7 Ways to Protect Your Home’s Flooring During the Holiday Season
The holidays are wonderful for spending quality time with family and friends. However, this time of the year can become extremely stressful. Between cooking, decorating, wrapping gifts, and entertaining your guests – it is easy to forget about the flooring in your home! During the holiday season, it is especially important to protect your home’s flooring by implementing a few simple practices. These steps are easy, but they can make all the difference in maintaining your home and keeping them in tip-top shape. Follow along with DustRam® for the 7 ways to protect your flooring during the holiday season.
1. Put Down Area Rugs to Prevent Floor Scratches and Scuffs
Area rugs are great for protecting your flooring from heavy traffic areas, such as entryways and doorways. They also add a touch of fun to the holidays! There’s no better time than now to put down area rugs in addition to your holiday decorating plans.
Not only do area rugs offer a safe place to wipe your feet before entering the house, but they can also be used as a way of keeping dirt and water out. A festive holiday-themed rug placed in front of the main entrance to your home not only adds color but also protects your floor from heavy traffic. Area rugs can help prevent scuffs and scratches from shoes and much more.
Related Post: How to Fix Tile Without Fully Replacing It.
2. Place Felt Pads on the Bottom of Furniture Legs
Felt pads are inexpensive and easy to install. They’re perfect for protecting flooring during the holidays, especially if you have children or pets who spend most of their time at home. Make sure that furniture with sharp metal legs – such as coffee tables, has felt pads on them before placing them in high traffic areas of your home.
These felt pads also protect your floor when moving your furniture around scratches and scuffs that might occur.
3. Take Care of Slippery Spaces
Power washing and applying a coat of non-slip wax are great ways to make tile or wood floors safer during the winter months. A simple power wash is an easy way to prevent minor slips on your flooring throughout the holiday season. A professional service is recommended if your flooring has seen better days and needs a refresher.
Non-slip wax can be applied to hardwood floors to prevent slips, especially when it’s wet or snowy outside. This type of product also adds an extra layer of protection for those who might take spills on their tile and wood floors.
4. Be Mindful of Holiday Decorations
The holidays are a joyful time, but it’s important not to overdo the decorating. Yes, Christmas lights and wreaths add cheer to the home – but they can also be heavy! Ensure that any holiday decorations you’re planning on placing in your living room or dining area have proper support. This way, they don’t fall and cause damage to your flooring.
This also means that you should never overload your floor with gifts. Open boxes are not only unsightly, but they can contribute to tripping and other accidents on the hardwood floors of your home, especially if placed in high traffic areas like entryways. If there is no room for them anywhere else – put down an area rug or consider getting a storage bench.
5. Check Your Flooring for Uneven Spots
It’s easy to miss something like a loose piece of flooring. If you notice that your hardwood floors are starting to get uneven, be sure to fix them as soon as possible. Not only does this contribute to tripping and slipping, but it can also lead to personal injuries such as bad back pain.
Additionally, if you don’t repair those loose flooring pieces immediately, it may cost more money to do so later. Any loose area can cause water damage to the subfloor, which is often more costly than simply fixing it immediately.
To check for areas that might need attention, look out for cracks in your wood floors where they meet with another surface like a wall or other seam lines (where two different types of flooring meet, such as hardwood and tile).
Perform these inspections right before the holiday season peaks. This gives you enough time to have the necessary repairs performed before people start coming for the holidays.
6. Don't Use Harsh Chemicals on Your Floors
It can be tempting to use harsh chemicals during the holiday season to keep your floors shining bright. Unfortunately, this type of cleaner might leave a lot more than just streaks on your flooring surfaces.
The holidays are known for hosting lots of parties and gatherings – which means there’s likely going to be plenty of spills at home. Using harsh and caustic chemicals on your flooring will strip the finish and make them more vulnerable to staining.
Harsh cleaners can also damage grout between tile or stone surfaces, which leaves a lot of room for bacteria growth – resulting in dark spots that are hard to remove over time. There’s no need to fret, though! There are plenty of gentle cleaners available that will help you get your floors gleaming without having to risk damage. In some cases, soap and water are all you need to get your floors looking clean and beautiful again.
7. Keep Pets Off the Floor
Provide your pets an elevated place for them to sleep or play on. This way, they won’t be tempted to jump on the furniture. If you can’t put up an elevated spot for them – try adding area rugs that act as barriers between your pets and any spills that might occur while people are eating in front of their television sets during holiday gatherings.
If you do allow your pets to roam freely in certain areas, be sure to keep food and water bowls on elevated surfaces whenever possible. This will prevent any spills from getting onto your flooring – even if it’s just a few drops! Don’t forget about their toys too! Keep them up off the ground as well to avoid any possible messes.
A good rule of thumb is to make sure that your pets are never on the floor. Not only does it make clean-up more difficult, but there is a lot of risks involved with having them walk around on wet or snowy floors – especially during the holiday season. Adding some rugs or blankets in their area is also a great way to ensure that they’re safe and happy!
Related Post: Signs its Time to Replace Your Flooring
Enjoy the Holidays While Knowing Your Floors are Safe From Potential Damage
While these tips may seem like common sense, it’s easy to forget about them when you’re busy with other activities during this time of year. Keep these tips in mind as you continue planning for the holidays – making sure that your home is safe and inviting for all. For more related content be sure to check out our blog.
