Christmas Decoration Safety Tips

12/4/2023 (Permalink)

House with Christmas lights & decorations

Decorating your home for the holidays is a fun and exciting way to get into the festive spirit. However, it’s important to keep safety in mind while doing so. Here are some tips to help you decorate your home safely for the holidays:

1. Inspect all holiday light cords: Before hanging up your lights, check all cords to ensure they aren’t frayed or broken. Damaged cords can cause electrical fires, so it’s important to replace them if necessary. You don't want to have to call in a professional fire mitigation company!

2. Don’t string too many strands of lights together: To avoid overloading your electrical outlets, don’t string more than three strands of lights together per extension cord.

3. Turn off all holiday lights when going to bed or leaving the house: This will help prevent electrical fires from occurring while you’re away.

4. Ensure outside decorations are for outdoor use: If you’re decorating the outside of your home, make sure that all decorations are designed for outdoor use. Additionally, fasten lights securely to your home or trees to prevent them from falling.

5. Look for the fire-resistant label when buying an artificial tree: If you’re buying an artificial tree, make sure it has a fire-resistant label. Keep it away from fireplaces, radiators, and other sources of heat.

6. Never use electric lights on metallic trees: Electric lights can cause metallic trees to become charged with electricity, which can be dangerous.

7. If getting a live tree, make sure it’s fresh and keep it watered: A dry tree can easily catch fire, so it’s important to keep it watered. Bend the needles up and down to make sure no needles fall off.

8. Don’t light the fireplace if hanging stockings on the mantel: Stockings can easily catch fire if they’re too close to an open flame.

9. Check the labels of older decorations: Some older tinsel is lead-based, which can be harmful if ingested.

10. If using angel hair, wear gloves to avoid irritation: Angel hair can be irritating to the skin, so it’s important to wear gloves when handling it.

11. Avoid breathing in artificial snow: Artificial snow can be harmful if inhaled, so it’s important to avoid breathing it in.

12. Have good, stable placement when using a ladder and wear shoes that allow for good traction: When hanging decorations, make sure your ladder is on a stable surface and wear shoes that allow for good traction to prevent falls.