Winter is a tough time for flooring, and when you add the extra footfall at Christmas, it could spell disaster for your beautiful floor, whether hardwood, laminate or vinyl. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to mitigate any potential damage to your floor this Christmas. Read on for some tips!
The dangers of hosting Christmas are plentiful, particularly when alcohol is involved, with spillages being one of the most common dangers. Keep a supply of paper towels on hand and clear up any spills as soon as they happen to avoid staining your flooring (this is particularly important with dark-coloured drinks, such as red wine). Keep a stock of cleaning products suitable for your flooring type to make sure you have some to hand at all times.
Flooring can suffer hugely during winter months; wet footwear can damage flooring, causing it to swell, and grit can be walked through on shoes causing scratches. To mitigate these risks and avoid damage from footwear, it is wise to ask guests to leave their shoes at the door, providing a doormat on which they can wipe them. Keep this in mind for pets too — their wet feet can cause damage so it’s a good idea to dry them off when they come inside.
Needles from your Christmas tree also have the potential to scratch your flooring, so put a mat around it to catch any that fall, cleaning the mat regularly to prevent needles travelling across the floor. You will need to water your tree, so make sure you clean up any spillages straight away to avoid damage to the floor beneath the pot. Or opt for a fake tree to avoid the scenario completely!
When you have had visitors or hosted Christmas, sweep your floor regularly to avoid scratches from debris. Then pour a large glass of wine, pop your feet up and relax!