Did you know that you CAN clean your artificial Christmas tree instead of buying a new one?! We all know that year after year, your artificial Christmas tree starts to get very dusty. Just ask me, I know!
Our family has had the same fake Christmas tree for 18 years! The dust on our tree is thick – eewww! Who would’ve thought that an artificial tree would attract so much dust?!
It’s gross – but there is hope! You can clean your artificial Christmas tree, and I’ll explain how, plus I’ll provide tips on how to cut down on the dust in the future!
Before I share the simple secret to cleaning your Christmas tree, I need to share something amazing with you first!
WISH PLANNING A PARTY WAS A PIECE OF CAKE?
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Think Of The Money You Will Save
Just think of how much money you will save! I never knew you could clean an artificial tree, but you can, and you should! Are you the type that likes a real tree or an artificial tree? I’ll be honest, I’ve never had a real tree. Never. Honestly, I don’t like the fresh pine smell at all, but maybe that is because I’ve never actually had a real tree?!
Just think of how much money you can save it you'd just clean your Christmas tree instead of throwing it out for a new one! Click To TweetAs a child we always had the same artificial tree, and now that I have my own family, I don’t want to get a real tree because of the cost – yep, that’s why – the cost (don’t hate on me, I know many of you LOVE your real trees – and you know what? That’s ok)!
Real Christmas trees are expensive and that’s an expense I don’t want to have each year. Silly, I know, but I really like that I only had to pay for my artificial tree once.
One Small Drawback
Just because our tree is a yearly bargain, it does have a small drawback. It tends to get dusty after being out for a full month each year, and from being stored in our basement the rest of the year.
A couple years ago, around Christmas time, I was really struggling with my seasonal allergies. I noticed that my allergies seemed a lot worse right after we put up our old artificial Christmas tree.
I didn’t make the connection at first, but I did notice, 6 weeks later, when we finally packed up our tree, that I almost instantly started breathing better.
A light bulb went off in my brain and I realized that my Christmas tree may have been a big part of why I had been so sick during the holidays that year. Not to mention all the yummy frosting cookies which may have contributed to my poor health as well. But, let’s not talk about that – ok?!
Other Christmas Fun
All this talk about Christmas reminds me of a fun Christmas game you can snag FREE from me right now – yep, Christmas BINGO! And it’s a blast!
So if your brain works anything like mine, and just the mention of the word Christmas has you thinking about all the fun things you want to do during the holidays, then grab this freebie right now, so you have it ready when you need a quick activity to do with the kids! Grab BINGO now, it’s my FREE gift to you!
Time To Clean My Artificial Christmas Tree
The following year I was determined to feel better during the holiday season and I decided it was time to clean my Christmas tree, after all, by then, we’d had it for over 15 years!
Honestly, I can’t believe that we have had this tree for so long. It’s super ‘old-school’, has individual branches that have to be put on one by one, but it works and it looks really nice once it’s all set up.
Don’t get me started on how long it takes to assemble, add the lights, and ornaments (I hate this job as much as my kids love it), but I’m thankful that I don’t have a pre-lit tree because if I did I would never be able to clean it so thoroughly.
WISH PLANNING A PARTY WAS A PIECE OF CAKE?
I’m super envious of anyone that has a pre-lit tree – the ease, the simplicity…oh man….(drooling over here), but I’ve also heard horror stories about how the lights malfunction. Which means spending extra money at the holidays you didn’t plan on.
Clean Your Tree When It’s Warm
ANYWAYS, back to the topic at hand….as I was saying, I’ve got this super old, fake tree and I was bound and determined to clean.
During the summer, I begged my husband to get out the box from the basement and haul it outside to our back porch.
It was a warm and sunny day and I had some time on my hands, so I decided to clean my tree! It wasn’t too hard either – just took a little time.
You CAN clean an artificial Christmas tree and it's easy! Click To TweetHow To Clean Your Artificial Christmas Tree:
Supplied Needed:
- 28oz spray bottle (I get mine at the Dollar Store)
- Garden Hose
- Artificial Christmas tree
- Katrina’s Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe
Directions:
Haul your tree to a very sunny spot outside that will get a few hours of full sun. If your kids are home, get them involved! Have them (or you) lay out each branch of the tree.
Fill a few spray bottles with Katrina’s Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe and give one to each of your kids.
Tell them to spray all sides of each branch and let the branches sit in the sun for about 15 minutes.
After they have soaked, spray off each branch completely with the hose, making sure you flip them over to rinse both side.
Once all the branches are thoroughly rinsed, shake off the excess water from each one and lay them in direct sunlight.
Leave them outside to dry for the entire day, making sure to flip them over after about 4 hours.
At the end of the day, make sure each branch is completely dry before storing your tree again.
Storage For Your Tree Is Important
After you go to all the work to clean your artificial tree, make sure you have a good storage solution as well. Consider storing your tree in a zippered storage bag like this one – to make sure you keep as much dust, moisture, and allergens from collecting on your tree all those months it’s stored away.
WISH PLANNING A PARTY WAS A PIECE OF CAKE?
A zippered bag, instead of just a box, is a better way to store your tree to ensure the most dust is kept off your tree.
Clean your artificial Christmas tree – don't buy a new one! Save that money! Click To TweetFresh and Clean Smell
When I set up my tree months later, I was so happy that the branches smelled fresh and clean and I did notice that my allergies were much more under control. Although this process to clean your tree may sound time consuming, it really is super easy, and has amazing results! It’s so worth it!
Clean your artificial Christmas tree and everyone in your house will benefit! Don’t forget to snag Katrina’s Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe. Hope that helps! Let me know if you try this and what the results were!
Want to remember this post? Pin this post, Clean Your Artificial Christmas Tree -Don’t Buy New, to your favorite Pinterest board right now!
Thanks for this post! Used this recipe to clean my tree which had become so musty was going to throw it out. Took a couple of hours but had a recent scorcher of a day 38degrees in Australia and this helped speed up process. Tree smells great and looks greener too.
I’m so glad you gave it a try! Yeah! I’ll bet your tree smells so much better and you and your whole family will benefit from it being clean!