Some like to buy real Christmas trees for the festive season which often add a magical scent to their home, but the real thing is thought of as a higher maintenance choice than any other. Instead, most opt for the artificial Christmas tree which can be stored away and used year after year.
But while the artificial Christmas tree is the cheaper and easier option, it still requires more maintenance than most think.
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A mother spoke about her Christmas tree
A woman unexpectedly went viral on Instagram after sharing a video of cleaning her artificial Christmas tree.
The user is known on the platform for making videos about her family life; this time, she spoke about her Christmas tree.
She posted a reel about the tree
The user, Tanja, whose handle is @tanjatalks, shared the reel showing her shock after cleaning the artificial Christmas tree – she did not think it would be this unclean.
The discovery was shocking not only to the mother but to people under her comments, too.
The video showed her cleaning the branches
She wrote text on the video that read, “You might be surprised by the amount of dust on your Christmas tree.”
The video showed the woman cleaning different parts of her tree in the bathtub, with huge amounts of dirt coming out and down the drain.
The tree was cleaned in pieces
As she separated the pieces of the artificial Christmas tree and cleaned each in the water, the video shows her hanging up the different pieces to dry off the same way one would hang up clothes to dry.
The amount of dust that came out was shocking
Tanja, the mother who made and uploaded the video, captioned it, “How dusty could it possibly be?!” alluding to the unexpectedness of the dark brown color in the bathtub water.
She started talking about how she wanted to clean the tree the Christmas before.
The mother shared how she decided to clean it
“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,” she explained how she started cleaning the plastic tree branches.
The amount of dirt was unexpected
“Have you ever cleaned your Christmas tree?! Ours was much worse than I thought,” she added.
She cleaned the branches by dipping them in and out of the water in the bathtub, releasing all the dirt from their crevices.
The dust completely covered the bathtub
As she was cleaning the plastic pieces, the dirt completely covered the bathtub and the shocking brown color took over the surface.
She appeared to hang them later up to dry in what looked like the garage at her family house.
People chimed in with stories about their trees
Under the viral reel, commenters chimed in with confessions that they have never washed their Christmas trees.
One person made a joke, saying, “My mum’s tree is over 50 years old I think if we washed it, it would crumble to dust.”
Another person’s tree had been bought in the ‘90s
“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 person shared regarding having never had their decades old tree cleaned.
The video was a wake-up call for some
Another person claimed that the video helped remind them to clean their tree, saying, “Ooh I needed to see this. Got my tree second hand and never thought to give it a wash down.”
While many realized they should clean their trees, others decided they won’t be doing it.
Some didn’t feel the need to wash the plastic
Some commenters acknowledged that their trees are most likely in need of washing, but that they don’t feel like doing it.
One person said, “I should probably do this but like I don’t have the patience because I’m too excited to decorate.”
Others expressed exhaustion regarding cleaning
One person wrote in all caps, emphasizing their exhaustion with the chores that come with the festive season, “I DON’T NEED ANYTHING ELSE TO CLEAN.”
“My parents’ tree is from before I was born (1991) and I’m NOT doing this,” another confessed.
Users recognize the importance of remaining clean
“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,” another admitted that they will just be washing their hands instead of the tree.
Cleaning your tree doesn’t have to be a tiresome
As many in the comments shared that the cleaning process seems to be too difficult, others suggested fast and easy solutions to cleaning the branches.
One user suggested using wipes to clean the thing instead of washing it in the bathtub and waiting for it to dry.
Another suggested cleaning it outside
“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,” one person suggested.
There are different things you could do to keep your Christmas tree clean and shiny without adding too much work to your pre-holiday to-do list.
