The Thanksgiving holiday is coming up quickly and soon families will be gathering together around dining room tables and passing the turkey and stuffing back and forth. This holiday is a time for family and friends to gather and give thanks for one another and to share stories and laughter. If you are going to be hosting the holiday meal you are probably preparing a feast for all of your guests to enjoy while preparing your home to accommodate everyone. If you have hardwood flooring throughout your home you won’t have to worry about a cranberry sauce staining or steam cleaning muddy footprints but there are a few things that you have to keep in mind. By preparing to keep your hardwood floors on Thanksgiving you will have one less thing to worry about on the big day.

The first thing that you can do is get a rubber mat or thick rug to place in front of the door and place a decorative sign asking people to remove their shoes upon entering. This way snow, rain, and mud won’t get tracked through your house. This practice will also prevent those who wear high heels from dinging up your floor. Make sure there is a dry towel on hand to clean up any messes that those who may accidentally leave their shoes on make. You may want to consider offering a basket of slippers for guests to wear if they don’t want their feet getting cold through the day. If your floors are particularly slippery make sure that the slippers have rubber on the bottom to offer traction to prevent any slips and falls.

If you have an area rug that can just be tossed in the washing machine and is large enough to fit under your dining room table you may want to consider placing this rug beneath the table and chairs to catch any spills. If you don’t have a rug make sure that the children who may be prone to spilling let you know if a mess needs to be cleaned up right away. In the same vein as tables if you are going to be adding an extra table to your dining room for additional seating during the meal make sure it is not dragged across the floor but carried to prevent any scratches.

And remember accidents do happen and a mess may occur by having a towel or dry mop on hand you will be able to easily take care of any messes quickly. After all of the guests leave you will be able to thoroughly clean your floors; if you have durable hardwood flooring in your home you won’t have to worry about damage but if you do happen to find a scratch here or there consult with your hardwood flooring retailer about the best course of action to take to repair. If you are planning on having people over for Christmas and New Years you may want to wait until after the holidays to complete any repairs as accidents may occur again. But remember not to worry too much about your floors this Thanksgiving and take time to enjoy the holiday with the people you love.