How to protect your floors at Christmas

Are you hanging up your stocking on the wall? It’s the time when every Santa has a ball… and if your thoughts are turning to get-togethers, visitors dropping in or full-on parties, then this is the guide for you. While it’s wonderful when people gather around during the festive season, the downside of having a full house can mean your carpets or floors take a battering.

Even if you’re not worrying about extra footfall, there are also potential problems of spills and stains from candle wax, dropped needles from the Christmas tree and scratches or dents from fallen decorations. We’ve come up with some easy-to-follow hints and tips to help you get through the holiday period without too much damage to your floors.

In the bleak midwinter…

Although the holiday season can be a magical time of the year, the weather isn’t usually great. You may be dreaming of a white Christmas, but it’s more likely to be a damp and cold one. There’s a strong possibility of persistent rain, dripping umbrellas indoors, as well as dirt, grit and mud being tracked in from outside. And it’s likely that the house will be warmer than outside and cold draughts could get in when doors or windows are open.

Changeable conditions and fluctuations in temperature may affect your flooring. We’d suggest prevention is better than cure here. Lay down doormats at the entrance of your home and gently encourage everyone to wipe their feet before they come inside. Invest in a boot scraper by the front door if mud is a big problem or an outside mat so that shoes and boots can be taken off first, and the worst of the muck stays outside the home.

HEATING

Having the heating on for long periods can dry out floors, so it’s important to make sure your atmosphere stays comfortable. You may want to place a bowl of water in a room that gets too dry. As many of us are concerned about heating during the cost of living crisis, this might be an opportunity to turn radiators or heaters down a notch to avoid this problem and reduce energy bills into the bargain.

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Fibre Sisal - Havana Obsidian

Rocking around the Christmas tree

One of the star attractions when you’re decorating for Christmas is the tree. It’s up to you whether you have a real one or not, as both can cause problems with flooring. A natural tree can lose its needles which can scratch smooth floors, or get lost in carpets, so you may need to do more vacuuming than usual.

The best way to prevent this is to lay down a mat under the tree to catch as many needles as possible. And if you can, buy a tree with roots. Water it regularly to prevent needle drop, but be careful not to spill water and create more problems than you’re solving! An artificial tree won’t shed needles, but it may come with a stand with sharp edges which could scratch wooden, laminate or vinyl floors.

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Instagram @beresfordetc | Montilla Aldway

All I want for Christmas is you

One of the joys of Christmas is inviting family and friends over to visit. It’s likely your home will be busier than usual. And that extra footfall means there may be more damage to your flooring. You could have dozens of people, potentially wearing dirty shoes or high heels, spilling mince pie crumbs, or splashing mulled wine and staining with cranberry sauce.

We’d recommend keeping paper towels or wipes to hand and cleaning up spills or stains immediately. Then consult our care guides on how to remove stains from carpet or smooth flooring, depending on which type of flooring you have and what has been dropped. It’s up to you to ask your guests to take off their shoes when they enter your home too, although you may want to provide slippers or socks as a hint!

SANTA CLAWS

While you’ll only get a Christmas Eve visit from Rudolph and all of the other reindeer if you’re on Santa’s nice list, it’s more likely your guests will bring their pets with them when they arrive. Dogs mean claws, which can scratch smooth floors, or get snagged in fluffy carpets. While you can’t ask them to make sure they’ve taken their pooch on a trip to the groomer beforehand, then perhaps you could gently persuade their owners to keep their dog in one room, and protect that floor with a mat or rug. Alternatively, you can discover the best flooring for pets.

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Instagram @oak_house | New Jersey - Oyster

Room is swaying, records playing

If you’re planning a party, you’ll probably be thinking about shifting furniture around to accommodate all the dancing and socialising. Be careful when you move heavy tables or chairs as they can scratch the surfaces of floors. You can buy adhesive felt which sticks to the bottom of your furniture. And once the merry making is in full swing, discreetly keep an eye out for any spills, as we mentioned earlier, and deal with them as soon as you possibly can without looking like a party pooper!

I wish it could be Christmas every day

The best way to protect your floor is to maintain it regularly. Please consult our care guides which will show you the best way to keep your laminate, vinyl, luxury vinyl and carpet in their best condition every day of the year. You may need to use a specialist oil to maintain your engineered wood floor or a carpet shampoo occasionally. Just remember a clean floor is a protected floor as it has not accumulated dirt which can damage it! So your everyday broom, mop, and vacuum are your best friends.

If this guide has got you excited about your Christmas celebrations, why not come down to your local Tapi store and speak with one of our floorologists about replacing your old flooring for something new? You can also book a free home appointment for us to come to you, where we can help you establish what flooring would work best in your space and make your home party central!

Post author

Claire Murphy Copywriter Former lifestyle journalist, keen amateur upcycler, full of value for money ideas

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Published: 30-11-2022