TIPS FOR PROTECTING YOUR HARDWOOD FLOORS IN WINTER
The beautiful winter months create a magical, wondrous time that allows us to reflect and get ready for the active spring and summer seasons that lie ahead. For our hardwood floors, however, winter can create a “slush” of ice, dirt, water, particles, and everything in between, which is both pesky and potentially harmful to our surfaces. So you need to be ready with some insights for the best wood floor protection. With some key steps taken by savvy homeowners like yourself, you can protect your hardwood floors in the winter and beyond!
WetWorx™ Tackles Winter Slush
If your cleaning schedule typically accounts for the floors being cleaned every other weekend, the winter months call for this to be at least a weekly chore. The prevalence of snow and melted ice outside means that more watery mess will make its unwelcome way inside.
Thankfully, all six sides of every Hearthwood plank are protected with WetWorx™ Splatter and Spill Guard, which prevents moisture absorption 250% more than standard hardwoods. Plus, you can easily mop away messes since Hearthwood water resistant wood flooring is warranted against damage from wet-mopping with Swiffer™ WetJet Wood cleaning systems.
While Hearthwood engineered hardwood floors also feature a strong, scratch-resistant coating, it is still important to remove gravel, grit, and tracked-in particles to prevent damage for the best wood floor protection.
Rugs & Mats to the Rescue!
In addition to adding a seasonal pop to your winter design scheme, using rugs, runners, and mats in key areas help protect your floors from debris and reduce wear from foot traffic and the harder outsoles of rugged boots and winter footwear.
Employ outdoor welcome mats and indoor welcome rugs at your entrances, use runners in your hallways and on stairs, and add area rugs to any general high-traffic areas in your home. Sometimes rugs with a rubber or vinyl backing can trap moisture between the backing and the floor. It’s best to only use rugs with this type of backing on non-wood surfaces such as stone, tile, or vinyl.
Kick Your Shoes Off
During the majority of the year, you may not keep a shoe rack by your front door. Generally speaking, you may see these in garages, mudrooms, and laundry rooms. During winter, it’s wise to put a shoe rack by your front entrance as well and encourage guests to kick their shoes off and get comfortable when appropriate. This will instantly decrease the amount of slush and debris coming further inside your home and minimize harsher foot traffic from heavier boots.
Timely Touch-up’s
As always, you can use the Hearthwood Touch-Up Pens that match your specific Hearthwood engineered hardwood floor variety to touch up any scratch or nick that occur this winter. Each kit includes 3 pens in custom colors that coordinate with your floor so you can camouflage any signs of wear over the life of your floor. With attentive, thoughtful care, you can protect your water resistant wood floors during the winter with ease- and success!