GRAND RAPIDS — Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids is covered in Christmas lights as far as the eye can see, but what goes up must come down. Fox 17 spoke with an expert from a local business to find out the best and safest ways to explore your halls.
A simple string of lights can make a big difference when decorating.
“I love Christmas lights, so I try to put some outside,” Grand Rapids resident Marcia Carpenter said Friday at Rosa Parks Circle.
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However, putting these lights away isn't quite as easy as setting them up.
“It’s a little stressful putting everything in storage,” Carpenter added.
Becky Miller of Grand Rapids expressed similar sentiments.
“I have two trees, I have lights on my cupboards, I have a Christmas village. So yes, there are lights inside, but not as much outside,” Miller said. “I don’t want to climb a ladder, my husband doesn’t want to climb a ladder.”
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Joe Pellegrom and his team at Christmas Decor are used to this. They spent two and a half days putting up the Christmas lights in the park but will soon take them down again when the New Year arrives.
“We clump them together like this and make sure they are well organized. This way they don't take up much space. So you just put that in there, yeah, then they don't get tangled and they're easy to store,” Pellegrom said.
Once you've rolled your ball of lights, it's time to find a new home for it.
“A dry storage room. Maybe a plastic bag or something,” Pellegrom said. “But don’t store them wet either, as they could corrode and mold.”
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A dry storage room is also a good place to store the artificial tree to keep it nice and fluffy.
“I think it would have to be put away altogether, you know. And maybe just put plastic over it,” Pellegrom added.
When decorating your roof, be sure to take safety measures in case a ladder is involved.
“Make sure there are two people there if you want to climb onto a roof. Climbing and descending the ladder is the most dangerous time. So leave someone downstairs to hold the ladder for you,” Pellegrom said.
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