Protecting your floors through the holiday season

0 Comments

The holiday season is in full swing. And with that come parties and gatherings and weather… all over the floors of your home. It really is the toughest time of year to keep your floors clean. Here I’ll address the top 3 seasonal issues for 3 types of floors we commonly see in the Saint Louis region.

Hardwood floors

    1. Moisture
      Don’t let ice and snow melt or party spills sit on your hardwood floors. Excessive moisture, even from just a few ice cubes, can damage the wood underneath over time. I keep an old bath towel by the door to wipe up rain/snow/ice that my kids or guests track inside. Also, invest in a hard plastic shoe tray for wet boots to dry.

 

    1. Heel damage
      Parties bring in stiletto heels, which are particularly damaging to wood flooring. While it is hard to dictate other people’s footwear, you can control your own. Wait to put on high heeled shoes until you are out of the home, or limit wear to just inside the door. High heels exert more psi on a wood floor than an elephant!

 

  1. Moisture (again)
    Okay, I know I already said this one, but this time I am talking about too little moisture in your home. Wood floors in our St. Louis region are very susceptible to shrinkage in the winter. The dry air can be combated with a whole-home humidifier. Interestingly, having a party with a bunch of people breathing out moistened air is good for the floor, too! #science

Carpet

    1. Foot traffic
      Dirty shoes tracking in the mud and snow from outside is hard on carpeting; especially if the fibers aren’t treated to resist staining. But the answer isn’t to go barefoot. Wearing clean socks around the house is the best way to keep carpets clear of dirt from our shoes and oil from our skin (skin oils on your carpet actually attract more dirt!).

 

    1. Spills
      With the holidays come acidic spills like red wine and coffee. Acid is part of the carpet color dying process making these spills hardest to remove. No matter the fiber, the goal is to clean up spills ASAP. While some fibers and/or fiber treatments are more forgiving than others, all carpets will need to be blotted, not scrubbed. Due to wicking, you may have to come back to it again later. My go-to carpet cleaning solution is 2-3 tablespoons of powdered Tide (not HD) to 1 gallon of water. Mix it up and spray it on the spill. Be sure to test any new cleaning solution in a hidden place before applying.

 

  1. Moisture (again!)
    I know, I know, MOISTURE!!! But, you have to be careful about letting too much moisture sit on your carpet. Carpet padding without a moisture barrier can soak up odors and even wick stains back into the carpet fibers from below.

Tile

    1. Cracking
      Extra holiday traffic can bring to life problems that have been lurking below. Cracked tile is almost ALWAYS a sign of improper installation from the beginning. There is no easy fix here, call a professional in to take a look.

 

    1. Spotting
      Spills can dry onto the tile and be tough to remove. Try a drop of Dawn soap with warm water for spot control. They are also products on the market for removing scuff marks.

 

  1. Dirty grout
    The biggest issue in tile is dirty grout, especially in high traffic areas. I like to make a paste of Dawn soap, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide and put it in a squeeze bottle. You can just squeeze it out onto the grout, scrub it with an old toothbrush and wipe it away.

Hopefully these tips will get you through the holidays with your floors intact. If you still need help getting or keeping your floors in tiptop condition, call Champion Floor Company in Saint Louis.

About the author 

Ralph Kuehn

Ralph Kuehn is the President of Champion Floor Company in St. Louis and has been in thee flooring industry for over 35 years. He has experience with everything related to flooring, from installation to estimating and sales. He is proud to work with his 2 daughters who are also part of the flooring industry, and share his passion and knowledge of flooring with them.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}

A Complete Solution for Your Flooring
Vision. We have done more than 500
successful projects

Schedule a free case evaluation. Or call us at (877) 366-1326

Our Recent Projects

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim

testimonials

Check what our clients say about us

Debra Martin
Debra Martin
2022-09-29
Champion floor company did an amazing job with the floors in my 120 year old home. The floors did have some damage and they managed to make them look beautiful. They were so easy to work with, they answered all my questions, were professional and treated both myself and my home with respect. I would highly recommend this company .
Steve Brewer
Steve Brewer
2022-09-06
Marc and team have done work for me twice now, both times they absolutely crushed it! Our flooring looks amazing. I highly recommend Champion Flooring for your next project.
Scott M Benson
Scott M Benson
2022-07-08
Champion refinished our existing hardwood floors as well as put in new in a larger area of the house. They did a great job and I would highly recommend them.
WegotTheBOMB
WegotTheBOMB
2022-06-22
Recently had carpet replaced in my family room. Champion was the only company willing to work within my time frame. I am a bit of a tough customer and expect a square job for my dollar and Champion exceeded those expectations. The installer was incredible and really put in the effort with the details to complete a perfect job. I could not be more impressed with this new carpet. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Brian Bakala
Brian Bakala
2022-06-21
Champion Floor did an excellent job of refinishing the wood floors in my new home. Its amazing how much of an improvement it has made in the appearance of the house. Going from dark and dingy to bright and warm at the same time. I cant recommend them enough,
Susie Joffe
Susie Joffe
2022-05-13
The best people to work with. They help from the beginning to end and then make sure you're happy. Kim is so helpful and her installation staff is great to work with. I will only shop here for flooring.
Vinny Ferrari
Vinny Ferrari
2022-04-07
The floor project on our new home turned out GREAT! … but, not a surprise. Champion Floor Company did two other great jobs on our current home over the last few years, so we knew we had chosen wisely. A few things we really appreciate: 1. Ralph assessed the job and a fair bid was created — all in a timely manner. 2. Mike called to schedule; sent an email and stuck to it. 3. Saib led the work at the house, arriving on time each day, completing the estimated work, and communicating with us throughout the process. Champion Floor Company is fair, planful, reliable, and the resulting work is spectacular.
Linda Kram
Linda Kram
2021-09-30
Dennis and the team did an awesome job. They were prompt, and they repaired and refinished the floors beautifully. I would definitely use them again. I love the color!!