The worst part about Christmas is having to pack up the tree and decorations right after the holiday. The fun part about Christmas is setting up the tree and decorations for the first time.
Here are some tips for making your pre-lit Christmas tree last through the holidays:
Unplug it before you go to bed at night
Put it away in a closet or under a table where it won’t be disturbed by pets or children overnight. If you don’t have an unplugged option in your home, consider using a timer to turn the lights off after you go to bed each evening so that when you wake up in the morning, everything is still lit up and ready for you.
Place your artificial tree near an outlet rather than across the room from one (or more)
This will ensure that there isn’t too much distance between the light string and its power source — especially if there are multiple strings of lights on your tree.
Don’t use lights that are more than one year old
Each strand of lights has a life span of about 1,000 hours before they start to dim. They’ll burn out even sooner if they’re left on 24/7 or if they get tangled up in other decorations. Replace your strands with new ones every year so you can enjoy them for as long as possible.
Keep trees away from heat sources
Keep your tree away from heat sources, like fireplaces or radiators. The heat can damage the lights and make them less bright, which will make your tree look less festive.
Water regularly
Watering is essential for any living thing, including fake trees! If you don’t water it regularly, the needles dry out and die off quickly — which isn’t very Christmassy at all. The manufacturer’s instructions should say how often to water the tree. If they don’t give any instructions, then it’s probably best to water every week or so until Christmas.
If you have a tree stand, fill it with water and make sure there’s at least an inch of water in the base of the tree. If you don’t have a tree stand, keep the trunk moist by standing it in a bucket or tub of water while it’s not being displayed.
Check lights
Most pre-lit artificial Christmas trees include lights that need to be plugged into an electrical outlet before use. Unfortunately, these lights can burn out over time and require replacement before next year’s holiday season arrives. Most manufacturers recommend replacing burned out bulbs immediately after noticing them so that you can enjoy your tree without worrying about it going dark halfway through December.
Only take apart what you need to take apart
It’s tempting to remove all of the lights from your tree, but doing so will make it impossible to get them back on again next year. And unless you plan on throwing out all those plastic parts (and we don’t recommend that), they’ll just end up taking up space in a box somewhere until next Christmas rolls around.