Teachers Insurance Specialists Provide Tips On How to Safely Remove a Christmas Tree

Longwood, FL (PRWEB) December 19, 2013

With the Christmas holiday just around the corner, Teachers Insurance Specialists offers advice on how to safely remove a Christmas tree to prevent fires and damage to Florida residents homes and cars. Many homeowners dont realize what a hazard a Christmas tree can be, and so its important to not only take care of it, but to also properly dispose of it as well, says Simone Baldwin, owner/operator of Teachers Insurance Specialists.

After the holidays, not only should homeowners take down their tree, but also it is important that it does not remain in your home for more than one month. The longer a Christmas tree stays up, the more hazardous it becomes. The general rule of thumb is that a tree should be disposed of when it begins to drop its needles. Additionally, homeowners should not store a Christmas tree in their garage because a dry tree can start burning out of control within only 30 seconds of being ignited.

Another important guideline is to never burn a Christmas tree in a fireplace or wood-burning stove. Fir and Pine trees contain a good amount of sap and turpentine oils, which can ignite explosively because they are highly flammable. They can also create buildup in your chimney and therefore increase a chance for a chimney fire.

By following the steps below, homeowners can properly dispose of their Christmas Tree and help reduce the number of home insurance claims due to fire and injury. Christmas Trees are one of the favorite traditions this time of year, so it is important to take the proper precautions to prevent accident or injury from occurring and subsequently, pesky insurance claims, emphasizes Baldwin.

How to Remove A Christmas Tree:

Remove the tree skirt.

Use a turkey baster and siphon out the remaining water in the stand.

Set the tree down on its side on top of a sheet, stand and all and then remove the stand. Homeowners can also clip off the branches and bag them. Sweep up as many needles as possible and vacuum any dirt. Needles can damage a vacuum cleaner.

If using a plastic tree bag, envelope the tree and stand, then take them outside. Once outside remove the plastic and stand.

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Teachers Insurance Specialists Provide Tips On How to Safely Remove a Christmas Tree