1. Create a Fall “Landing Zone”

During the summer, walking into the house might not bring much along with you. Fall is different.

Shoes can carry leaves, dirt, small stones, and moisture directly onto your flooring. Create a designated spot near your most-used entrance for shoes, boots, coats, and umbrellas. A quality entrance mat can catch a surprising amount of debris before it gets spread throughout the house.

Even better, use a mat outside and another one inside. The less dirt that reaches your flooring, the less cleaning you’ll have to do later.

2. Get Ready for Football Parties

Fall and football go hand in hand, and in Northern Indiana that often means a house full of people on Saturdays and Sundays.

Extra guests also mean extra traffic on your floors. If you’re hosting a big game, pay special attention to the path between your entrance, kitchen, living room, and bathroom. These are likely to become the highest-traffic areas in the house.

You don’t need to cover your beautiful flooring with plastic. Simply vacuuming or sweeping before and after your gathering can help prevent small pieces of dirt and grit from being repeatedly ground into the floor.

3. Watch Those Extra Chairs

Thanksgiving dinner for eight can quickly turn into dinner for twelve. Out come the folding chairs, extra tables, and furniture that’s been sitting in storage.

Before putting additional furniture on your flooring, check the bottoms. A missing furniture pad, exposed screw, or rough metal chair leg can scratch a floor surprisingly quickly.

Adding inexpensive felt pads to chairs and tables before the holidays takes only a few minutes and can save you from an unpleasant surprise after everyone goes home.

4. Halloween Brings More Than Trick-or-Treaters

Candy isn’t the only thing that arrives on Halloween. Depending on the weather, your front entrance can see leaves, mud, and moisture from dozens of shoes.

If you’re hosting a Halloween party, you may also have costumes, decorations, makeup, candy, and drinks throughout the house. Consider keeping messy activities in areas with flooring that’s easiest to clean.

And if something does spill, don’t wait until the party is over. Cleaning spills promptly is one of the simplest ways to prevent stains or damage.

5. Thanksgiving Dinner Has a Way of Finding the Floor

Gravy. Cranberry sauce. Wine. Butter. Pumpkin pie.

Thanksgiving dinner is delicious, but your flooring probably doesn’t want a serving. When you’re entertaining, accidents happen. Keep the appropriate cleaning supplies for your flooring nearby so you’re prepared when they do.

The important thing is knowing how your particular floor should be cleaned. A cleaning method that’s safe for one type of flooring may not be appropriate for another. When in doubt, follow the flooring manufacturer’s recommendations.

6. Don’t Let Leaves Hang Around

A few colorful leaves blowing into the house might seem harmless. The problem starts when they’re wet.

Wet leaves can transfer moisture, dirt, and natural pigments onto flooring. If they’re stepped on repeatedly, they can also break apart and get tracked farther into your home.

During peak leaf season, give entryways a quick sweep or vacuum more frequently than you normally would. It only takes a minute and keeps the mess from spreading.

7. Fall Is a Great Time to Take a Look at Your Floors

We’re about to spend a lot more time indoors. That makes fall a great time to really look at the flooring throughout your home.

Is the carpet looking worn? Are there rooms you’ve been meaning to update? Would new flooring make your home more comfortable before the holidays?

A flooring project doesn’t always have to mean replacing every floor in the house. Sometimes changing the flooring in one room can completely change how that space looks and feels.

Get Your Home Ready for the Season

Fall should be about football games, Halloween, Thanksgiving dinners, and spending time with the people you care about—not worrying about your floors.

A few simple precautions can help protect the flooring you already have. And if this is the season you’ve decided it’s finally time for something new, Goshen Floor Mart can help you find the right option for your home.

With a huge selection of carpet, hardwood, vinyl, laminate, tile, and more, you can compare your options and find flooring that fits both your home and the way your family actually lives.

Visit Goshen Floor Mart at 65669 U.S. 33 in Goshen, Indiana, or call 574.642.4770.

And remember, Goshen Floor Mart is always happy to provide you with a free estimate.