It’s that time of year again, and if you’ve got a new artificial Christmas tree, you’ll want to make sure it stays looking its best. We’ve put together a few tips to help keep your tree looking fresh throughout the holidays:
Keep It Watering
When you first get your artificial tree home, water it thoroughly before you put it up. This will help make sure that no air pockets form in any of the branches or trunks of your tree, which would make them look misshapen or less full than they should be. Once you’ve set up your tree and hung all of your decorations on it, check the water level in its reservoir every few days. If it’s getting low, refill it with water from the faucet until there is at least two inches of water in the reservoir at all times. You may need to replace this reservoir every few years if it becomes brittle due to repeated use.
Inspect for Damage
Check for any damaged parts of your tree, including lights or branches that have come loose from their sockets or plugs. If you find any damage like this, remove it immediately so that it doesn’t spread further into other areas of your tree. Remember that when taking down your Christmas decorations at the end of January (or whenever you take them down), always check over everything thoroughly before putting it away in storage.
Clean the tree regularly.
Don’t wait until the New Year’s party to clean up after the holidays. Do it as soon as possible, so you can enjoy all your decorations before they’re packed away for another year.
Use distilled water in the tree stand.
If your artificial Christmas tree has a water reservoir, be sure to use only distilled water in it (distilled water is free of minerals that can discolor the plastic). Tap water contains minerals that can leave white spots on your tree’s needles and branches, so use distilled water instead.
Spray the tree with an anti-drip formula occasionally.
Artificial Christmas trees don’t need to be watered like real ones do — but they do need to be “fed” occasionally with an anti-drip formula made especially for them (make sure yours says it’s safe for use on plastic).
Keep it away from heat sources.
Heat can cause the tree’s PVC skeleton to warp, which will cause the branches to fall out of place or even break off completely. It’s best to keep the tree in an area where there is no direct sunlight or heat source like a fireplace or radiator.
Don’t let water sit on top of the tree stand.
Water can seep into the stand and cause rusting around the screws that hold it together as well as between wires inside the stand. If water does get into your stand, empty it immediately and wipe dry with a towel before placing back on base of tree.
Clean up spills quickly!
Do not let anything stay on top of your tree for more than 24 hours because it can damage material over time (especially if it’s a dark color).