Tips to Maintain Your Hardwood Floor in the Winter
If you’ve ever battled scuff marks, moisture, or gaps in your hardwood flooring, you know how much seasonal changes can affect it, even beyond the winter months.
Colder weather often makes these problems worse, but regular upkeep matters all year to keep hardwood floors looking and performing their best.
In this article, we’ll look at practical ways to handle winter’s particular stresses, like tracked-in snow and dry indoor air. You can apply many of the same tips anytime you notice changes in humidity or foot traffic.
From doormats to humidity control, these steps will help keep your floor looking good, no matter the season.
If you’re a flooring pro, this is also a handy resource to share with your customers. When they come to you for winter floor care advice during the busy holiday season, send them this article by email, text, or whatever works best.
Here are 5 problems hardwood floors run into in the winter and how to fix them.
5 Winter Problems for Hardwood Floors
1. Rain, water, or snow is getting tracked in
Kids, pets, and holiday guests are notorious for tracking in winter weather. Fortunately, it’s an easy fix.
Grab a few doormats from your local store and place them at your most-used entry points. A bristle doormat outside takes care of the big stuff, and an indoor fabric doormat can soak up leftover moisture.
(Don’t forget to wash and dry your mats regularly. Leaving damp mats on hardwood can be just as problematic.)
As for your pets, try to catch them at the door so you can pat those paws dry.
2. Salt is making my floors ugly
Doormats don’t solve every winter problem. They catch moisture, but salt is harder to remove and can damage your floor’s finish.
Wipe up white salt residue promptly with a damp (not wet) cloth or mop and a cleaner your floor’s manufacturer recommends. Before trying any new cleaning method or product, check the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions, since some products can dull or damage certain finishes.
3. High heels are scuffing up my floors
Ever heard of rubber stiletto protectors? They fit over the bottom of high heels to help people walk on grass or protect floors. But if handing out stiletto protectors as a greeting gift seems strange, here’s a better idea:
Have people remove their shoes when they come inside. You could even put up a sign that asks them to do so in a way that still makes them smile.
After all, the easiest way to keep floors smooth and clean is to leave your shoes at the door.
4. Something spilled
Food, wine, water meant for the Christmas tree. You name it.
The best thing to do is clean it up quickly, even if you’re in the middle of something. Leaving liquid on the surface of your hardwood can cause major problems. Use a highly absorbent cloth or mop to soak up the liquid, then follow up with a hardwood floor cleaner your manufacturer recommends. (A little goes a long way, so don’t drench your floor.)
5. There are gaps in my floor!
Winter months are typically drier, and that can take a toll on your hardwood floors. When indoor heating dries out the air, the wood loses moisture and shrinks, and you might start to see gaps between boards.
To bring the relative humidity (RH) in your home back up, add a humidifier. Many flooring manufacturers call for keeping indoor RH between 30% and 50% (see our acclimation guide), so check your flooring’s requirements and monitor the humidifier so you don’t overdo it.
To stay ahead of problems, consider adding a Smart Logger™ V2 to your home. It monitors temperature and relative humidity so you can catch changes early, before they cause damage.
Winter can be hard on flooring, but with a little extra care, your hardwood floors can stay beautiful all season.
If winter problems ever ruin the party, we’re here to help. If your wood’s moisture levels are out of whack, email us at info@wagnermeters.com. Or if you’d prefer to talk to a moisture meter pro, call us at (844) 808-8761.
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Jason Wright, Business Development Specialist for New Products, joined Wagner Meters in 2019. He comes to Wagner with over 35 years of experience in the flooring industry.
Last updated on October 12th, 2026
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