How to protect your floors at Christmas
Christmas.
aka. the season of house parties, get-togethers and frequent visitors.
Unquestionably, it’s a wonderful time of the year – perfect for catching up with friends and spending quality time with family. But there is one major downside.
A full house can lead to a huge increase in footfall throughout your home. Add in accidental spills, dropped pine needles, excitable children and wet winter weather, and the festive season can wreak havoc on your plush carpets and much-loved parquet.
So with the 25th fast approaching, here’s our gift to you.
Some easy-to-follow tips on how to protect your floors and ensure they make it to the new year relatively unscathed (no matter how many celebrations you agree to host!).
5 tips to protect your floor against festive chaos fun
1. Set some house rules
Dreaming of a white Christmas? In reality, it’s more likely to be wet and cold – which means, there’s a strong chance dripping umbrellas and dirt will be traipsed into your home.
Why not stop guests in their tracks and set a few house rules from the outset?
Encourage visitors to wipe their feet on the welcome mat before they step inside. Or better still, get them to take their shoes off at the door. After all, it’s better to put up with Grandad’s holey socks than to be left with stubborn stains on your fluffy cream loop pile.
You could even ask them to bring a pair of slippers to change into!
2. Invest in rugs
When it comes to floor maintenance, prevention is always better than cure.
From that endless convoy of visitors to tipsy dancing with friends at 2am. If you’re concerned about an influx in footsteps, one of the best options is to cover up your flooring.
Tactfully placed throughout the home – in hallways, lounges, around the dining table etc. – rugs are an easy way to minimise damage. Protecting against the heavier-than-usual footfall (even if your guests are wearing sparkly high heels!), whilst also bearing the brunt of any spills.
3. Move furniture with care
Party games, dancing, opening presents, socialising with the extended family.
All activities that require a little extra space.
If you decide to re-arrange the layout of the lounge or move furniture out of the way, that’s perfectly fine – just do it carefully. Preferably before you crack open the glühwein!
Moving heavy tables and chairs can easily cause scratches, scuffs and plucks. So it’s worth planning ahead, choosing a partner to help, and making room for your extra guests before their arrival. It’s also a good idea to invest in some furniture pads. These are pretty cheap to buy and make it easier to glide furniture smoothly over floors without causing damage.
4. Beware of the Christmas tree
Real ones, in particular.
They may look pretty and smell fantastic, but drips of sap can cause sticky hard-to-remove stains on your flooring and falling pine needles will easily get stuck in the carpet pile.
Therefore, to protect your flooring, there are a few things we’d recommend.
No.1. vacuum daily. If possible, always try to buy a tree with roots – and remember to water it regularly to prevent excessive needle drop. It may also be worth investing in a tree skirt or mat, which will help catch any falling needles and reduce the chances of stains.
Artificial trees aren’t quite as messy. But keep in mind, glass baubles could potentially cause damage if they fall from the branches. It’s also very easy for the tree’s metal stand to scratch hardwood or snag your carpet pile. So again, it can be worth putting down a protective mat.
5. Don’t cry over spilled…eggnog
We all have that one clumsy family member or friend.
From a full glass of merlot on your grey saxony to wayward sprouts and gravy on the dining room laminate, accidents happen – but there’s no need to let it spoil your day.
Ahead of the festive period, prepare a ‘cleaning emergency kit’ to have on hand – including paper towels, microfibre cloths, floor cleaning spray and carpet cleaning solution. Once the merry-making is in full swing, if you spot any spillages, you can then deal with them quickly (and reduce the chances of long-term stains!) without looking like a party pooper.
Party hard, worry about the floor later
No matter how much you prepare and try your best to protect your flooring, unfortunately, some wear and tear is bound to happen over the yuletide season. And why should you let something as trivial as your floor get in the way of enjoying the celebrations?
In most cases, the damage is nothing a good sweeping and mopping won’t fix.
But if not, it’s the perfect excuse for an upgrade! Post-festivities, if you decide your carpet or hardwood is looking a little worse for wear, the new year is the perfect time to replace it and spruce up your home. And to prevent the same thing from happening again, we’d advise investing in a layer of high-quality underlay.
Most underlays have excellent shock absorption qualities. As such, they can help to retain the strength and durability of your chosen floor covering – protecting against high levels of footfall and ensuring your new carpet or hard flooring lasts as long as possible. No matter how hard you party throughout future festive seasons!
For installation with carpets, our recommendation is Plushwalk 12mm.
Deemed the best carpet underlay currently available, this is made from a high-grade ‘bounce back’ memory foam – which means it offers the perfect balance of comfort and durability. Acting as a fantastic shock absorber, it can withstand significant levels of wear and tear – making it a great option for heavy-traffic areas – without sacrificing its soft and luxurious underfoot feel.
For installation with laminate and hardwood, Royale 7mm Professional Sonic Gold Underlay is our top pick.
Made from a unique high-density foam, this is a brilliant underlay that is designed to level out any subfloor imperfections – improving the stability and sturdiness of your laminate or hardwood. As such, it helps to avoid common ‘impact damage’ issues – including dents and scratches. And will significantly boost the durability and longevity of your flooring.
Want further advice on floor maintenance and protection?
You’re welcome to contact us at any time.
We’re by no means experts in cleaning. But we are a leading UK supplier of high-performance underlays. And if you’re looking for a way to maximise the lifespan of new flooring, and maintain its appearance for many Christmases to come, we can certainly point you in the right direction.
For additional care and maintenance tips – or advice on the best carpet or laminate underlay to use – simply give us a call on 0203 887 0994. Alternatively, you can send an email to sales@carpet-underlay-shop.co.uk and we’ll respond to your enquiry as soon as possible.
- Alex Illidge
