You’ve put the Christmas lights in place. The tree — it’s been decorated and hung. Now the presents are all wrapped and ready. Now, next, what else needs to be done? We at Lewis Center-Powell Heating and Air realize that preparing for the holiday season is no small task. Far from it. With all the guests and the extra cooking and the parties on top of your usual cleaning, things can seem overwhelming at times. Throw some hyper children in the mix, couped up in the house looking for something to do — you might begin to feel you need a vacation from your holiday vacation. But relax, you don’t.
To help make this holiday season go smoothly, your local trusted five-star rated HVAC company here in Delaware County would like to share some thoughts and ideas.
Christmas Trees: Real or Synthetic
From as early as late fall and to as late as early springtime, Christmas trees are a significant theme for this time of the year. They are a tradition dating back generations. Here are some fundamental things to remember if you are a big fan of the Christmas tree.
- Everyone knows authentic Christmas trees grown from the earth become messy indoors. And when we say messy, we aren’t merely talking about pine needles scattered all over your carpet. We’re talking mold! Yes, that’s right, we said mold. Experts say mold is more prevalent and more likely to sprout in moist areas near where you are keeping that festive evergreen, and especially after just two weeks. With that in mind, if you typically keep the Christmas tree up longer than a month, we recommend considering a synthetic one for your home. They’re a lot less hassle, and they’ll save you money down the road.
- Do you experience symptoms like a cold while your tree is up? Think back to Christmases past, and try to devise whether you or any of the people in your home developed an itchy nose, watery eyes, a running nose, or chest pain like that of a cold while the tree was up. If this is the case, someone could have “Christmas Tree Syndrome,” a sort of allergy, and not even know it. If you suspect that is the case, you should consider an artificial tree.
- So let’s say the mess, the mold, and the potential for sickness — none of it’s an issue. You and your family simply MUST have a real-life Christmas tree grown from the earth here in Delaware County. Perhaps selecting one is a family tradition. Perhaps you’ve never had issues. Whatever the case, to avert a mess or the chance of bringing in something you don’t in your home from the wild (most of us remember the Griswald’s “Christmas Vacation” and the squirrel) do yourself and your family a HUGE favor and spray that tree down as best as you can. You might even do this in the garage if it’s too cold. Then once that is done, shake it down as vigorously as possible.
Keeping Your Decorations Clean
People spend a fortune on holiday decor. One study estimated the average American spends around $1,000 each holiday season to decorate their home, inside and out. It’s was a $720 billion industry last year. With all that money involved, we have a few suggestions to help you preserve your investment. Why not? You paid for them.
- Once Christmas is over, keep in mind that there’s a smart way to put your decorations away so they’ll last for years to come. When packaging everything up for storage, make sure to use fresh boxes that you can seal off entirely. You don’t want moisture getting in. It could ruin them. Also, put them away neatly and label the boxes, so you don’t have a mess next Christmas.
- Take an inventory of what you have. What is in good shape? What just needs clean? And what has seen it’s last Christmas? That’s right. It might be wise to throw some of your older stuff away if it’s damaged or no longer working properly. Some of it will need cleaned. To make this easier, if you keep your decorations up for more then a couple of weeks, remember to dust them. This is also important concerning your ductwork. If your ducts get dirty, it affects how your unit will run. You can call one of our professionals, and they will help you out with cleaning them.
Keeping the Kids at Bay
Lastly, we talked about keeping the little ones busy during the holiday season. Sometimes the weather can keep them bottled up with cabin fever indoors. Most of them are out of school for the holidays. There might not be enough to do between meals and festivities. If that’s the case, no problem!
Craft your own paper snowflake decorations.
- Cut a piece of paper into a square, or find a decent square-shaped paper.
- Next, fold it from corner to corner to make a triangle 4xs.
- Then, to make the snowflakes look like snow, slit the sides of the folded triangle, along the fold.
- Once you’re satisfied with that, unfold the sheet to see your original creation!
Craft a Christmas tree-shaped ornament for your Christmas tree
- Before you begin, gather up at least ten popsicle sticks, hot glue, green and brown paint, and some string.
- Keeping one popsicle stick at the original size, cut the others a little shorter each time.
- Once they’re all cut, you should have 10 sticks that get smaller like stair steps. Paint the longest one brown front and back and all the other, shorter pieces, green — both front and back as well.
- Next, place each green stick on top of the brown stick. Begin with the smallest at the top and work your way down.
- Finally, once all the glue and paint has dried, decorate your tree and put a loop on the back and hot glue it so it will hang off your tree!
There you have it. We hope you enjoy some of these tips and fun ways to get into the holiday spirit! We hope your children enjoy them as well! If you have any questions regarding your furnace this holiday season, please give call Lewis Center-Powell Heating & Air today at 614-490-7530. For your added convenience, you can also schedule an appointment online now at www.lewiscenterpowellheatingandair.com/schedule-now/. Thank you! And have a blessed and Merry Christmas! Remember the reason for the season, from our families to yours!
