Q. My son and I have suffered yearly from allergies when we bring our freshly cut Christmas tree into the house. We have tried rinsing off the tree at home and letting it dry in the closed garage before setting it up, but the allergies still whacked us for weeks as soon as the tree came in the house. This was going to be the last year for our family tree-cutting tradition unless something changed.
Last week after we cut the tree and brought it home, we set it up in the stand and sprayed it thoroughly with Veggie Wash (a natural fruit and vegetable cleaner made of citrus, corn and coconut). Then we let it soak in for five minutes before spraying it off with water and letting it dry overnight in the garage. We have had NO allergies to the tree this week! The contrast to previous years is astounding. I hope your readers can benefit from this suggestion.
A. Some people can be allergic to pine sap or mold on the bark and branches of pine trees. Washing off the contaminants and letting the tree dry thoroughly was a brilliant idea and seems to have worked well for you. Perhaps someone else will learn from your experience.
