The holiday season is approaching quickly, and with that comes a lot of foot traffic from your family and friends! Since we’re in New England we all know the weather can get muddy and icy which can make for some messy conditions on your hardwood floors. You’ve taken steps to make everything in your house look fantastic, but have you protected your hardwood? Here’s how to keep hardwood floors clean this holiday season.
- Remove Shoes – Wet shoes can carry things like sand, salt, and other rough surfaces that can damage your hardwood floors. It’s best to have your loved ones and friends leave their shoes at the door to prevent any damage to your hardwood flooring.
- Use area rugs – In places where you see high foot traffic you’ll want to consider putting down some area rugs. Common areas, hallways, and dining rooms are places that see the most foot traffic. Consider using area rugs as a way to prevent damage to your hardwood flooring.
- Utilize a shoe rack – Have your guests take their shoes off and put them on a shoe rack. Under the shoe rack place an absorbent mat to make sure that no water gets on your hardwood floor. The shoe rack is an easy way to keep the shoes elevated off of the actual hardwood surface and prevent unintended damage.
- Clean often – When you notice a little spill, clean it up quickly so it doesn’t have a chance to damage your hardwood. Regular cleaning of hardwood floors will help maintain their wonderful look during the holiday season and in general.
- Use door mats – Door mats can become an essential during the holiday season, putting one outside of your home and having your guests wipe off their feet as well as inside next to the shoe rack is an easy way to avoid excess dirt and grime on your gleaming hardwood floors.
- Pets – If you have a dog, when you bring the dog inside after a walk wipe off your pets paws to avoid wet paw prints as well as build up of dirt, salt and sand on your hardwood floors. Cats can carry equally as much dirt, if you have an outdoor cat try to get it’s paws wiped off as well. If your pet has long nails be sure to clip them to lessen the chances of scratches on the hardwood floors.
- Christmas Trees – Make sure you’re sweeping up next to your tree daily as well as using a tree skirt to prevent any scratching or water from reaching your hardwood floors. Though they are very pretty to look at you need to use extra protection around your holiday tree!
Solid hardwood flooring will help give any home a timeless feeling that’s perfect for the holidays. The Experts at Apex Hardwood Flooring know what it takes to get your floors looking great before family arrives. Please reach out if you have any questions to see how we can help get your home ready for the holiday season.