Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also one of the most chaotic. And when you add more guests (and gravy!) to your home, the chance of damage increases. That’s why I’m taking extra steps to protect my floors from scuffs and stains this festive period.
As Ideal Home’s resident floorcare guru, it’s literally my job to help people maintain the floors in their homes. But as a homeowner who has recently replaced my own flooring, I’m even more conscious of the potential damage that Christmas can bring - especially as it’s my turn to host this year.
Plus, prevention is always better than the cure, so I’d rather add a few extra tasks to my to-do list now to prevent any bigger (and potentially much more expensive) tasks in the future. So, I asked professional floorcase experts what things I should do to protect my flooring over Christmas - and this is what they said.
1. Ask guests to remove shoes
To protect my floors over the festive period, I’m keeping anything that could harm them at arm’s length - and this includes my guests’ shoes. After all, I may have my trusty absorbent doormat to tackle any mud they bring in on their shoes, but heels (however big or small) are a different matter.
This is echoed by Graeme Shelley, Managing Director at Factory Direct Flooring, who says, ‘Stilettos are also notorious for damaging floors - all the force is concentrated into a tiny point that can easily scratch and dent surfaces.’ Of course, most of my guests won’t be wearing stilettos this Christmas, but even smaller heels or stones stuck in shoe soles can cause damage if you’re not careful.
That’s why I’m asking all my guests to remove their shoes upon entering my home this festive season. I’ve bought this game-changing shoe organiser to pop by the door so they know what’s expected of them, so hopefully I don’t even have to ask.
I’ve even gone the extra mile by buying these Juvale Disposable Closed Toe Slippers (Pack of 12), £23.54 at Amazon, in bulk for my guests to wear instead. This will add an extra layer of protection for my floors, while also keeping my guests comfy and cosy. Plus, they’ll have a nice little keepsake to take home with them!
With 16 slots, side handles, and a zippable lid, this shoe organiser is highly versatile and ideal for extra pairs of shoes over the festive period. Plus, it'll protect your floors!
2. Replace protective pads on furniture feet
Since having my hard flooring replaced, I’ve become very protective of it - and I’ve done everything I can to keep scuffs and scratches at bay. One of the first things I bought afterwards was furniture pads - these Argos Home Feltguard Value Felt Protective Pads - 21 Pack (£5 at Argos), which I attached to the feet of every piece of furniture that touched the floor.
This way, I didn’t have to second-guess myself when I moved my dining room chairs in and out, and I knew that my larger pieces of furniture wouldn’t cause them any harm. But before I host this Christmas, I’m going to replace the pads to ensure they’re in tip-top shape before the big day.
Graeme agrees with my plans, saying, ‘These protective pads can wear down over time, and moving furniture with worn or missing pads is a recipe for scratches. Replacing them is quick and cheap, and could save your floors from unnecessary damage.’
With these pads replaced, I can enjoy my Christmas knowing that my boisterous nephews won’t scratch my beloved floors when they scrape the chairs back or accidentally push furniture around while they’re running amok. They’re cheap and seriously effective.
This pack of 235 felt pads should no doubt tackle all of the furniture in your home, and the different colours and sizes means that they will be as inconspicuous as possible.
3. Add a buffer for my tree
I’ve always been team artificial Christmas tree, as I just don’t have the patience for the cleanup that comes with a real one. But while artificial trees are generally low-maintenance, they can also cause damage to your floors if you take your eye off the ball. In fact, last year, my old hard flooring was scratched by the metal stand of my tree.
That’s why this year I’ve added a buffer between my hard flooring and my stand and bought this 90cm Seagrass Spiral Christmas Tree Mat for £35 at Dunelm. Of course, most people opt for a tree skirt, and I will admit that tree skirts look much nicer as they hide the stand and the legs of the Christmas tree. But tree skirts don’t create that buffer you need to protect your flooring.
It’s worth doing this if you have a real Christmas tree, too, says Alex Heslop, Trend Expert at Flooring Superstore. She warns, ‘Tree stands with sharp edges can easily dent or scratch floors. Reservoir Christmas tree stands, while effective at keeping your tree hydrated, can also damage your floor through water leaks and spillages.’
She suggests using a protective waterproof mat for real trees, and also advises you to keep an eye out for fallen needles, overflowing water and sap drips. ‘Sap can usually be removed with a warm, soapy cloth. Rubbing alcohol can sometimes help dissolve sticky residue on hard surfaces, but should always be spot tested first and avoided on real wood,’ she explains.
It's well worth stocking up on cleaning cloths for Christmas, as you never know whether you'll need them to blot up any spills or wipe down your hard flooring after a rogue roast potato falls on the floor.
4. Clean up spills ASAP
I’m not just focusing on protecting my hard floors this Christmas, as I also want to keep my carpets and rugs in pristine condition too - even though I have relatives staying in the spare bedroom and rugs throughout my living room and dining room. And while I can’t stop my loved ones from accidentally causing common Christmas stains, I can clean them up ASAP.
Yes, one of the golden rules of stain removal is tackling the spills as soon as possible to ensure they don’t get any worse, which is why I have my trusty Shark Stainforce on hand and ready for action this festive season. However, you’ll thank yourself for having any of the best spot cleaners at your disposal.
Don’t worry if you don’t have one, though. Laura Harnett, founder of plastic-free cleaning brand Seep, says you can also use cupboard essentials you already have to remove stains from a carpet. ‘The key to stopping stains from setting on carpets is to act quickly! As soon as something is spilt, like wine, any type of sauce, gravy, etc., it needs to be blotted up immediately with an absorbent cloth,’ she explains.
‘Then sprinkle over a generous amount of baking soda, which will absorb the liquid even further, leave it for about half an hour and then brush or vacuum up. If this doesn’t fully remove the marks, then mix baking soda with water to create a stiff paste and gently rub it into the stain using circular motions and a soft brush.’
Ideal for grab-and-go spot cleaning, this is the product you've seen all over social media - and I have no doubts that I'll be using mine over the festive period.
Like I said, prevention is better than the cure... so protect your floors this Christmas!
