Well, our Denver Broncos made it to the Superbowl, and the whole city is getting ready for Sunday. If you’re having a Superbowl party and worried about how your hardwood floors will hold up to the extra traffic, inevitable spills, and jumping up and down of excited fans as out beloved team creams the Panthers, fear not. We’ve got some tips to help you prepare for the big day so that you can focus on cheering out team to victory.

Fan Slippers

This time of year,  wet, muddy, snowy shoes are any floor’s worst enemy.  Add to that heavy feet stamping and jumping for touchdowns and victory dances, and your best bet might be to ask guests to remove their shoes at the door.  If this isn’t your usual custom or you worry that your guests will find it uncomfortable,  make it part of the theme – the Broncos pro shop has a great selection of Broncos socks and slippers, or, if you’re looking for something at a lower price point, just pick up some blue and orange house slippers or fuzzy socks in various sizes.   You can even let guests keep their fan slippers as a party favor.
 
 

Rugs

As part of party prep, consider laying an area rug under the couches and chairs in the TV room.  A few runners in the areas where guests will be walking most (between the front door and the party zone, on the way to the bathroom) will also help to protect your floors and let you relax during the party.   These can be easily rolled up and stowed away for future parties or you can leave them down to accent your home décor.  If you don’t want to spring for a proper rug or don’t have a place to store it, consider putting down a rug pad and laying a Broncos blanket, tablecloth, or even bedding.  This sort of thing will be widely available all around town this week and will generally be less costly than and area rug.  Plus, you can just pick thm up after the party and throw them in the wash.
 
 

Towels

With the winter storm upon us, Superbowl Sunday is sure to be a messy one.  You’ll do yourself and your guests a favor by having plenty of towels on hand for wiping up slush, along with napkin for cleaning up spills.  Once again, Broncos-themed towels and napkins should be abundant in area stores right now.
 
 

Cleaning

Though you may feel inclined to polish your floors to get them in tip-to shape to showoff to guests, it is not really a good idea to wax your floor before a gathering.  Wax and other polishes will make the floor slippery and increase the likelihood of drink and food spills, especially if you’re guests are sporting their Broncos slippers.   A run with the dry mop should be sufficient to keep your floors free of debris so that they’ll look great and start out in the best condition for receiving guests.  If it will make you feel better, you can run the dust mop over the floor again once most of the guests have arrived, just to keep things clean and clear away any finish-threatening debris.

Have fun!

When you prepare in advance, you can relax knowing that your hardwood floors are protected.  Remember – prefinished hardwood is one of the most durable flooring materials around.  As long as you don’t let moisture from spills or slush stand for long periods,  your floors will d just fine.  And after the party, call your friends at MacDonald Hardwoods and we’ll be happy to recommend cleaning products and supplies.