Santa Claus has come and gone, and people are preparing to undeck the halls and pack up the lights.
Vicki Whitfield, a lawn and garden specialist at Sutherland's in Fort Smith, recommends people use zip ties or cord storage wraps to prevent their strands of lights from getting tangled. She said both options are inexpensive and some brands may be reusable.
When storing tree ornaments, Whitfield recommends wrapping them individually. She recommends people do not store fragile ornaments in the attic, shed or anywhere they will be exposed to extreme temperature changes.
Whitfield suggests using under bed storage containers, which will keep your precious keepsakes close and may be discretely hidden away during the year.
Outdoor decorations may also be used year after year, as long as they are dried thoroughly before storage, according to Whitfield. She said people may place a few cotton balls sprayed with bug repellent inside the storage containers to kill unwanted pests.