Let’s rewind a bit to last year’s Christmas when I bought a live Christmas tree to fill my home with cheers, carols – and pine needles, of course. Christmas doesn’t feel like Christmas without a live Christmas tree, and most of the time we have to win the battle against those pine needles that happen to land on your furniture and floor the minute you bring the evergreen tree into your home and take off the plastic netting. In case you miss the holiday season, you’ll have a little reminder for the next months to come.
For instance, this year I will buy a Christmas tree removal bag to prevent pine needles falling all over the place. I’ve learned my lesson! However, in case you someone will miss their opportunity in purchasing a Christmas tree removal bag this year, I want to share my last year experience in cleaning up those sticky pine needles from your home.
Create a path for your Christmas tree
Before you bring your tree into your home for the first time, move furniture out of the way and roll back any carpets you’ll travel over to reduce the risk of brushing up against something (shedding needles) and dropping them onto a surface that’s harder to clean.
Water your Christmas tree
The tree is cut and will inevitably wither, but you can hold that off a little longer by watering it often — maybe a few times the first few days, then about once a day later on. And try to keep it in a cooler spot such as near the window.
Protect the tree from external factors such as kids and pets (LOL)
Place the tree in an out-of-the-way spot where it won’t be bumped by kids, grown-ups, or animals and drop those needles. If you can, keep it away from furniture and carpets, as those are harder to clean than, say, hardwood floors.
That being said, let’s see how you can clean up those pine needless!
The vacuum attachment
Don’t run your vacuum right over the pine needles! They can jam up the roller brushes and potentially ruin your vaccum forever. Instead, use the hose or crevice attachment on your vacuum. And make sure you put a new bag in or empty the canister first, as they can fill up pretty quickly with the bulky needles.
Purchase a rubber broom if don’t have one already
Your standard bristle broom can have trouble picking up all those pine needles, but a rubber broom corrals them easily.
No rubber broom? Don’t worry, the lint rollers will work too!
For upholstery or isolated spots on your carpeting, use a fresh disposable lint roller. I wouldn’t recommend it for the entire floor, because you’ll have to replace the sheets often and that’ll get pricey, but it’s good for spot treatments. You can also DIY one by wrapping duct tape inside-out around your hand.
