It’s the holiday season – a time of house parties, feasts, the pitter patter of children’s feet scurrying through the house and friends bustling indoors to escape the flurries of winter in exchange for a toasty fire.
This joyful holiday time spent with family and friends may sound wonderful to you, but, if unprepared, it can wreak havoc on your beautiful flooring.
Guests arriving in fancy high-heeled attire or heavy duty snow boots dripping with melted snow can spell trouble for floors that, while durable, are subject to damage from moisture, damaged shoes and scuffing from various footwear.
Moisture Protection
When it comes to salt and slush, which can eat away at your floor’s finish, it’s best to be in prevention mode from the moment guests approach your home.
Be sure to place durable door mats both inside and outside the entrance of your home. These mats absorb much of the moisture from wet footwear right from the beginning.
If salt does make it past your entrance barrier, its high pH level and abrasiveness can affect your floor’s finish. To clean, mix a few ounces of white vinegar with several gallons of warm water. Apply with a soft cloth to affected areas and be sure to wipe floors dry of any excess moisture in order to prevent warping.
To help keep excess moisture away from the floorboards throughout the winter, keep some soft cloths or towels by the entrance so wiping up any puddles can be done right away.
High Heels Damage Flooring
Did you know that a woman wearing a shoe with a spiked or high heel exerts so much pressure per square inch that it has been compared to that of an elephant or to crushing concrete?
If the heel is damaged or in disrepair, the damage will be even worse.
In an effort to protect your floors from dents caused by guests dressed in their holiday best, it’s best to either utilize protective mats or runners or simply ask your friends and family to kindly place their shoes in a special area by the front door.
