The holiday season is one of the busiest times for homeowners. Between decorating and entertaining, there’s a lot of traffic traveling over your floors. If you have hardwood, this can lead to some very unmerry deterioration. You can help get your home looking its best from the ground up with these 10 tips for cleaning hardwood floors and decking those sparkling halls.

Cleaning Hardwood Floors

Before you start decorating, make sure the floor is protected from scratches, scuffs, and spills. Here are a few suggestions for safeguarding hardwood:

• Use a rubber rug underlayment in entryways or high-traffic areas.
• Apply felt floor protectors to the bottom of furniture and chair legs.
• Avoid wearing high heels across exposed hardwood.
• Keep pet nails trim.
• Immediately wipe up spills to avoid permanent stains.

Once your halls are clean and protected, it’s time to add some holiday spirit to make it really shine.

Decking the Halls

From lights and ornaments to trees and gifts, the holidays can get expensive. You can still make a festive impression without breaking the bank. Some of these suggestions can also help protect the floors you just cleaned.

1. Seasonal doormats and floor runners. Have family and guests wipe the dirt at the door with a holiday-inspired mat. Floor runners also come in a variety of designs that match your decor and help protect your floor. Get a washable one and make clean-up a breeze.
2. Faux trees. Limit the number of needles that can fall and scratch the surface of floors. Faux trees save money since they’re used year after year and you can always add a scented candle to get the same outdoorsy effect.
3. Paper snowflakes. Not only are these paper cutout creations a nostalgic design, but they can be hung in windows, on the tree, in wreaths and garland—all without a wet, melty mess on the floor.
4. Piles of presents. After all the online shopping, you can rewrap empty boxes in colorful paper and stack around the house. The lightweight design is less likely to scratch or damage the floor.
5. String night lights. Tis the season to go all twinkly with your decor. String lights along the hall to lead the way to certain rooms, add ambiance, and serve as night lights with festive flair.

There are so many ways to decorate while keeping your budget and floors in mind. For help keeping hardwood looking its best, contact JDog Carpet Cleaning & Floor Care for our comprehensive cleaning and polishing services. When we’re done, your floors will shine as bright as the twinkle lights.