With the holidays approaching, winter weather also is on its way. That combination can only mean one thing: guests will soon be at your home. Since you may be focused on what room every relative is going to sleep in and who is going to sit at the kids’ table, the state of your floor may be the last thing on your mind. Don’t fret, once all the relatives have left you can get a proper cleaning in. Until then, consider these tips of how to take care of your floor during the holiday season.
Removing shoes
It doesn’t matter if people are coming over to stay for the holidays or if people are coming over for a party, with the snow and sleet come mucky shoes. Perhaps you just cleaned your floors or maybe you had new floors installed. Asking people to take off their shoes at your door may be a bit cumbersome at first, but, informing all guests about the “no shoe” policy before they head over is a good start. Let friends and family know before they enter your home or even post a sign to have shoes removed. As winter weather is too cold for bare feet, preparing extra socks and slippers for guests is also a welcomed idea. If none of these ideas works for you, then you should purchase some…
Floor mats
Yes, floor mats may seem like an obvious way to keep the condition of your floor up to par, but some people may not want to cover up their floor with unsightly mats. All mats aren’t unsightly though! Having floor mats by the front door or in your main entryway can encourage guests to shed their extra layers of clothing (shoes included) there, as you don’t want the grime inside the living area of your home. Non-absorbent plastic mats work wonders in the winter. This type of mat offers up a place for shoes to dry without having the melted water pool onto your floors, thus avoiding possible damage from water and salt.
Pet precautions
With more people over and strange decorations taking up room in the house, your dog or cat may be a bit anxious from all of the hubbub going on. Help lower the anxiety for Fido or Garfield by having his nails trimmed so he won’t be in trouble for scratching the floors if there is a sensory overload for your pup or cat. Another good treatment for your floors, if you have pets, during the holidays is mopping. Mopping will keep the floors clean of pet hair and dander. Our final pet precaution: if an ornament gets knocked to the floor or if something is smashed, sweep or vacuum up the remnants right away — having a cat or dog get into the debris won’t be helpful for your holiday plans.
Cleaning
This may seem like an obvious tip in floor care, but after grandma has left and the home is finally empty of all those relatives, a thorough cleaning is in order. Mop, vacuum, sweep and dust to get any leftover crumbs, pine needles or other debris off of your floors. Spills and scuff marks can occur when a lot of people are gathering in one place, so utilizing a floor cleaner to clean them up is a good way to improve the look of your floors after company has left.
Your floor sees a lot of foot traffic on a daily basis, and that amount can double when family comes to visit during the holiday season. Take these tips into consideration before the holiday season starts to wind down, and you won’t have to wait until the New Year to make your floors look like new!
