A MUM was left speechless when she realised the layers of filth that were lurking on her family’s artificial Christmas tree.
Tanja Bentley Ward revealed to other homeowners why they should routinely clean their festive decorations.
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Tanja (@tanjatalks) is steadily growing her following on Instagram, where she gives a glimpse into her family life.
She unexpectedly went viral on the social media app when she shared a video cleaning her artificial Christmas tree.
“How dusty could it possibly be?!” she said, in the caption of her post.
“Last year, I mentioned how dusty the Christmas tree appeared.
“This year, Johnny set up a system for me to rinse and dry the branches before we decorate the house.
“Have you ever cleaned your Christmas tree?! Ours was much worse than I thought.”
A video showed that she washed each branch of the tree in her bathtub by dipping them in and out of water.
It became impossible to see the bottom of the tub as the water became a grim brown colour.
She then hung the branches to air dry on what appeared to be a clothesline set up in her garage.
“You might be surprised by the amount of dust on your Christmas tree,” read the text over the video.
It garnered thousands of views with many people confessing they’ve never cleaned their Christmas trees.
“My mum’s tree is over 50 years old I think if we washed it, it would crumble to dust,” one person joked.
“The tree my husband and I inherited was a tree my parents bought in Germany in the 90s and it’s never been cleaned. I’d be too afraid to,” another commented.
“Ooh I needed to see this. Got my tree second hand and never thought to give it a wash down,” a third said.
Other responses to the post confessed they were horrified but couldn’t be bothered to clean their tree.
“I should probably do this but like I don’t have the patience because I’m too excited to decorate,” one person said.
“I DONT NEED ANYTHING ELSE TO CLEAN,” another wrote.
The household items you’re not cleaning often enough
IF you want to ensure your home is squeaky clean, you’ll need to listen up. Below are the household items you’re forgetting to clean, and how to get them sparkling…
Remote Controls: Wipe with a disinfectant cloth. Use a cotton bud for crevices.
Light Switches: Wipe with a disinfectant wipe. Use a mild soap solution for tough stains.
Door Handles: Clean with an antibacterial spray. Wipe down regularly.
Underneath and Behind Appliances: Vacuum or sweep regularly. Mop with a suitable cleaner.
Shower Curtains and Liners: Wash in the washing machine. Use a bleach solution for stubborn mildew.
Kitchen Sponges and Dishcloths: Microwave damp sponges for one minute. Wash dishcloths in the washing machine.
Computer Keyboards and Mice: Use compressed air to remove debris. Wipe with a disinfectant wipe.
“My parents’ tree is from before I was born (1991) and I’m NOT doing this,” a third chimed in.
“It feels sticky and weird and gross (both parents are long-time smokers) and I’m just going to wash my hands after and not think about it one more second.”
However, several commenters said cleaning the tree doesn’t have to be time-consuming.
One person suggested using wipes, while another said they attach their Christmas tree to the roof of their car and go to a drive-thru car wash.
“Take it outside and spray it with the hose before it gets too cold out, dry it off with the leaf blower then take it in and decorate it,” a third suggested.
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