Decoration Storage Safety Checklist

• To unplug electric decorations, use the gripping area provided on the plugs. Never pull the cord to unplug a device from electrical outlets. Doing so can damage the cord's wire and insulation and even lead to an electrical shock or fire.




• As you're putting away electrical light strings, take time to inspect each for flaws. Throw out light sets if they have loose connections, broken or cracked sockets or frayed or bare wires.




• Do not place a faulty set of lights back into the storage box for next year's use.




• Take the initiative now and throw out worn light strings. Shop for replacements during after-Christmas sales or add lights to your Christmas decoration list for next year.




• Be sure to pack lights appropriately. No one likes to untangle a web of lights. When preparing your holiday lights for storage, consider purchasing a holiday light storage reel, or create your own system.




• Store electrical decorations in a dry place, such as a suitcase, where they cannot be damaged by water or dampness. Also, keep them away from children and pets to ensure that cords and wires are not damaged in storage.




• Wrap each set of lights and put them in individual plastic bags, or wrap the lights around an empty wrapping paper tube or cardboard square. If you wrap the lights around a piece of cardboard, cut a slit in one side of the square. Thread the end of a set of lights through the slit. Wrap the lights around the cardboard, threading the other end back through the slit.




• Although the box your artificial tree came in may seem like the perfect one to repack it in for storing, this isn't the wisest idea for preservation. The cardboard boxes begin to deteriorate making them more prone to insect infestation.




• Special ornaments benefit from being stored in their original packaging. If you throw out the original box, store smaller ornaments in an egg carton.




• Save yourself time next year by thoroughly labeling decorations before storing. Make a detailed inventory on the outside of each container. Number each to keep track of how many you have (for example, Box 1 of 12) and consider taping a piece of wrapping paper on the outside of each container for easy holiday storage identification.




• List Provided by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (www.ul.com)

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