The holiday festivities have reached their inevitable end. As the cheer fades, it's time to dismantle and pack away your Christmas lights (it's also a good opportunity to start counting the days until next holiday season!). It's tempting to keep the lights up year-round for that festive feel, but Christmas lights aren't designed to stay on your shrubs, roofline, or ground periphery all year. Moreover, various regions in the US have local regulations on the duration for displaying outdoor lights.
Taking down and storing Christmas lights might seem straightforward. However, the way you dismantle your lights is as crucial as how you put them up. Thoughtful take-down and meticulous storage will ensure a smooth setup for the next holiday season. Continue reading to find out additional year-round uses for your Christmas lights.
Dismantling Your Christmas Lights
The first consideration when removing your lights is the container you will use for storage. For your outdoor Christmas lights, avoid storage solutions offered by major retailers like spoolers and specialty containers. Although these might appear ingenious or innovative, they're often a wasteful expense—not reflective of professional storage techniques. A simple plastic bin or cardboard box will suffice for stowing Christmas lights.
Whether you are dealing with trunk wraps or scattered lighting, the removal method remains consistent. It is worth noting that lights often sustain damage during take-down. Steady your hands and resist the urge (or habit) to yank the lights off impulsively.
Disassemble the lights by sets, ensuring each set is unplugged from another. Keeping sets plugged together can result in a tangled chaos. To make managing mini Christmas lights simpler, adhere to the pros' preference: 5mm conical light sets with 50 to 100 bulbs.
As each set is unplugged, make it a habit to mark their ages. Older Christmas lights will inevitably succumb to wear. Keeping track of the age allows you to showcase the newest, use older sets for secondary displays, and identify those that need replacing. An effective way to note the age is by attaching a color-coded 4” zip tie. Use a color-coding system that denotes each year (e.g., black for the first year, yellow for the second year, etc.).
Balling Your Christmas Lights
For 5mm conical lights, T5 lights, M5 lights, and C6 lights, we recommend balling up the light strings as professional installers do. Begin at the end with the female plug and carefully pull the string towards you. Form a loop with your fingers and start wrapping the string into a ball. Keep gathering the string in one hand while continuing to wrap with the other hand. Leaving the male plug exposed at the end is crucial, as it keeps it accessible for testing next year.
After each set is removed, refrain from stacking them on top of one another. This ensures they remain untangled and ready for easy winding after all the sets are down.
Removing Your Perimeter Lights
Have lighting around your ground perimeter or building perimeter? The method for taking down these lights remains consistent.
Start by labeling the line and its starting point to ensure the male plug is correctly positioned. Light lines are typically cut to fit exact lengths, so labeling each section according to your yard gives a clear picture of where each part fits. This critical step aids recollection, preparing your lights for next year's installation. For roofline lighting, each segment, such as gutter lines, ridge lines, and gable edges (known as rakes), covers specific areas.
For staked ground lighting, we suggest leaving the stake attached if feasible. With roofline perimeter lighting, the approach depends on the clip type. Clips that detach easily should be removed from the lights. Clips locking into the bulb's base can stay attached.
Winding and Wrapping Your Christmas Lights
Wind your lights to keep storage ordered and your sets arranged. Always begin with the female plug while wrapping it around your fingers. Leave the male end on the exterior for easy testing. Hold the female end between your thumb and index finger base, then wind the lights string around your fingers. Once you gather a few lines, slip the string off your fingers and continue winding. Ensure the light cord stays straight to avoid twisting. When reaching the male end, tuck it under some wiring to lock in place.
For larger bulb light lines, like C7 or C9 lights, bunch the line and align each bulb side by side, skipping every other bulb. Collect clips or stakes that fall off during this process and place them in your storage bin. If the bulb bunch becomes cumbersome, start another bundle by skipping one or two bulbs. Secure each bundle with zip ties to prevent unravelling.
Storage Tips
Storing with care helps maintain your lights and makes preparations for the next decorating season effortless.
Weather, unfortunately, doesn't take a break. Lights often endure rain, snow, or ice. Moisture and Christmas lights, however, do not mix well. The ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) in homes can trip when exposed to excessive wetness, cutting the power supply to outdoor lights. While GFCIs are critical for safety, they can be temperamental with changing weather, potentially extinguishing entire displays. To avoid moisture build-up, ensure your lights are entirely dry before storage.
Store your lights either at home or in the garage, avoiding one particular spot—the attic. Heat ascends, making the attic considerably hot, reducing the lifespan of Christmas lights. Instead, place them within easy reach, as you can utilize them year-round to add charm to your home. Light up your patio for a warm glow during summer barbecues or brighten your kitchen for an inviting cooking environment. Discover more ways to maximize your lights here and here.
The strategies shared here will equip you to dismantle and store your Christmas lights like a seasoned professional. If you need additional assistance, we're here to help. Contact us at [email protected] or call us at 1-800-391-5280. We're ready to help you organize your take-down and storage as efficiently as a neatly wrapped Christmas present.
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