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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to polish my baubles ?

36 replies

Fidgety31 · 03/01/2024 16:52

Before you pack your tree and decorations away - do you polish/wipe them all down ?

I do this every year but it is time consuming . My tree has only been up for three weeks . It’s real so gets thrown out but the decorations all get kept . And when I did have a fake tree I would hoover it before putting it away .

AIBU - to polish them all?

OP posts:
Verv · 03/01/2024 16:52

Yes.

WhateverMate · 03/01/2024 16:53

If any really needed it I'd do it before they went on the tree next Christmas.

usernother · 03/01/2024 16:54

No. It wouldn't even occur to me to wipe them before I put them up or when I took them off.

Createausername1970 · 03/01/2024 16:55

I have never, ever polished my baubles or hoovered my tree!! It just gets packed up and put away.

Can I just ask about your tinsel and fairy light etiquette?

MalcolmTuckersSwearBox · 03/01/2024 16:55

YANBU.

I'm not sure it's entirely necessary to do it but you aren't unreasonable to choose to do so.

TheChosenTwo · 03/01/2024 16:56

I’ve never polished a bauble in my life.

Redglitter · 03/01/2024 16:57

Would it not make more sense if anything to wipe or polish them before you put them up next year. You're doing it now only for them to lie in a box for almost a year

Peoplemakemedespair · 03/01/2024 16:57

TheChosenTwo · 03/01/2024 16:56

I’ve never polished a bauble in my life.

Same. If I had to think about it, if they every needed doing then surely it would be when they come out of storage as they’ll get dusty over the year?

QuestionableMouse · 03/01/2024 16:58

Mine's not even getting stripped - it's fake so I'm going to tie a couple of big bin bags over the entire thing, tie them, and it can live in the cupboard until next year.

Fidgety31 · 03/01/2024 16:59

@Createausername1970 I shake the tinsel outside to get any dust off .
The fairy also gets a gentle wipe so as not to disturb her glitter .

Everything is stored away in containers inside a big plastic box so I don’t think it gets dirty whilst packed away . I do always check with a wipe first though

OP posts:
BigFatCat2024 · 03/01/2024 16:59

It's a bit weird op, will you polish them again when you get them out?

Farwell · 03/01/2024 16:59

Oh to have such time on my hands!

But then maybe less time here would help 🤔

Createausername1970 · 03/01/2024 17:01

My poor fairy has never had a wipe down in about 25 years of use! I am beginning to feel a bit bad about that now. Her arm dropped off a few years ago. I wonder if that was some kind of protest?

Sahara123 · 03/01/2024 17:06

Oh help yet another failing of mine ! I’ve never polished my baubles nor hoovered the tinsel, it has never crossed my mind that I should be!
But then I have a toilet brush , and wear my shoes in the house so there’s clearly no hope for me ..

legalseagull · 03/01/2024 17:36

How dusty is your house?! I've never done this and my decorations shine. If an individual decoration ever looked like it needed a wipe I would give it one, but it's not happened yet

MasterBeth · 03/01/2024 17:39

No, I have a job.

Fidgety31 · 03/01/2024 17:46

@MasterBeth I also work full time and a single parent . That’s not the issue though !

OP posts:
Newsenmum · 03/01/2024 17:48

That’s hilarious! How dirty do they get? I’ve never polished any decoration!

ManateeFair · 03/01/2024 17:54

Good grief, no.

I've never witnessed my baubles acquire any horrific build-up of dust and grime during the three weeks or so that my tree's up and they get stored in a closed plastic box.

Fionaville · 03/01/2024 17:54

YANBU. I wish I had the time and energy for it. I don't. If one looks a bit dusty I'll give it a wipe before I hang it next year. Next Christmas me can fend for herself, this one's knackered.

TinkerTiger · 03/01/2024 17:56

What? Never even occurred to me

muchalover · 03/01/2024 17:58

All mine are wrapped in tissue paper and go into a wooden box where they have lived for 30 years. They get wiped down if required.

Topseyt123 · 03/01/2024 18:01

Fuck me, no!! I've never polished a bauble or hoovered a Christmas tree in my life and won't be starting now.

Do you really like making work for yourself unnecessarily like that? 🤣

Cyberpixie · 03/01/2024 18:04

No. I wrap my entire tree with clingfilm with the lights and baubles still on. Genius or lazy, depending on how you look at it but it saves so much time! 😂

Highlighta · 03/01/2024 18:10

No never wiped a bauble. I may have given some tinsel a shake.

But how long does that take you? My tree is down already, and it took me 4 fekking hours. I am a bit particular about putting everthing back away in it's correct box and I had loads of lights which decided to be a pita to get off this time.

My tree gets dusty though. This time when I put it up, I wore latex gloves. Only because I'd just had my nails done, but the dirt on the gloves was quite a shocker. I've had the tree 25 odd years though. I just went with oh it's OK now as all the muck came off onto the gloves.

Maybe I should clean it this year.....