How to Protect Your Floors This Holiday Season

The countdown to Christmas has begun and the holiday season is upon us! With all the various holiday celebrations rapidly approaching, you’re most likely frantically hanging up the stockings, decking the halls with holly, and cleaning every dirty surface you can find. But what about your floors?

Have you thought about the amount of foot traffic your home will be getting over the holiday season? While visions of puddles, dirt, stains, scratches, and scuffs are probably filling your mind as we speak, there’s no need to panic! You can’t prepare for every scenario, but there are a number of steps you can take to protect your home (namely your floors) from the holiday rush.

Tips for Protecting Floors From the Holiday Crowd

Eliminate Outdoor Dirt, Grime, and Moisture

During the winter, snow and rock salt are frequently being tracked into your home. Rock salt can leave a residue that will dull the finish of floors over time. It can also get tracked into the home and dragged across the floors, creating scratches in hardwood. This can do quite a bit of damage to your floors, so it’s important to create a barrier between shoes and your floors.

• Place outdoor mats in front of all entrances. This will encourage visitors to wipe their shoes off before they enter your home.
• Place rugs in doorways to encourage guests to take off their shoes upon entering. Adding a shoe rack near the entryway will help with this as well. Also be sure to ask them to remove their shoes – everyone will understand!
• Pro-Tip: When choosing rugs, select ones made of synthetic materials instead of mats with rubber or foam backings. Rubber and foam mats can trap moisture and permanently damage the floor – especially if you live somewhere that gets a lot of snow!

Prevent Scratches

Guests mean more furniture and more furniture means a greater risk of scratches and scuffs on your floors. We recommend adding felt pads or glides to all chairs. That way, if guests are frequently scooting in and out to let people by, they won’t be putting your floors at risk. It’s also important to put felt pads on the bottom of all furniture before you try to move it out of a room to create more space for guests.

Turn Down The Heat

You may not know this, but the heater in your home can dry out hardwood quite easily. This leads to various problems, including cracked floorboards and shrinkage. We recommend turning down the heat in the winter months when possible, and also running a humidifier to help ensure moisture stays in the air.

Be Prepared

Let’s face it, spills happen. Especially when you have a house full of people and little ones excitedly running around hopped up on sugar. The key is to be prepared and act quickly. Have paper towels, microfiber cloths, and carpet or floor cleaner at the ready so that you can quickly soak up and treat that hot chocolate or wine stain on the carpet.

Pro-Tips:

• For stains on carpets and rugs, remove liquid as soon as possible with a paper towel or microfiber towel and then spray with cleaning solution. Blot (do NOT rub) until excess moisture is soaked up.
• Microfiber towels and mops are best for all types of floors, as sponges and sponge mops tend to push dirt, grime, and, stains further into the surface, making it harder to clean.
• Avoid cleaning products with wax, ammonia, vinegar, polish, or oil based soaps, as they can cause damage to floors and dull them over time.

So, as you prepare your home for holiday festivities, keep these tips in mind to ensure your floors stay in top condition. And, feel free to contact Scharm Floor Covering after the holidays if you realize you’re ready for some new floors to give your home an updated look!