Christmas Decoration Safety and Cleaning Tips for Workplaces

Christmas decorations can make a workplace feel warmer and more welcoming for staff and visitors, especially in busy cities like London. At the same time, they introduce extra safety risks and cleaning challenges that facilities and office managers need to control. With a planned approach, your business can enjoy all the benefits of a festive environment without creating trip hazards, fire risks or an untidy office that is hard to reset in January.

Choosing safe Christmas decorations

The safest decorations are those that look good, stay put and do not add unnecessary risks to your building. This is particularly important in high-traffic commercial spaces such as London offices, retail units, hotels and reception areas, where Classic London often carries out daily and periodic cleaning.

Key points to consider when choosing decorations:

• Check that all lights meet current safety standards and are suitable for indoor or outdoor use as required.

• Avoid decorations that shed heavily (loose glitter, flocking, cheap tinsel) as they create ongoing mess that is harder to remove from carpets and hard floors.

• Use flame-retardant materials wherever possible, especially on trees, garlands and large displays.

• Keep decorations away from heaters, radiators and other heat sources commonly found in offices and hospitality spaces.

Safety reminder: Never cover or hang decorations on fire alarms, emergency lighting, sprinkler heads or firefighting equipment - this can affect compliance and insurance.

A simple table can help guide quick decisions:

By favouring robust, safe decorations from the outset, you reduce the risk of accidents and make daily cleaning easier for your in-house team and for external contractors such as Classic London.

Placing decorations without disrupting cleaning

Even the safest decorations can cause issues if they are placed in the wrong spot. Placement needs to work for day-to-day cleaning, not just for how the office looks in photos, especially when your space is serviced by a professional office cleaning provider.

Think about:

• Main circulation routes, staircases, lift lobbies and access to fire exits.

• Reception desks, waiting areas, washrooms and kitchenettes that Classic London may clean daily.

• Access to bins, sinks, dishwashers, fridges and cleaning cupboards.

To keep things simple, create “green zones” and “red zones” on a basic floor plan.

Example placement guidelines

• Green zones: reception corners, feature walls, window ledges away from blinds, breakout spaces.

• Amber zones: near desks and printers where space is tight - use small, secure items only.

• Red zones: fire exits, stairwells, narrow corridors, directly in front of cupboards or electrical panels.

Practical tip: Agree decoration rules with staff in advance, so personal desk displays do not creep into walkways or obstruct surfaces that need regular cleaning.

When cleaners can access floors, skirting, bins and high touchpoints easily, they are far more likely to maintain a good standard throughout December. If Classic London looks after your office or commercial cleaning in London, Essex, Kent or Surrey, sharing your “green and red zones” with the team helps ensure festive displays and cleaning routines work smoothly together.

Managing extra mess: glitter, snow and festive snacks

The festive season often brings extra mess in the form of glitter, artificial snow and more food and drink around the workplace. Without a plan, this can leave offices and communal areas looking tired long before the Christmas break.

Use this quick reference to guide choices:

Simple actions help keep on top of the extra cleaning demand:

• Increase emptying frequency for office and kitchen bins during December.

• Provide wipes or blue roll near shared snack points so spills are dealt with quickly.

• Brief your Classic London cleaning team on areas where glitter, snow spray or food are likely to appear, such as meeting rooms and breakout spaces.

Alert: If you allow snow spray or heavy glitter, schedule time in early January for a more intensive clean of carpets, hard floors and windows in those areas.

By setting expectations with staff and adapting the cleaning schedule slightly, you can enjoy the festive touches while your space remains presentable for clients, visitors and hybrid-working staff.

Electrical safety and regular checks

Fairy lights and illuminated decorations are often the main visual highlight, but they are also a potential source of risk if not managed carefully. This is relevant in all commercial buildings, from city centre offices to retail parks and business parks that Classic London supports.

Consider these basic electrical safety checks:

• Inspect cables for damage and discard anything with exposed wires or cracked fittings.

• Use extension leads and multi-blocks that are in good condition and appropriately rated.

• Avoid daisy-chaining multiple extension leads together.

• Keep plugs and sockets accessible so they can be switched off easily at the end of the day.

A simple checklist table can support your routine walk-throughs:

Safety reminder: Nominate a responsible person or small team to be in charge of switching lights on and off and reporting any faults, rather than leaving it entirely informal.

If you already work with Classic London for property maintenance or planned visits, these visual checks can be incorporated into existing schedules, helping you keep risk low throughout the festive period.

Planning the post-Christmas clean and pack-down

The end of the festive period is the perfect time to restore the workplace to a fresh, professional condition. A rushed clear-out can leave tape marks, damaged paint and lingering mess, whereas a planned approach turns it into a useful reset ahead of the new year.

A straightforward pack-down plan could include:

1. Schedule a specific date for decorations to come down across all floors or sites.

2. Remove items area by area, checking for hooks, pins and tape residue on walls, doors and glass.

3. Wipe or dust surfaces where decorations were placed, including ledges, partitions and reception counters.

4. Group decorations by type and label boxes clearly for next year to speed up future planning.

5. Book an enhanced clean with Classic London for key areas - carpets, hard floors, windows and washrooms.

You can also use a small table to track tasks and responsibilities:

Practical tip: Combine decoration removal with a scheduled office or commercial deep clean from Classic London, so flooring, glass and common areas are fully refreshed before staff return.

For businesses across London, Essex, Kent and Surrey, partnering with Classic London for Christmas and end-of-year cleaning means decorations can be enjoyed without worrying about the mess they leave behind. With the right safety checks, sensible placement and a planned pack-down supported by professional cleaning and maintenance, your workplace can stay festive, safe and ready for a fresh start in January.