The holidays are just around the corner. You probably have a lot to do, especially if you have a large household. If you are used to having guests over for holiday celebrations, your floor is about to become the hub of activities. Most homeowners make a long to-do list, and often, taking care of the floor is never on the list.
It is relatively easy to take care of your expensive floor during the holidays, just as it is to damage it using heavy loads and metallic objects. People only realize that they should have taken more precautions after they damage their floor. Here are six ways that you can protect your floor this season.
10 ways to protect your floor this season
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1- Use Area Rugs
If you do not own area rugs, now would be the best time to buy some. You can combine a quality rug pad with an area rug to cover vulnerable areas of your home and protect your floor from scratches and dents. The areas immediately after your entrance door and hallways are some risk areas that you should consider. You should also use rugs in dining areas and places where you plan to set up your food.
2- Using Doormats
Having a doormat outside your entrance door is a good idea. A doormat will remind your guests to wipe their feet before they come in, which will help remove a lot of grit that might damage your floors. It would help if you avoided rubber door mats because they can trap water that might go unnoticed. Alternatively, you can place rubber mats outside and woolen mats inside your entrance.
3 – Ask your guests to take off their shoes
Politely request your guests to remove their shoes. Even though some people do not like removing their shoes, a polite request is very understandable and reasonable. You can set up a beautiful shore rack or a shoe bin to encourage people to remove their shoes and help them to arrange them in order. You can also introduce clean and comfortable slippers for guests to wear in the house. Sandals will help to keep your guests’ feet warm, and they will keep your home clean. Household sandals are cheap, so getting them will not be a hassle.
4 – Wear proper shoes
Hardwood floors are a great addition to the house, and they look just awesome, but the problem is that those Floors and are quite sensitive and can easily be damaged. For example, walking on it daily with high heels shoes can easily create scratches and dents in the floor, which may lead to an expensive maintenance procedures.
While you’re in the house, do not walk around with high heels or with sneakers. Use slippers as much as possible, and especially those who don’t leave a mark on your floor.
5 – Sweep and Vacuum
Sweep and vacuum your floor more regularly than you always do. Sweeping is something that you should be doing all year round. Nevertheless, more guests within your home mean that your floors will have more dirt and dust. Since these particles can coagulate and scratch your floor, it would be best if you swept regularly. Periodic vacuum cleaning will keep your floor dirt free and safe from the risk of scratches. For list of the best vacuum cleaners for hardwood floors.
6 – Clean spills immediately
Avoid spilling water on your hardwood floor at all costs. Water can cause a lot of damage to your floor. But we are all humans and spills always occur from time to time. So when it happens wipe spills up immediately with a clean cloth, and after it go over with a dry towel. This will prevent damage or cracks in your hardwood floor.
7 – Avoid Oil Based Cleaners
This is the most important tip out of the ten tips we mentioned here. Most people are not aware of this problem and they simply ruin their floor. What worst is that in most cases many cleaners claim to be safe for floors while this is not true at all. Wax, Oil-based cleaners, polishes can make your hardwood floor look old and dull the finish on it. Check with your manufacturer for recommended cleaners – Don’t use it just because they claim to be safe!
8 – Keep it dry
Keep your floor dry and free from water or moisture. Water can significantly damage wooden floors. Anyone who has wooden floors knows that it is dangerous to expose them to water. If you are hosting guests, make sure that you set up a safe place to put your drinks and keep children away from the floor when they are having meals. You should check for spills because some water spills may go unnoticed, and damage your floor. As long as you take precautions, your floor will always be dry.
9 – Pad your furniture
Pad your furniture and stationary tables or chairs. When you are dealing with many individuals in your house, you will have to move chairs up and down, which poses a risk if your furniture is not padded. Unpadded chairs and tables can leave scratches that may be hard to cover up, so it is best to avoid such issues by using rubber or plastic pads. Setting up permanent furniture in your living room is also a great way of ensuring that your floor stays safe. You can also take most activities outside in your yard, which will minimize people’s traffic inside the house.
Conclusion
If you want to protect your floor, you should take note of anything that can destroy your floor. Keeping everything, including your pets in check, will ensure that you minimize floor damage. The next time you are planning your to-do list, make sure that you create space for protecting your floor. You can use these six ways to protect your floor. Alternatively, you can refurbish your floor by polishing in case of minor damages.
