How To Make Your Christmas Lights Last Longer

Are you tired of throwing out what seems like year old LED Christmas lights?  Are your Christmas Lights looking dim after just one season?  You may have caught what we like to call the “Vancouver Christmas Light Flu”.  The flu you ask?  Yes, and the symptoms are bulbs not turning on, flickering lights, dimmer than normal brightness, and potentially fatal, whole strand death.

The new LED Christmas lights available in stores are not as “hardy” as the old incandescent bulbs and strings.  People have been used to taking their Christmas lights down and throwing them in the box for the year not thinking about condensation or water being in the storage bin.  This used to cause a bulb or two to fail to work the next season and with the cheap cost of incandescent lights it wasn’t an issue for homeowners.  Herein lies the problem homeowners across Vancouver are facing.  LED Christmas lights not working after a short amount of seasons because the lights are being stored improperly.  Unfortunately, homeowners don’t understand this and are actually the main culprit for Vancouver Christmas Light Flu.

Mr. Light Knights, how can I relieve my Christmas lights of the flu?!  That’s a great question.  Here are four quick and easy steps to prolong the life of your Christmas Lights.

1) When you take down your lights wrap them in coils around your arm and place them neatly into a storage bin.  (Pro tip:  using a drill, drill 5-7 air holes in your storage bin to ensure adequate ventilation)

2) Take your bin inside and take off the lid.

3) Put the bin in a warm location in your home for 3-4 days.

4) After 3-4 days check to see that the lights are all dry.  If dry, close the lid.  If damp, let sit with lid open for a couple more days.  Once dried, store the bin in a cool, dry location until October/November/December or whenever you would like to put your lights up.  (Pro tip:  take a few sheets of old newspaper and put them on the top of the lights.  The newspaper will act as an absorbent and ensure your bin stays perfectly dry all year long)

That’s it!  Such simple steps to prolong the life of your Christmas lights.  Remember, Vancouver can be a harsh winter climate and the lights like a little pampering before going in to hibernate for the year.

Best,

LK