Floor Protection: Holiday Edition

Having high foot traffic in your home this time of year takes a toll on your floors. While holidays can be a source of fun, hosting can definitely be a source of stress with endless cleaning, messy guests and accidents waiting to happen! Relieve some of that stress by taking these steps to protect your floors from the holidays.

1. Use doormats and boot trays near entryways.

Before your guests arrive, make sure you cover your bases. Using doormats and boot trays is a good preventative measure to take to protect your floors from the elements. Doormats should be used inside and outside of the entryway to pick up as much snow, slush, and dirt that guests tend to track in. For outdoor doormats, be sure they are durable and made of absorbent fibers like polyester. It’s also important that they are non-slip so your guests are kept safe. For indoor doormats, absorbency is also a key factor and being machine-washable is recommended so it can easily be cleaned. We even offer our own Stanley Steemer doormats that are used by our technicians before they step inside your house. They help to reduce dirt from entering the home with their durable, non-skid material.

Lastly, boot trays should be used so there’s a safe place for people to comfortably take off their shoes without putting your floor at risk. You may want to stock up on a few spare to accommodate for more people entering your home. Rubber trays are a great material, because they trap in melted ice and debris from going onto your floors. 

It can be a hassle to ask guests to take their shoes off and that means your carpet could be at risk for dirt and traffic patterns. Professional cleaning companies can add protector to your carpet. This helps so dirt doesn't stick to the fibers and makes it easier to vacuum up. Learn more about our carpet protector here.

2. Use a cotton mat by the sink.

Not only should you protect the floors from guests, but you should also protect the floors from your own messes. When you’re doing a lot of dishes and spending extra time in the kitchen for the holidays, make sure to use a cotton mat by the sink. Sink mats with lining or that are made out of a non-absorbent material will let water sit underneath and could lead to water damage on your floor. A cotton mat breathes so water will dry faster.

3. Use furniture protectors.

You know the sound when someone doesn't lift up their chair to scoot in towards the table—even worse, the damage it can do to your floor. Protect hard floor surfaces and use furniture protectors on the ends of all your furniture. Felt floor protectors are ideal for hardwood, tile, and stone flooring. They easily glide over the floor and are relatively easy to install. Larger felt pads can be used for bigger furniture items too like dining room tables or couches.

Using furniture protectors at the bottom of your large living room furniture will help protect your carpet as well. Additionally for carpet and rugs, moving furniture around periodically can help prevent furniture weight marks from becoming indented onto your carpet. 

4. Protect flooring under the Christmas tree.

Protecting your floor from your Christmas tree means investing in heavy-duty floor mats, protectors and a high-quality tree stand. For tree stands, be sure to check yearly that it doesn’t leak out any water. To err on the side of safety, place a floor mat underneath the stand as an extra layer of support against any possible leakage. Finally, it’s important to regularly vacuum tree shavings each week to maintain your floors and keep your home tidy.

5. Clean floors regularly, vacuum and mop with the grain.

Just like cleaning under the tree, regularly cleaning is key. Dirt, dust, and debris will always get tracked into your home, especially when you host a group of people. Maintenance cleaning will help prevent scratching your floors or tearing up your carpet fibers. For hardwood floor maintenance, read more on how to clean hardwood floors. One quick tip is to mop and sweep with the grain. Mopping against the grain or mopping in any which direction can cause streaking and leave more water. Spray mopping is also better to avoid over-wetting the floors and prevent standing water. For carpet maintenance, frequent vacuuming can help prevent dust and grime from being packed into the carpet fibers.

If you’re in need of all cleaning tips and tricks for around the home during the holidays, check out this house guide on the dos and don’ts of holiday cleaning!

6. Get your floors professionally cleaned.

Getting your floors professionally cleaned before the extra traffic comes into your home is beneficial to extend the life and quality of your carpet, area rug, hardwood, stone, and tile and grout. A professional cleaning will extract the dirt deep into the surface of your floor to help prevent further damage when guests arrive. Whatever flooring your home has, we got you covered and go above and beyond to get the job done.

Carpet Cleaning

Our carpet cleaning process can help renew your carpets and also get it party-ready for guests. We can remove up to 94% of common household allergens and relieve your home of pesky irritants. We can also apply protectant and deodorizer to protect your carpet against spills and neutralize odors at the source.

Area Rug Cleaning

For area rugs, we offer in-home cleaning and off-site cleaning at our specialized cleaning facilities. We even offer free pick-up and delivery for off-site cleaning for your fine area rugs like Oriental and Persian rugs. 

Unsure what type of area rug you own? Check out our area rug identification guide here!

Hardwood Floor Cleaning

Our hardwood floor cleaning helps promote home health by removing on average 96% of household allergens. We use neutral pH cleaning solutions to be safe on your hardwood, yet tough on dirt and grime. Once your floors are cleaned, we can also apply a quick-drying maintenance coat for further protection.

Tile and Grout Cleaning

Our tile and grout cleaning works hard to remove stubborn dirt and we even can remove an average of 96% of common allergens from your floors. With our color grout sealant, you can rejuvenate your floor to look like new at a lower cost than replacing the tile floor.

Natural Stone Cleaning

We can clean a variety of natural stone flooring like travertine, marble, limestone, and slate. Our techs pay extra attention to detail and even hand clean hard-to-reach areas. After our three-step polishing process, your stone flooring will be beautifully refreshed and cleaned for your party.

7. Be prepared and have a plan of attack for party fouls.

At last, when the day of your party has arrived, be ready for messes and have a plan of attack before spills become stains. Be mindful of guests’ food and drinks. Clear clutter on tables and create ample room for food and drinks to be set down so nothing is waiting to get knocked over on the edge of a table.

But most importantly, have clean, white microfiber towels on hand and have a spot cleaner within reach. You can make your own DIY carpet cleaner or try one of our professional-grade cleaning solutions. This way if a party foul strikes, you’ll be prepared to act fast and clean fast. Always blot spills to get up as much of the substance as possible without causing it to further embed into the floor.

Protect your floors this holiday season with the help of Stanley Steemer.

Call us 24/7 at 1-800-STEEMER or schedule instantly online.