Winter is a fun season when you’re outside making snowmen, sledding down a hill, or throwing snowballs at family and friends, but winter is never a fun time for the flooring in your home. During the winter, you track in a winter mix of snow, ice, salt, and mud indoors across your clean floors. If you do proper prevention and clean-up, then you can still enjoy winter without worrying that your flooring has been ruined.
Here are a few tips:
Carpet:
- Place area mats at all entrances of the house to keep snow, ice, and mud at bay.
- Make sure the mats have a rubber backing so the mud and moisture will not seep through the mat and into the carpet.
- Vacuum daily
- If you do get mud on the carpet, allow the mud to dry completely. After it has dried, shatter the mud with the handle of a knife, then vacuum as normal. Blot any dirt spots with a small amount of detergent solution (1/4 teaspoon detergent per 1 qt. of water) and a white paper towel to work the affected area. Continue applying detergent and blotting until the spot is removed. Rinse with tap water using a spray bottle and blot to remove excess moisture.
Hardwood:
- Place area mats at the entrances of the house.
- Vacuum or sweep your hardwood floors with a soft-bristle broom every day during winter to prevent scratches from salt. Make sure you do this step before you use any cleaning products on the hardwood flooring.
- Wipe up spots immediately with a cleaner, and make sure the cleaning solution is applied directly to a white cloth. Wipe the area clean with a soft, slightly damp cloth.
Another great way to prevent floor damage during the winter months, is to purchase carpet and hardwood flooring that are easy to clean and durable. Mohawk has great carpets that are easy to clean, and these are called their SmartStrand Forever Clean carpets. SmartStrand Forever Clean carpets are beautiful, durable, and very easy to clean. In addition, SmartStrand carpets are created for active families. We also have some new cabin-grade hardwood floors from Mohawk that will work well in any home if you take care of them well.
Click here to see our selection of Mohawk SmartStrand Forever Clean carpets.
Click here to see our selection of Mohawk Cabin-Grade Hardwood.
Overall, the best way to care for your floors this winter is to be proactive and stay on top of the issue.
Do you have any tips for household care during the winter season? Let us know!
