The year has literally flown by! And here we are again. Christmas is almost upon us! We at Huber Heights Heating & Cooling understand all the work it takes to be ready for the holiday season. Between the lights and the gifts and the food and the guests — it can be a full-time job getting ready while trying to keep your house clean and your kids occupied at the same time. To help lessen the load this busy time of year, we have some suggestions to get your home ready and clean, while keeping your little ones entertained and out of your way!
Christmas Tree Care
Starting as early as Halloween and staying to as late as Valentine’s Day, Christmas trees take up a big space in our homes. They are a holiday favorite and a cultural must. We’ve put together some tips if you are a big enthusiast of the Christmas spirit and the Christmas tree.
- Christmas trees, especially ones that were cut from the earth, are messy. No, we are not just talking about pine needles all over the floor. Having a real tree in your home increases mold growth. While there can be mold in other parts of your home without knowing, mold especially grows near the tree, and especially after the tree has been inside more than a couple weeks. If you usually keep the Christmas tree up for longer than a couple of weeks, it’s best for everyone to go with a synthetic tree. Intriguing Fact: Some residents develop “Christmas Tree Syndrome” and have no clue they have it, or that it is the cause of certain symptoms! “Christmas Tree Syndrome” causes watery eyes, an itching nose, and even chest pain like that of a cold. If you or someone in your home experiences these symptoms around your live tree, it’s a good idea to go with a synthetic tree. You, or those around you, might end up feeling a lot better.
- Getting a humidifier installed is another sound idea. Humidifiers help filter the air and prevent dry air. On top of that, humidifiers also help hinder the growth and development of mold, especially in and around your walls. Lastly, they can remove pollen floating around and increase your tree’s health.
Cleaning All Those Decorations
Household Christmas decorations are a huge part of the holiday season, inside and out. Whenever you decorate your home for the holidays, here are some ideas that help you now for Christmas in years to come.
- That bright and beloved Christmas tree is reasonably the most significant decoration you put inside your home all year. If you still prefer to utilize an authentic tree grown from the ground, you’d be smart to consider a couple of precautions before dragging it inside from nature. For one, you want to make sure you spray it down good with some water. To do this, you should prep it before it gets too cold. After that, give it a vigorous shaking. Doing this will go a long way in knocking free anything that might still be on the tree, or about to fall off. Trust us; you don’t want all that stuff inside your home.
- Once Christmas is past, soon it’ll soon be time to pack it up, or throw it out, and store away your decorations. Just as with anything, there is a wrong and right way to put them away. While packaging all this stuff up for storage, check and be sure the boxes you utilize are sealed airtight. If moisture gets inside, it gets trapped, and it can deteriorate or destroy your decorations.
- Finally, take a good look. Some of your decorations will need to be wiped down, some dusted off, and unfortunately, some will need to be tossed in the trash. Just make sure you’ve dried them all off. Keeping them clean is vital concerning your ductwork. If your ducts do end up becoming dirty, it affects how your unit will run. If you suspect this is already the case, call one of our friendly HVAC pros, who can keep your vents clean during the holidays and all year round.
KEEPING THE KIDS BUSY
Paper Snowflakes
Trying to think of a neat project for the kids this holiday season? Is the frigid cold keeping them indoors? Are school closings keeping them home? Are they “bored” or saying there’s nothing to do?
No problem! Try this!
Designing paper snowflakes!
- Find some square sheets of paper, or fashion some to size.
- From corner to corner, fold the papers to form a neat triangle.
- Once appropriately folded, trim some slits out in the sides of the folded triangle.
- Finally, unfold the paper to see your unique creation!
Popsicle Christmas Tree Ornaments!
- Collect together at least ten clean popsicle sticks, some hot glue, paint, and some string.
- Take one of the ten popsicle sticks and set is aside uncut at its original length. Take the remaining sticks and cut each one a little, then a little more each time until the last one is the smallest.
- Take that longest one and paint it brown. Then, paint all the shorter ones green.
- Once the paint has dried, place each green stick onto the brown stick, starting with the next longest one and moving your way down until the shortest stick is on top. That’ll be your trunk.
- Finally, once the glue holds dry, use more of the glue to form a loop on the back to hang to the tree. Once that has dried, it is ready to hang!
If you have any questions regarding your furnace this holiday season, please call Huber Heights Heating & Cooling today at 937-226-9675, or schedule an appointment now at www.huberheightsheatingandcooling.com/schedule-now/. From all of us to all of yours, Merry Christmas!
