By Jennifer Howard

The holiday season has come and gone and now it’s time to store the decorations.

Many of our seasonal decorations represent a great deal of time, money and fond memories. They deserve proper care and storage and should be cleaned and organized each year in a way that will not only preserve them, but also have them ready to go at their next use. So let’s look at a few tips:

Look them over as you are taking them down from their places of display. Washable decorations, such as tablecloths, should be laundered before storing. Dusty ornaments or other decorations should be wiped clean.

Tree lights should be checked for burned out bulbs and then replace them while it’s fresh on your mind.

Since many of our holiday decorations are fragile, be sure you pack and store them properly. Use large sturdy cardboard boxes or invest in plastic storage totes to place your bulbs, ornaments or other breakables in.

Ornaments and other fragile decorations should be wrapped in tissue paper. Stack the heavy items on the bottom of the box, layering the items as you fill the boxes.

To save on frustrations next year when you unpack, be sure to remove the hooks and hangers from each ornament and store them separately.

It also works best to wrap tree lights loosely around a large flat piece of cardboard. This helps protect against tangling.

After the boxes are packed, be sure to label the outside of the box with what it contains.

I know it seems like a lot of work, but believe me, when the holidays roll around next year, you and I both will appreciate our extra time and effort.

For more information, contact the Clark County Extension Office at 744-4682.

Jennifer Howard is the Clark County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.