How are your holiday plans coming along? Are you hosting parties all season long?
It’s one of the most popular times of the year to have family and friends over, entertaining, cooking, baking.
That’s a lot of foot traffic across your floors.
Your floors are the first thing your guests will notice. If they’re dirty, dingy, or drab, it can take away a little of the excitement they feel as they walk through the doors. If they’re clean, they’ll admire your beautiful home.
Where do you begin?
Give your floors a deep clean
Not only do you want your floors to look their best before guests arrive, but you also want them to look great after they leave. By deep cleaning first, you can protect your flooring from stains, scratches, and dirt. Sometimes when dirt and debris builds up, it can cause scratches as shoes walk across the floor or a table or chair slides into place. Deep cleaning can remove that layer of dirt that will most likely cause damage. While you can find mild cleaners at your favorite store, we recommend checking with the manufacturer before you use a solution. Sometimes natural is the best way to go. A mixture of one part vinegar and three parts water works well every time.
Invest in extra rugs
Rugs can help you prevent scratches and stains before they occur. Mats work well in hallways, entryways, and around the kitchen. Be selective of where you lay them. Consider the flow of your home as well as where your guests are likely to gather. And while you can invest in large rugs to be a part of your room’s decor, don’t shy away from smaller rugs that accent the room just for the holidays. Just be sure they are high quality and won’t be dangerous, adding into the potential for slips and falls.
Add felt pads under your furniture
Guests often spend the most time in your kitchen, breakfast nook and dining room. Chairs are often slid back and forth over and over again. They may also be spending more time on your sofa, plopping down for a movie or a video game with the kids. Every time they move around, your furniture has the potential of moving just a bit. And those sudden movements can scratch the finish and move deep into the wood. If you don’t have a rug underneath, invest in high quality felt pads and attach them to the legs of your furniture. They’re easy to superglue into place.
Invest in a repair kit
Scratches might occur, and when they do, there is a solution. Most hardware stores have repair kits to hide the scratches and scuff marks, and prevent them from getting worse. If you have one on hand, you can touch up any problem areas from the moment they occur. You can quickly hide the blemishes as you’re getting ready for your next big party.
It doesn’t take much to have your floors looking their best this holiday season. So relax. With just a little bit of planning, you can enjoy your time with family and friends without worrying about your flooring after the events.