially lit.

Keep the Lights Orderly

Don’t just stuff your Christmas lights in a box; call it a day once you’re assured they’re functional. That will lead to annoyance next year. Instead, you may either create a genuine spool out of 2x4s or dowels and wind them around a cardboard “spool.” To make them simple to unwind from the power source the following year, spool them backward, beginning at the non-plug end.

Put a Label on the Storage

Each year, some people wing their illumination displays. Some people, not so much. Label your lights, so you know what they are if Santa’s sleigh requires a certain wattage, flashing pattern, or whatever you’re doing this holiday season. Label the outside of the bins and group displays together in them.

Recycle the Lights

Recycle any lights you find that is broken and not worth fixing. Both hardware stores and some organizations frequently accept them. To examine your alternatives, visit the websites for your county and city. Your city should offer disposal and recycling information even if it doesn’t have a recycling program.

Important Factors to Take Into Account When Deciding When to Remove Christmas Lights

So when do you put down your holiday decorations? Quick response: Anytime you feel like it.

However, be aware that some people find it tacky or even lazy to keep lights on well into January. In contrast, there are valid arguments for keeping holiday lights up. It’s a simple method to stay merry throughout those dismal months. But there are still many other things to consider.

Are You Prepared for Electricity Costs?

If you leave the lights on for a quarter of the year, your electric bill will go up significantly. The increase will vary in intensity depending on the lighting you utilize. According to Energy.gov, it will cost $10 more each month to use incandescent C9 bulbs to light a six-foot Christmas tree for 40 days.

What About Your Neighbors?

Another thing to think about is your neighbors. Ask them if they mind if your lights are on for a little bit longer than normal. They’ll be grateful for it, especially if they can see the shine of your lights from the main rooms in their houses. Following your neighbors’ wishes, offer to switch off your lights every night at a particular hour. Then invest in a timer to ensure consistency.

How to Properly Store Your Decorations When You Take Them Off

Everything from your Christmas mantel décor to your Christmas living room décor needs to be stored carefully for next year once you’ve chosen the ideal day to take them down.

But first, make sure everything is down from the tree. To prevent any unintended damage to the tree and ornaments, it may seem apparent, but you should give the tree one more last sweep to make sure all the decorations have been removed. You should also ensure the lights are unplugged from the wall if your tree is pre-lit. Finally, disconnect the lights from each piece of your tree since many larger trees come in multiple sections.

Additionally, experts advise purchasing a storage bag to keep your tree and ornaments safe until next year. To prevent being damaged by sticking branches, your bag must be both roomy enough to contain your tree comfortably and constructed of strong material. Rip-stop nylon is a fantastic choice for this.

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