How To Keep Wood Floors Protected From Your Christmas Tree This Holiday Season

Real Christmas trees can be a beautiful way to celebrate the holiday season. Not only do they feel like you have brought Mother Nature inside your home, but the texture, look, and smell are quintessential holiday sense memories. While they look gorgeous — real Christmas trees can also be a bit messier than artificial ones. Not only can they leave your floors littered with needles and debris, but they can also create damage from leaking, spilling, and splashing that can be hazardous to floors, especially if they are wood. Thankfully, there are a few great tricks for ensuring that your floors weather this rough holiday season and remain as pristine as before, including using inexpensive everyday things you may already have, like carpet remnants or plastic tablecloths. 

While prevention is the best measure for keeping your floors looking good long after the holiday season, be sure to clean up any spillage or mess immediately since the longer they sit there, the more damage they can do. Water can stain or warp floors wooden floors, while pine needles can leave green stains behind if they get wet. The weight of trees can also cause small dents and divots in your floor that will be visible when the tree has been removed.

One of the homeowner's chief complaints when it comes to real trees is the profusion of needles that keep you constantly scrambling for the vacuum or broom. Keeping your tree moist and alive should prevent excessive shedding, as well as keeping it far away from sources of heat, like radiators, fireplaces, and vents, that can dry it out. Wind, temperature changes, and drafts can also lead to shedding. LED lights give off far less drying heat than incandescents, making them an excellent choice for real trees. A good shake before you bring the tree inside also helps reduce shedding.

When putting up your tree, be sure to keep any pieces like the trunk or strands from touching the floors directly, which can lead to scratches. You can use felt pads on the bottom of your tree stand to protect the floors, which also works with any kind of tree, including artificial ones, or large holiday decor pieces. These pads will also make it easier to move the tree if necessary and eliminate any dent marks from the tree's weight. For more coverage, use a leftover piece of carpet under the base and skirt, which will also give extra protection for heavy gifts that may scratch the floors. 

Keeping the tree in good shape involves regularly watering, which can also wreak havoc on wood floors. Avoid overfilling your container or spilling when filling. Keeping pets away from the water and splashing it is also essential. There are some great hacks for filling your tree reservoir without having to crawl around on floors with a pitcher or watering can, including using a length of hose and a funnel. You can also use a kitchen turkey baster as a tool for better control while watering your tree.

To prevent moisture from getting on the floors, try using a waterproof liner under your tree stand and skirt or collar. Plastic sheeting works, as does a simple Dollar Tree round tablecloth, which can be cut down to size to hide beneath the tree. You can also purchase a waterproof mat designed specifically for beneath the tree from Walmart. These means will also protect the floors from any sap leakage. If you do notice sap, clean it up by using an ice cube to harden it and then carefully scraping it away.