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Remove Outdoor Holiday Lights Safely


 Remove Outdoor Holiday Lights Safely

When you remove your outdoor lights after the holidays are over, do it safely.

  • Suit up. Wear thick gloves and protective glasses before doing any electrical work at home.
  • Look up. Note whether light strands are touching power lines hanging close to your roof. If they are, do not touch! If they’re clear, use extra care when removing. Report low-hanging lines to your electric cooperative.
  • Unplug. If strands of lights are still connected to an outlet or each other when you start dismantling, you could get a shock.
  • Be gentle. Don’t tug, pull, rip or yank lights loose. Take them down one section at a time and loop the strands around your elbow.
  • Inspect. Check for broken bulbs, fraying wires and other damage. Inspect decorations after each year’s use and throw away any damaged strands.
  • Take your time. The weather was probably warmer when you put the lights up in November than when you take them down in January, so you might try to hurry the chore along so you can get inside where it’s warm. But if you rush, you could damage shrubs, trees, gutters or eaves—or yourself.
  • Get help. Consider hiring a roofer or landscaper to hang and remove holiday lights next year. They have the proper gear and training to safely climb onto the roof and up trees, and handle electrical wires.

POSTED BY RACHEL FREY, CCC, COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST