Take the tangle out of unpacking lights

No video camera has ever caught them in the act, but strings of Christmas lights clearly engage in disorderly conduct during the off-season.

Because no matter how neatly you coil them and stow them away in January, you can’t begin to pry them apart in December.

American ingenuity hasn’t conquered this seasonal problem yet, but great minds are working on it.

Karry Castellano, director of sales for Party City Franchise Group, said the 70 stores in his group don’t carry lights organizers, but he’s developed a foolproof solution of his own.

“I have a great wife who meticulously puts them back on the same hanger, every single year.”

Short of finding yourself a similarly willing spouse (“it’s expensive,” Castellano advises), one can resort to one of several methods, from low-cost and low-tech to borderline obsessive. Take your pick:

> Use the figure 8 wind-up. It works for yarn and also, apparently, for decorative lighting. And it’s free. Check out the methodology at lifehacker.com/337684/wrap-your-holiday-lights-tangle+free.

> Rope lights. Smooth surface equals tangle-free lights —- like No More Tears for your decorations. But they can be expensive. A basic clear, white-light rope of 24 feet can cost $20.

> Light reels. A concept taken from the garden hose and applied to holiday lights. The Reel Helper has interchangeable heads: www.reelhelper.com/untangle-christmas-lights.html.

> Light reels plus. For even greater fastidiousness: the LightRack Storage System. A reel system that also has a storage bag for the reels: www.christmastreestoragebag.net/Holiday_Lights_Storage_s/18.htm

“The main thing we hear from our customers is they need a better way to store bulbs and lighting,” said Jean Niemi of the Home Depot, where another possible solution is available: The pre-decorated, pre-lit Miracle Tree, which breaks into three sections for easy packing ($199).

None of these options suit you? Then do things the old-fashioned way: Wrap your lights around a piece of cardboard, or even a rolled-up newspaper.

But don’t call us when you can’t get them untangled next year.