You used a lot of energy to decorate your home for the holidays. Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to put all of those decorations back into storage. To keep you and your home safe during this process, follow these tips to safely take down holiday decorations.
Practice Ladder Safety
Some of your holiday decorations are likely hung on high perches, walls, or from roofs or beams. Hanging and removing these decorations often requires the use of a ladder. When using a ladder to remove these high-hanging holiday decorations, take ladder safety precautions to reduce your risk of accidents.
Shoes with rubber soles should be worn every time you climb a ladder. Rubber soles increase the grip of your feet on the rungs of the ladder and reduce your risk of slipping. The ladder should be placed on a flat, level surface before climbing to prevent it from tipping. Lastly, ask a friend or a family member to hold the ladder for you to increase its stability and help you safely take down holiday decorations.
Check For Damages To Safely Take Down Holiday Decorations
When it comes time to put your decorations away, you should take a few minutes to examine them. With how often you use your holiday decorations, it’s common for them to become damaged through wear and tear. You don’t want to put away decorations for next year that have damages or shorts in the wires.
To safely take down holiday decorations, carefully look over the electrical cords of your lights and other decorations. Check for frayed strands, loose wires, missing bulbs, or damaged wire casings. These kinds of damaged decorations are potential fire hazards and should be removed from the rest of your useable decorations.
Clean Up Broken Ornaments
While plastic ornaments are becoming more common for many families, there are still those who prefer glass ornaments. Unlike plastic ornaments, glass ornaments are more delicate and more prone to breaking. If one breaks, pick up the pieces right away.
These sharp ornament fragments are dangerous to children and pets who might step on them or ingest the broken pieces. Large shards, hooks, and strings should be picked up by hand and thrown away. A vacuum cleaner or a broom and dustpan are the two best ways to pick up the remaining shards.
Exercise Caution When Lifting Heavy Decorations
Lifting heavy items requires precautionary measures so that you don’t hurt yourself. When you need to safely package and store heavier holiday decorations, lift them while keeping your back straight. Squat down, scoop up the heavy decoration in your arms, and then stand back up using your knees and thighs. Never lift using your back.
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