Protecting Your Floors During Winter

January 15, 2025

When it’s chilly or downright freezing outside, there’s nothing we want to do more than get indoors where it’s nice and toasty! This winter season alone, there has been a tremendous amount of snow in areas that don’t always receive any at all. That means it’s time to peel off the winter jackets, coats, gloves, hats, and boots, and grab a mug full of hot cocoa to warm up as quickly as possible. All the slushy mix, mud, sticks, gravel, leaves, and moisture can stay outdoors where it belongs, right?

Unfortunately, sometimes in our rush to get indoors, we track in all these wintery components onto our clean, dry floors. This rings especially true if you have active kids and playful pets in your household as well! Since the winter mix can stick to footwear and clothing, it’s very important during this season to protect your flooring from these abrasive particles. We recommend these best ways to protect your floors during the winter:

Preventing Snow & Slush from Coming Indoors

Your winter strategy starts with preventative measures outdoors to minimize the likelihood of winter elements entering the home. Clear snow from driveways, walkways, front steps, and front porches regularly to prevent buildup and tracking. If heavy snowfall and ice are common in your region, you may want to consider de-icing mats to help melt snow and ice in your driveway and reduce what can be tracked inside.

Entryway Protection for Your Floors

To prevent excessive moisture indoors, start by placing high-quality, moisture-absorbing mats at all entrances to capture snow, slush, and dirt. On the inside of your home entrances, use machine-washable area rugs to absorb moisture, as well as cushion foot traffic from heavy winter footwear and protect floors from scratches of small rocks and ice. We also suggest using area rugs in high-traffic areas of the home for the very same reasons.

Removing Footwear & Winter Clothing to Protect Floors

In your mudrooms and garage entrances, a savvy more is to add more organizational solutions to protect your floors. We all want to get our boots, galoshes, coats, gloves, and hats off as soon as we are indoors. Rather than let them be thrown down and strewn about, utilize more show racks, coat racks, cubbies, and hanging shelves to keep all the winterwear organized- and off the floor! As always, encourage both residents and guests alike to scrape their footwear on the outdoor mats, and removing their shoes once inside.

Regular Cleaning & Vacuuming to Prevent Wear

The next step is simply to be more diligent with regular cleaning during these unique months. Frequent sweeping, dust-mopping, and vacuuming will help regularly remove dirt and grit that can scratch floors. For your hard surface floors, you will probably need to increase mopping with a gentle cleaner in high-traffic areas and especially after snowy or rainy days. In addition to vacuuming your carpet regularly to remove dirt and prevent matting, consider a professional cleaning at the end of the season to return a plush pile.

As a bonus winter tip for homeowners with real hardwood floors, we also recommend using a humidifier to add moisture to the air during dry winter months to help prevent the wood planks from drying out and cracking. Follow these tips from our Family Flooring experts to help protect your floors from winter wear and tear and keep your home looking fabulous!