How to Prevent Wear and Tear on Your Floor’s High-Traffic Areas

As you walk through your house you tend to walk in similar patterns over and over again. This leads to parts of your floors getting extra heavy traffic. And, this heavy traffic can lead to irreversible damage on your floors.

We’ve outlined a few ways you can prevent damage to your floors, of any type, in those high traffic areas.

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF CARPET

As you walk through your house, you tend to walk in similar patterns. This leads to extra heavy traffic on parts of your floors, which can then lead to irreversible damage.

That said, there are plenty of proactive steps you can take to reduce damage to your floor and avoid permanent damage for years to come.

To help you get started, here are our best tips for maintaining any type of floor in high-traffic areas.

1. Place welcome mats by outside doors. Welcome mats help prevent outdoor dirt and debris from entering your house in the first place. 

2. Vacuum regularly. If you vacuum two to three times a week, less dirt will become embedded in your carpet fibers.  

3. Rotate furniture regularly. Avoid permanent dents and damage to the fibers in your carpet by moving furniture a couple of times a year. 

4. Install curtains or blinds. UV Rays can fade your carpet over time. Decrease the chance of sun damage and fading by installing window treatments to block the light.

5. Clean up spills immediately. Don’t let liquids or solids settle into the fibers of your carpet, as this can lead to discoloration, odor, or physical breakdown of carpet fibers. 

6. Have your carpet professionally cleaned. Every day cleaning methods are effective in helping you fight contaminants, but they won’t be able to get deep in your carpet fibers. Professional cleaning is essential to get deeper and ensure nothing is festering in the fibers. This will not only protect the health of your home, but it can also immediately change the appearance of your floor. Learn more about hiring professional carpet cleaning company here.

7. Use carpet protectors. You can buy clear, vinyl carpet protectors to place over high-traffic carpet areas to keep pressure off of fibers and help prevent damage. You can also have a carpet protector solution applied by a professional carpet cleaning service to prevent damage from dirt and spills. Learn more about our carpet protector.

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF AREA RUGS AND ORIENTAL RUGS

1. Rotate rugs at least four times a year. Rotating your rugs every three months helps to distribute the wear and tear from high traffic patterns in your home.

2. Avoid putting oriental rugs in front of doorways. Entryways receive the most traffic. To maximize the life of your oriental area rugs, avoid using them in these areas.

3. Avoid putting your nice area rugs or oriental rugs in direct sunlight. Sunlight will cause your rugs to fade over time. Making sure your area rugs aren’t directly in sunlight will help keep them looking new longer.

4. Use casters underneath your furniture. To help prevent your furniture from causing dents and damaging your area rug fibers, use casters under the legs of furniture to relieve the weight on the fibers.

5. Reposition furniture regularly. Moving your furniture will help avoid permanent dents that can lead to damage.

6. Get your rugs professionally cleaned every year. A professional rug cleaning will extract dirt and allergens from deep within the fibers of your rug and remove them from your home. Learn more about professional area rug cleaning and oriental rug cleaning here.

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF HARDWOOD FLOORS

Dirty shoes, pet paws, and moving furniture on hardwood can strip coatings and cause your floors to wear down more quickly. Regular maintenance is the best way to keep your hardwood floors looking new longer. 

Here are some tips to help you get the maximum life out of your hardwood floors.

1. Vacuum regularly. Did you know dirt can scratch hardwood? Vacuuming two to three times a week will remove dirt, making your floors less likely to be scratched.

2. Mop weekly. Removing dirt that can settle into your floors can prevent permanent damage. When you mop, make sure to do it in the direction of the wood grain. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to clean hardwood floors.

3. Use cotton mats in doorways or in front of sinks. Unlike vinyl or rubber mats, cotton mats won’t trap water underneath, allowing your floors to dry more quickly.

4. Remove your shoes when you get home. An easy way to control what dirt is coming into your home is by taking off your shoes at the door. 

5. Trim your pet’s nails. Trim your dog’s and cat’s nails to ensure they aren’t scratching your hardwood.

6. Add felt protectors to furniture legs. Adding furniture protectors will help prevent your furniture from scratching the wood.

7. Install curtains or blinds. Hours of light exposure can damage hardwood floors and cause them to fade. Blocking sunlight will help keep the colors in your hardwood looking new longer.

8. Get your hardwood floors professionally cleaned every year. Professional cleaning companies use cleaning processes that extract the dirt and contaminants trapped in the wood. Stanley Steemer even offers a fast-drying maintenance coat to keep your hardwood fresher for longer.