How to Keep Your Staircase Clean for the Holiday Season

The holiday season is upon us, and we find ourselves asking where has this year gone? Whether you're ready for the holidays or not, we are less than two weeks away from Thanksgiving and a little less than six weeks away from Christmas. One of the inevitable things that happens during the holiday season is an influx of foot traffic in your home. This increased traffic affects every part of your home, especially your staircase.

Keeping a clean staircase can be challenging during the holidays. Stair railings are touched by new (sometimes dirty) hands, iron balusters are grabbed and knocked, and new stair parts added this year will begin seeing some wear and tear. Remember, every part of your staircase will begin seeing some wear and tear after the holiday season, but that doesn't mean that keeping your staircase clean will be an impossible task.

Here are our top tips for keeping your staircase clean for the holiday season.

Keep your staircase clear of random objects. Occasionally you'll decorate your staircase with garland, presents, or even ornaments for the holidays, so keeping an uncluttered staircase becomes an even bigger task. Make it a family effort to keep laundry, toys and various other things off of the staircase during the holiday season. This is not only going to make for a safer environment for your visitors, but it's also going to create a clutter-free look on one of the highest traffic areas in your home.

Sweep and/or vacuum stairs. If you have a carpeted staircase, you will want to use a vacuum to pick up unwanted dirt. You may need to use your vacuum attachments to get tight corners or cracks. If you have wood stairs, you will want to use a broom to sweep dirt and debris starting on the top step. Sweep dirt from the top step down to the next step, and so on. This way, you can pick up the dirt from all of your stairs on the floor at the bottom of your staircase. If you have a combination of carpet and wood on your staircase, you will have to use both a vacuum and a broom to clean it.

Dust your treads and balusters. Keeping your stair parts dust-free adds a clean feeling to your staircase that your guests will admire. Dust accumulates on wood stairs, wood balusters, newel posts and in a variety of other places depending on your stair design. Don't forget to check the nooks and crannies that you may forget about in a routine dusting. Also, you may need to use a rag to pick up the tough dirt that's accumulated on the treads. You'll see a huge difference in the look of your staircase after you give it a good dusting.