Now that the chaos of the holidays has come to a close, it is time to start planning your day of uninstalling holiday decorations and lighting. When you are thinking about taking down and storing holiday lighting, whether inside or outside, it is important to do it safely.

Holiday lighting might seem unassuming but, it is electricity just like anything else and should be handled with caution.

This is especially true because holiday lighting is stored for a majority of the year, so any damage that is incurred while installing or uninstalling the strands could be compounded while sitting in storage. Then, the next time you go to use your lights, you could be in for a big surprise – and injury!

Follow these tips for storing your holiday lighting so that it is safe all year long:

• As you are taking down your lighting, take the time to wrap each strand around some cardboard. Two tubes of empty wrapping paper taped next to one another works well for this project. It doesn’t need to be anything expensive, the main thing is to make sure that the strand is not overlapped or wrapped in a way that is disorganized.
• The box that these wrapped lights are stored in should be sturdy and have a lid. It is preferred for this box to be made from heavy duty plastic rather than cardboard. While your lights are in storage, they could be subject to damage from any flooding or moisture in the shed, garage, or attic where they are stored. Also, rodents like to chew on cardboard, and if they chew through the box and discover your lighting, they will chew on the plastic sheath surrounding the wires.
• When you store the box of lighting, make sure to label it clearly with a label and permanent marker. This is important so that you can identify which box has your lighting, in the event that you need to move the box quickly. For instance, if you store your lighting in your garage and the water heater bursts and floods the garage with water. You will want to make sure and move your lighting, and being able to quickly identify which box will be essential.

As you are uninstalling your holiday lighting this year, follow these tips for storing the lights safely. This ensures that when you bring your lights out for next year, they will be undamaged and ready to use without any risk of electrical malfunction.