MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
For a lot of us, that live Christmas tree is a must, but you know what else is alive? Bugs.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
(Laughter) True. Some people feel strongly enough about bugs and dirt and dust to wash their Christmas trees before dragging them through the door. Businesswoman and gardener Carmen Johnston washed the tree with a garden hose and showed it on Instagram.
(SOUNDBITE OF INSTAGRAM VIDEO)
CARMEN JOHNSTON: And you simply want to wash your tree for about four to five minutes.
INSKEEP: Whoa.
(SOUNDBITE OF INSTAGRAM VIDEO)
JOHNSTON: Y'all would not believe the color of the water after you wash your tree, y'all. It is unbelievable. You can let it sit out...
MARTIN: Washing trees is a new one for Sharon Yiesla who answers gardening questions at The Morton Arboretum outside Chicago.
SHARON YIESLA: I've been answering questions like this for 30 years, and this is really the first time somebody has said to me, you know, do I have to worry about my Christmas tree?
MARTIN: We ask the hard questions here.
INSKEEP: Absolutely. Yiesla says her main concern is keeping trees away from heat sources and giving them water to prevent fires. Beyond that, she says, there's nothing wrong with washing the tree.
YIESLA: They could certainly do that if it made them feel more comfortable 'cause sometimes, you know, people just - one bug is too much for some folks, and I get that.
MARTIN: Tree sellers have already given this some thought. Bill Lindberg is a Christmas tree educator at the Michigan State Extension School.
BILL LINDBERG: A lot of Christmas tree farmers will shake, drill and bale the tree for you. So that shaking process kind of shakes out any of the maybe loose needles before you bring it in the house.
INSKEEP: That's what happens with ours, along with critters and dust, which can be an irritant.
LINDBERG: In extreme situations, if you do have some type of allergy to real Christmas trees, it might be worth spraying it down in that situation. But for the vast majority of people, it's really probably not needed.
MARTIN: Another option comes from Rick Dungey, who's been with the National Christmas Tree Association for 27 years and is now their executive director.
RICK DUNGEY: Leaf blowers are another good way. Just give the thing a nice big blow with the leaf blower. It can blow a lot of dead leaves and stuff out of it.
INSKEEP: A final tip - if you do spray down the tree, make sure it is dry before you drag it inside.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE HAPPIEST CHRISTMAS TREE")
NAT KING COLE: (Singing) Someone came, and they found me and took me home with them. Oh, I'm the happiest Christmas tree. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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