4 Ways to Prepare Your Floors for the Holidays
The holiday season is upon us once more! Fun family gatherings and festive get-togethers are being planned, outfits being selected, and recipes being exchanged as we speak. If you are hosting at your home, there’s a good chance you are already conceptualizing a decorating timeline to have your inspired interiors completely in the spirit. As you are making your preparations, this is also the perfect time to craft a plan to protect your floors as much as possible throughout all the merry making!
More guests for the holidays mean more foot traffic, more food and drink, and more opportunities for spills than usual. Add in energetic little ones and playful pets, and it quickly becomes apparent that your home could be in for a lot! To keep your gorgeous floors looking fantastic before, during, and after your holiday events, here are four valuable ways to prepare for your floors for the holidays:
1. Use Area Rugs and Mats
It’s an absolute no-brainer to use area rugs throughout the home and mats at all entranceways! First, encourage your guests to scrape their footwear on the welcome mats to remove ice, dirt, snow, mud, and dried leaves. Not only will area rugs in the home catch any remaining particles from footwear and cushion the effects of foot traffic, but they will also add an extra layer of protection from food, spills, and excited pets. Use area rug pads underneath your rugs to hold them securely in place and cushion footsteps even more.
2. Clean Floors to Remove Particles
Before your big holiday party, it’s important to give your floors a great deep cleaning. This step will ensure that your surfaces look incredible, and also remove particles that can scratch the surfaces from foot traffic. Sweep your hard surface flooring with a gentle bristle broom or dust mop, then vacuum your carpet and rugs with an appropriate vacuum model. No matter what type of flooring you have in the home, review your manufacturer’s guidelines before wet mopping, using a Swiffer WetJet system, or using a robot vacuum cleaner.
3. Be Prepared for Spills
Mentally prepare yourself for spills that can occur, so that you show no stress and can act swiftly during the actual party! If you have laminate, luxury vinyl, or tile floors, you can easily wipe up spills with paper towels and a flooring material-specific cleaner to spot clean as needed. For hardwood floors, make sure to act as swiftly as possible with paper towels, a dry, clean cloth, a hardwood-specific spray cleaner, and ensure a dry surface afterward.
For your carpet, gently lift any food with a spoon and gently blot a liquid spill with a dry cloth and warm water. Start from the perimeter of the spill and work towards the center, spray with a gentle carpet-specific cleaner after. If you have a small table, move it over the spill to prevent steps on it if necessary. At the end of the holiday season, we recommend a professional carpet cleaning to remove any residual spill and start the year with a plush, clean carpet.
4. Use Felt Pads Under Furniture
Whether you are rearranging furniture for more space or bracing your floors for bumps and moving chairs, we highly advise placing felt pads under the legs and corners of heavy furniture and chairs. Felt pads will help prevent scratches on the floors during the party and help reduce impact with increased use of sofas and seats. This is a great step to take during the holiday season but also a great consideration all year long!
Now that you have prepped your floors, it’s time to grab a plate of food, a glass of wine, and join the festivities! Make sure to visit Dolphin Carpet & Tile at any of our locations throughout South Florida or contact our flooring experts to ask any other questions you may have.
