Flooring Maintenance In Winter

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… No, don’t imagine the layer of white and fluffy snow outside that covers the land, don’t envision the delicious Christmas dinner or all the long-awaited presents under the sparkling Christmas tree, neither the Christmas carols the radio is bursting. We are not talking about this amazing, white, cosy and wonderful type of Christmas. We are actually talking about all the dirt and muddy water you bring inside the house once the weather outside goes rainy and dark. All the food and drink spills and oily stains on the floor around the dinner table after you have guests and family gatherings. All the needle and confetti nightmare on the floor while you put up the Christmas tree and wrap up the presents.

All the scratches and marks left on the floor’s surface that the enthusiastic young members of the family will cause when playing with their toys directly on your newly renovated parquet. Yes, we don’t want to be the party poopers. However, the reality is reality and facts are facts and if you need a reality check – here is yours. Christmas season is the most wonderful time of the year except the fact that wintertime can be the worst time for your hardwood floor. Not necessarily, if you know how to ensure the proper upkeep and have a really efficient yet simple maintenance routine, and you take the right precautions to help your beautiful wooden floor survive this holiday season and make it alive, still beautiful and flawless. In case you want to learn more about how to keep your hardwood floor sparkling clean, flawless and pristine this holiday season, make sure to keep reading our top tips guide.

It doesn’t matter if you are planning to have a lot of guests and gatherings this holiday season, or it will be just you and the family lounging in the house, your floor needs some attention and care and it will pay off for all your love. It doesn’t have to be time-consuming, complex, or expensive to be done right. Just a simple, quick, and effortless, yet very effective cleaning and maintenance routine will do the job. So without going overboard, but still help you keep track of the most important aspects of cleaning and taking care of your wooden floor this holiday season, here is what a good maintenance routine will include.

Routine Cleaning

With all the hassle and stress of the holiday season, cleaning your floor on a daily basis is definitely not on top of the priority list. However, it should be. Regular upkeep and care for your hardwood floor are very beneficial, even if it doesn’t come to in-depth cleaning. So even if there is not a holiday party planned at your home, make sure you are not skipping the daily or weekly cleaning of your floor, vacuum the floor to remove all dust and dirt, mop with a slightly damp mop to remove the more stubborn grime trapped between the floorboards and in the gaps. By doing all this, you have a good and well-maintained base to step into the holiday season and enjoy a sparkling clean, cosy and enjoyable home. By removing all the dust and dirt that usually enters your home from outside, you are not simply preventing and getting rid of germs, bacteria, allergens, but you are also preventing fine scratches and marks that usually occurred due to high traffic and the dirt particles scratching the finish of the floor.

Remove Spills Quickly

Spills, splashes and similar incidents happen during every family or friend gathering at home. In case a spill happens on your wooden floor, there is a high risk of the occurrence of a permanent stain that can be removed only with sanding and refinishing the floor which is a bit extra, you know. Therefore, it is important to wipe off spills and stains immediately as you notice them. Use a dry or slightly damp clean cloth and blot the stain carefully without spreading it around the rest of the floor. You can also use a damp mop to quickly remove spills and stains. Remember, households with young kids and pets are more prone to spills and stains, therefore you need to be more careful when these little fellows are around.

Use Rugs and Mats Strategically

Strategic placement of mats and rugs around the house means in those areas of your home where there is a lot of high traffic or where there is a possibility of different incidents happening. Usually, the popular place for a mat is by the front door. By placing a mat there, you will make sure it will trap the majority of dirt and grime from outside the house before it enters your shoes’ soles. This is especially important considering the number of guests and visitors coming to your home during the Christmas season. The more high traffic there is, the higher the risk of scratches and dents on your floor’s finish. However, a few beautiful mats and rugs can help you prevent that in the busier areas of your home.

Don’t Wear High Heels At Home

High heels can be one of the most common reasons for scratches and marks on your wooden floor and a worn finish. This holiday season we recommend you, welcome guests, at home offering them fluffy slippers instead of wearing their shoes inside the house. In addition, create a family policy of no one wearing shoes on when inside the house. The bonus of this rule is that your home will be sparkling clean for longer periods of time and you won’t have to clean and vacuum that often.

Vacuum Christmas Tree Needles and Confetti

There is no doubt that no Christmas season will be the same without decorating the whole house and enjoying the Christmas spirit. However, even something as simple as Christmas decoration can scratch your floor and damage the finish. Therefore, we recommend you to vacuum daily around the Christmas tree and other holiday decorations, where needles may fell off along with confetti and other pieces of broken Christmas ornaments with their pointy edges scratching the surface of your hardwood floor.

Protect Your Wood Floor from Furniture

Envision a gathering of the entire family or a laidback evening with friends at your home. Everything is great, but chairs are being dragged around the room when everyone tries to find a place. It is not simply annoying because of the noise, dragging chairs and other furniture pieces can significantly scratch the finish of your hardwood floor. Prevent that from happening by placing protective felt pads onto the feet of all chairs and tables or other furniture pieces that might be dragged and moved around. Such protective pads have a cushioning effect that prevents scratches and marks.