Although travel and larger events will be reduced this holiday season, there is no shortage of the annual excitement and joyful spirit in the air! Whether we are with family, friends, or small groups of people, we still want our homes decked out in festive holiday décor to capture the warmth and invite the good times. From yummy gingerbread cookies and hot cocoa to winter slush and other outdoor offenders, the more you do in advance to prepare your home for foot traffic and activity, the more at ease you will feel into the New Year. Here are some savvy ways how to conquer the mess and stress of the holidays: 

Duke Manor Farm’s Christmas Decor and her stunning Crevasse Raintree Floors

Start With a Clean Slate – As you are pulling out Christmas décor and possibly rearranging furniture to make room for your tree, take a moment to clean the corners and areas of the floor that are usually hidden. Nothing will kick off the holiday season with more reassurance than knowing you have eliminated dust bunnies and started with a spotless surface.  The beauty of having 100% waterproof Raintree hardwood collections is that you can clean your floors quickly- the way that you want to. Thanks to the revolutionary NINJA PET Guard TM coating and the patented NINJA Core H2OTM, Raintree floors are compatible with wet-mopping, making it easy to clean and sanitize your floors before and after the holiday get-togethers. Nothing like the natural beauty of immaculately clean wood floors to help put your soul at ease!  

Win the Winter Slush War – In the winter months when many of our favorite holidays take place, the great outdoors presents a unique offender to our floors: Winter slush. This unique mix of melted snow, dirt, mud, ice particles, and whatever other elements join in from the ground is frequently tracked-in indoors from the tread of our boots and galoshes, perfect for disrupting our pristine interiors and inducing headaches. Thankfully, the 100% waterproof Ninja Core H20 resists winter slush particles and moisture while the NINJA PET Guard will protect your real wood veneer from scratches and scuffs of little rocks and ice particles. To win this war definitively, we always suggest using holiday-themed welcome mats at all entranceways and doors leading outside, holiday area rugs throughout hallways and at sinks, and placing a shoe rack by the entrance for guests to remove footwear once indoors!

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Keep Your Christmas Tree Contained – If you have a real Christmas tree this year, it pays to be prepared for the pesky spruce and fir needles that come with the gorgeous holiday centerpiece. As we suggest in our Raintree maintenance guidelines, regular sweeping, vacuuming, or dust mopping as needed will keep the surface of the floor in tip-top shape. Doing so will remove all loose needles, as well as help to prevent wear and scratches on the finish. We recommend using only a soft bristle type broom or vacuum attachment that is recommended for hardwood floors. To dust mop, use only an untreated electrostatic type dust mop such as Swiffer® for effective cleaning. For the tree itself, it’s wise to use a tree stand to keep water and sap off of your planks, as well as a drain tray underneath to collect moisture. Invest in a tree mat that absorbs moisture for added protection and you can attractively hide all of these items with a festive tree skirt. 

Be Ready for Food & Drink Stains – Delicious meals and our favorite seasonal beverages are a staple of the holidays and you deserve to enjoy your favorite flavors without worrying about your floors underneath! Raintree’s combination of solid hardwood and rigid composite core creates a 100% waterproof layer that stands up to the spills that sometimes occur when the holiday party is in full swing. If a spill does take place, just blot up liquids with a clean dry cloth. Have an approved hardwood cleaner such as Bona® Swedish Formula® Hardwood Floor Care System or Basic Coatings Squeaky Cleaner on hand to spot clean, and you can use Swiffer Wet Jet maintenance system or Bona Care wet maintenance systems for any larger spills. There’s no need to stress over a mess when you’re armed with approved cleaners!

For all of the surprises this year, make sure to enjoy your holiday time with loved ones. Do you know someone who is excited to shop for hardwood flooring or want to surprise the family with a design refresh in the New Year? You can browse our Raintree Collections and select up to two free samples per customer of your favorite styles, which will make a special stocking stuffer! Visit our Raintree Floors Pinterest page for all the inspiration you need and let the spirit of the season spark your imagination- Happy Holidays to your family from everyone here at Raintree!