How To Maintain and Protect Your Floors from Holiday Foot Traffic & Spills

The holiday season brings friends and family together, but what about your floors? Hosting the next holiday party at your house doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your hardwood or worry about stains. With a few precautions and proper cleaning techniques, you can avoid permanent damage to your wood, laminate, tile, and carpet flooring.

Hernandez Wholesale Flooring is here to help Southern California residents keep their floors looking nice at any time of the year. From waterproof flooring to area rugs, we can help you protect floors from heavy foot traffic, water damage, spills, and more.

Why Holiday Foot Traffic & Spills Are a Big Deal for Your Floors

Your flooring is important to the look and feel of your home. You want it to reflect your sense of style, provide comfort, and last a long time. A little red wine and a muddy floor may seem harmless, but grit, moisture, and spills can cause permanent damage, including dents, scratches, and stains on your floors. The cost and time spent repairing floors afterward can be extensive, and you risk a shorter lifespan for your floor.

Top Flooring Risks During the Holidays

Some of the biggest risks to your floors this holiday season include:

• People wearing footwear indoors: Shoes, boots, and other types of footwear can scratch, dent, and scuff your floors, especially if they have pointed toes, high heels, or hard soles. Grit from the street will also scratch the finish.
• Spilled food and drinks: If not cleaned properly (and quickly), red wine, gravy, juice, soda, grease, and other food may stain your flooring. Big spills can also cause damage as the liquid seeps underneath.
• Scratches and dents: Anything from kids playing to people moving furniture around or dropping heavy objects can scratch and dent your flooring.
• Pets: If your guest brings an overexcited pet, they may scratch up the floor with their nails or make a mess on your carpet.
• Toys: Lay out a play mat or have the kiddos play in a carpeted room to protect the floor from scratches.

Best Flooring Protection Tips for the Holidays

Wondering how to protect floors during the holidays? The following are some simple tips to help protect your flooring investment:

• Use doormats: Place doormats at each entryway (inside and outside) to encourage guests to wipe their feet and to catch excess dirt and moisture.
• Place area rugs around the house: Rugs are one of the best seasonal floor protection products. Area rugs for high-traffic areas will add a layer of cushioning, helping to prevent damage. The best floor mats for winter parties have extra padding underneath. You may also want to place a rug or mat over light-colored carpet for extra spill protection.
• Ask guests to remove their shoes: High-heeled shoes can dent floors, and people may track gritty sand, dirt, or rocks that can scratch the finish.
• Clean spills immediately: Make sure to clean up spills as quickly as possible, reducing the chance of stains and preventing water damage on floors.
• Felt furniture pads: Stick felt pads onto chair legs, under tables, and on the bottom of any furniture that may be moved around to prevent scratches.
• Consider the tree: If you put up a Christmas tree, place a barrier underneath to prevent denting, and be careful when watering. Dropped pine needles should be vacuumed, not swept, as they can cause micro-scratches.

Cleaning Tips for Common Holiday Spills

Spills happen, but these helpful holiday floor cleaning tips will help you avoid permanent damage when they do.

Cleaning up Spills on Hardwood

Blot the spill immediately with a dry cloth to absorb most of the liquid, then wipe with a damp microfiber cloth. Try a hardwood-safe floor cleaner that contains no harsh or abrasive ingredients. Serious, set-in oil and grease stains may require harsher spot cleaning.

Cleaning up Spills on Laminate

Blot dry, then use a damp (not wet) microfiber mop or cloth to get the rest. Spray mops may also work, although you’ll need to use a floor cleaner specifically designed for laminate floors or a 1-part vinegar and 3-part water solution.

Cleaning up Spills on Tile

Sweep, wipe, or vacuum the area, then use a diluted cleaning solution in warm water, and gently scrub it. Be sure to select the appropriate type of cleaner for your tile. Grout lines may also need a different, grout-specific cleaner to remove stubborn stains.

Cleaning up Spills on Carpet

Immediately start blotting the spot with a clean cloth or paper towel, starting from the edge and working inward. After rinsing with water and blotting again, apply a small amount of dish soap or a vinegar solution. Blot, rinse, and repeat this process until the spot has disappeared, then dry the area.

Best Flooring Types for Holiday Durability

If you’re considering investing in new, high-quality flooring that offers sufficient durability to withstand the holidays, consider waterproof vinyl flooring. This flooring is a smart investment. It’s a versatile, low-cost option with a long lifespan. Porcelain tiles, ceramic tiles, and some laminates are also durable and can withstand your holiday festivities well.

Long-Term Tips to Keep Floors Looking New

Along with quick spill cleanups and preventing scratches, dings, and spills, you can also take the following measures to keep your floors looking new:

• Sweep regularly.
• Control your indoor humidity.
• Use blinds or curtains to prevent sun damage.
• Schedule regular professional maintenance.

Shop Durable, Low-Maintenance Flooring for Entertaining

At Hernandez Wholesale Flooring, we offer LA-area residents high-quality flooring options, as well as temporary floor protection solutions, such as area rugs. If you’re looking for waterproof flooring for entertaining or want to speak to an expert about how to prevent floor scratches or laminate floor care this holiday season, don’t hesitate to contact us.

We’re available now to schedule your free consultation, helping you explore flooring that stands up to holidays, guests, and spills, or you can visit our Commerce, CA, showroom for durable flooring upgrades.