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After weeks (or months—no judgment) of festive cheer, it’s finally time to set away your holiday decor until next year. But with all the dust and grime that can accumulate, your holiday decorations might need a little TLC before storage. Whether you keep it simple or you go all-out for the season, you know there can be a lot of little bits and pieces to care for. Don’t sweat it—Charlie’s Soap is here to help. From ornaments to stockings and everything in between, here’s everything you need to know about caring for your holiday decor as you say goodbye to the season.
How to Clean Ornaments Before Storing
To combat dust and grime on your ornaments, it’s a good idea to give them a solid once-over before long-term storage. Ornaments come in all shapes, sizes, and materials, but you should be able to follow the same essential steps:
- Dust Your Ornaments: Use a microfiber cloth to remove the bulk of the dust. Depending on the state of your ornaments, that may be all you need to do.
- Spot-Treat Remaining Residue: For smudges, fingerprints, or other remaining residue, give them a little extra TLC. Target any residue with Charlie’s Soap multi-purpose Kitchen & Bath Household Cleaner.
Like everything from Charlie’s, our Kitchen & Bath cleaner is free of all the bad stuff—no harmful chemicals, harsh surfactants, or artificial fragrances.
Refreshing Stockings for Next Season
For many, stockings are a Christmas essential, but they can be a pain to clean. Since stockings are often made of delicate materials like felt and velvet or include needlepoint work, glitter, or other designs, it’s best to stick with a gentle touch. Try this simple spot treatment:
- Use a Gentle Stain Solution: Charlie’s stain solutions are perfect for the job. Free of abrasive additives and unnecessary fillers, Charlie’s Soap Laundry Pre-Spray is ideal for spot treatments on fabrics of every kind.
- Apply and Let It Sit: Spray the affected area of the stocking with the treatment and let it sit for at least 15 minutes—the longer, the better.
- Gently Rub and Rinse: Gently rub at the affected area with your fingers and carefully rinse it with cool water. If you’re working around a decal-heavy area, try to avoid submerging it underwater.
- Dry Flat: Afterwards, lay the stockings flat and allow them to dry completely.
- Repeat if Needed: Repeat the process until your stockings are as good as new.
Washing Tree Skirts the Right Way
A well-loved tree skirt is often in need of a refresher to fight discoloration and stains—especially if you’re firmly in the sap-dripping live-Christmas tree camp. Luckily, many tree skirts are machine-washable, but make sure to always follow the instructions on the care label.
- Check the Care Label: Tree skirts sometimes have appliques, trim, beads, and sequins that make machine washing a no-go.
- Choose a Fabric-Safe Detergent: Whether you’re machine-washing or hand-washing, you want a cleaner that will be safe for all materials. Enter Charlie’s Soap’s line of hypoallergenic, fabric-safe detergents.
- Use Gentle Cycles or Hand-Wash: From our liquid laundry detergent to our powder detergent, Charlie’s Soap is ideal for lifting residue from even the most delicate fabrics.
Cleaning Your Elf on the Shelf
During the holiday season, an Elf on the Shelf goes through the ringer. Sugar, flour, and cereal are just some of the materials involved in run-of-the-mill Elf on the Shelf ideas. To clean your Elf on the Shelf before stowing it away for the season, follow these steps:
- Shake-Off Residue: To clean your Elf on the Shelf before stowing it away for the season, start by shaking off as much residue as possible.
- Spot-Treat Grimy Areas: Add a spot treatment like Charlie’s Soap Pre-Spray Stain Remover to any particularly grimy areas.
- Machine Wash Carefully: For the most part, you’re safe machine-washing your Elf on the Shelf. Just make sure to stick to the most delicate wash cycle and put the doll in a mesh laundry bag.
- Use Cold Water and Gentle Additives: Stick with cold water. Charlie’s detergents work just as well in cold as they do in hot—yep, even our powder detergent. For a powerful clean without the abrasive chemicals, you can also add a scoop of our Oxygen Bleach, which can help remove any residual smell from this season’s festivities.
Holiday Decor Clean-Up Made Easy with Charlie’s Soap
Whether you’re prepping for holiday guests or dealing with post-festivities cleanup, Charlie’s Soap has got your back. We’re tough on grime but gentle on delicate materials, making us the perfect solution for your holiday decorations and much, much more.
Explore more from Charlie’s Soap and discover a clean, for life.
