THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 25, 1994 TAG: 9412210032
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARY FLACHSENHAAR, SPECIAL TO HOME & GARDEN
LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
If you're like me, every December you are appalled at what a shabby job you did of storing the Christmas decorations last January. And if you're like me, as you untangled the wad of tree lights a few weeks ago, you resolved you'd do better next January.
Well, it's almost next January.
Tips from Shurgard Incorporated, a company that manages storage centers nationwide, should help us with our resolution.
--The best way to store seldom-used items like holiday decorations is in see-through plastic tubs available in home stores. A sturdy cardboard box is the second-best storage method.
--If you use cardboard, list items contained in each box and tape the list to the box. This will be helpful as you're rummaging through the closet for the Advent calendar late next November.
--Breakables and crushables like bows should be well cushioned with inkfree paper or another packing material and packed in small boxes that can be stored on top of larger, heavier ones.
--The tissue and wrapping paper that are lying in crumpled heaps throughout the house even as you read this, can be recycled as packing material for decorations.
--Ornaments should be stored in a cool, dry place. Dampness in utility rooms, basements and garages can cause damage. So can attic heat.
--Any decorations you haven't used for a few seasons should be donated to charity or tossed.
--This final bit of advice is for folks who expect January to be especially long and dull.
As they are removed from the tree, ornaments should be cleaned with a vinegar-and-water solution. Crystal decorations should be sprayed with a mist of the same solution.
But if you're like me, blowing the dust off an ornament every other year or so will suffice. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Fragile ornaments should be wrapped in packing material.
by CNB