Dec 16, 2020 | Flooring America
The holiday season is upon us, and if your family loves having a real tree in your home, you are most likely enjoying the amazing fresh scent and beauty that comes with it. (Nothing against those who go for fake trees, of course!) However, we all know there’s one major drawback to these all-natural trees: pine needles. All over the carpet. Embedded in the fibers. Thankfully, there are some tricks to keeping your carpet clean.
The traditional tree “skirt”—a large piece of fabric that wraps around the base of your tree—exists for a reason, and it’s not just for decoration. A lot of pine needles end up shedding onto the area directly below the tree, so having a tree skirt as a buffer between your tree and carpet is a great way to catch the majority of them as they fall. Just be extra careful when picking up the skirt, because those needles like to escape.
Maybe the trickiest part about dealing with pine needles on your carpet is when they have sap on them, which essentially glues them to the floor. To remove these peskiest of pine needles, apply a detergent solution to the area, mixing together ¼ teaspoon of a clear, non-bleach dishwashing liquid with one cup of warm water. Or, you can use some nail polish remover to loosen the sappy needles. Then a stiff brush should help to move the stubborn needles that won’t budge.
Once you’ve removed any pesky, sappy needles, it’s time to clean up the rest of them. Whether you prefer to first do some sweeping with a broom and then switch to a vacuum, or just start the whole process with a vacuum, the choice is up to you. Just make sure that when you begin to vacuum your carpet, your vacuum is set to the highest level it can be on.
When you’ve done all the steps above to pick up pine needles, and there are still some on the carpet, it’s time for the universal fix-it tool: duct tape. Just wrap some—sticky side out, of course—around your hands and press onto the carpet. This is not only an easy solution to getting those stray pine needles up, but it’s a fun activity for kids, too. Just tell them there’s a candy cane in it for them. And during the holidays, that sounds like a win for everyone.
For many families, having a fresh tree in the home is a tradition they look forward to all year—as is enjoying their cozy and beautiful carpet. Thankfully, both can co-exist. And, of course, your local Flooring America is always there to answer any questions you may have about carpets—during this holiday season and into the New Year.
