Here’s how to avoid a costly misstep and keep your hardwood floors looking gorgeous year-round
Flooring is pretty sophisticated these days, but there’s nothing like the warmth and richness of old-fashioned hardwood floors. If you take care of them, wood floors can last for decades, if not centuries. My creaky old Queen Anne home had wood floors, and though that house had other problems, the floors gleamed like the day they were installed in 1900.
Most of the time, all my wood floors needed was a quick swipe with a dust mop. Occasionally (read: rarely) I’d give them some attention with a wood-floor cleaner. But there was one spot in my home that was a constant struggle against scratches, warping and other problems. It happened every winter, and if you live in a cold climate like I used to, you probably deal with the same issue.
Repairing wood floors is a pain, so I lived with the damage and filled in a few scratches here and there. The next step, replacing the planks and refinishing the floor, was on my to-do list for years, but why not avoid all that heartache? Read on to learn from two cleaning experts (who just happen to hail from northern climates) about this common winter mistake, and how to keep your floors in tip-top shape through the season.
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What is the common mistake that damages floors in winter?
You know this one, Northerners! It’s tracking in all that rock salt, which, let’s face it, just seems unavoidable. But folks in the southern half of the country, don’t get complacent: Ice storms and freak weather events bring wintry weather to you guys every year too, so pay attention.
Every winter, rock salt, aka sodium chloride, gets dumped on sidewalks, driveways and streets with abandon to melt ice and help with traction. The problem? If it gets inside your home, the brittle salt crystals can easily scratch your floors.
Road salt works best when the crystals are large, so cars (and feet) will grind the salt and ice into a slushy mix that won’t refreeze. “Salts that are used to melt snow have a coarse texture,” says Dan Deonarain, owner of Galaxy Maids in New York City. While that’s great for road and sidewalk safety, those chunky salt crystals act like knives when crushed into your hardwood floors.
Why else is rock salt so bad for hardwood floors?
A scratched floor is bad enough, but the alkaline residue road salt leaves on your hardwood floor can dull or damage the finish over time, leaving a faded or discolored appearance, says cleaning expert Alicia Sokolowski, founder of Vancouver-based AspenClean natural cleaning products and cleaning services. “If left for extended periods, salt can even leave behind stubborn whitish stains or marks that are difficult to remove.”
Deonarain agrees and says the longer you allow salt and salty slush to sit on your floor, especially if it’s been scratched already, the worse it gets: “Over time, this allows moisture to seep into the surface, which can cause discoloration and, even worse, warping or separating of the floorboards.” And it doesn’t take long: Water can warp wood in as little as 24 hours!
Worse, rock salt sticks around for weeks or even months, especially if there’s been minimal rain or snowmelt—so you may not be off the hook when spring finally rolls around. Fixing a wood floor can cost up to $250 per square foot, depending on the amount of damage, so prevention is definitely the way to go.
What should you do to avoid damage?
Take off your shoes!
Back home in Minnesota, everyone takes off their shoes before entering a house—yours, mine and everyone else’s. It’s such a common regional courtesy that I had to make sure my socks matched before I left for the day, which most people probably do anyway—but let’s not quibble. It’s no surprise then that Deonarain and Sokolowski, both from colder climates, say taking off your shoes will help save your floors.
“The areas where salt damage is the biggest concern are close to entryways,” Deonarain says, as well as the common paths taken after you get inside. Taking off your shoes immediately will keep the salt contained to your foyer or mudroom, which is easier to clean than your entire floor. Ask your family and guests to help you out as soon as they walk in.
To spur compliance, give everyone a place to wipe their feet and stash their snowy boots and shoes. “Place heavy-duty doormats both outside and inside entryways to trap salt before it reaches your floors,” Sokolowski says. Adding a shoe basket or rack near the door is a great way to encourage shoe removal and limit direct contact with salt on wood floors, says Deonarain.
How to clean floors exposed to rock salt
Keeping salt out of your home is job No. 1 in the winter, but even with the best intentions, rock salt will sneak in on snowy feet, whether yours or your pet’s. (Pro tip: Rock salt hurts pet feet, so consider getting booties for your dog, and use a pet-safe deicer on your own sidewalks.)
Each expert has a preferred cleaning method, and we’ve got the step-by-step instructions below.
Clean salty wood floors with vinegar
Deonarain’s go-to for cleaning salty residue is vinegar and water. Warm water helps dissolve the salt, while vinegar’s acidity breaks down alkaline residues and general grime left from your dirty feet.
- Sweep or vacuum your floor to remove larger salt crystals.
- Fill a bucket or bowl with three parts warm water to one part distilled white vinegar.
- Dampen a microfiber cloth with the vinegar mixture, and wring out the excess.
- Wipe the salty residue away, taking care not to allow water to pool. “As always with wood floors, avoid letting moisture sit for too long,” Deonarain says.
- Dry the area with a paper towel or dry cloth.
Clean salty wood floors with floor cleaner
Sokolowski likes using an eco-friendly wood floor cleaner to keep hardwood floors healthy through winter. Of course, AspenClean’s Natural Floor Cleaner makes her list—it works on hardwood, laminate and ceramic, and it’s made with all-natural ingredients—but you can use another cleaner if you prefer.
- Sweep or vacuum your floor to remove larger salt crystals.
- Wet a microfiber mop with lukewarm water. (Use a bowl, bucket or sink if you’re cleaning a large area.)
- Spray cleaner on the salty floor, or apply directly to the mop.
- Mop the floor to remove salt residue. “If the salt residue has hardened, gently scrub with a microfiber cloth, and reapply the cleaner as needed,” Sokolowski says.
- Dry the area well. “Be sure to dry the floor with a clean cloth or dry mop to prevent water from sitting on the surface,” she adds.
How often should you clean floors exposed to rock salt?
How often to clean your floors depends on the weather, the amount of foot traffic and your floor’s finish.
“On heavy snow or ice days, it’s best to clean daily or every other day to prevent salt buildup,” Sokolowski says. “During milder winter days, cleaning two to three times a week is usually sufficient.” Likewise, if you’re traipsing in and out multiple times a day, you should err on the side of caution and clean more frequently.
If you can’t see salt residue on your hardwood floor, don’t assume you’re in the clear. Deonarain says you should always clean after a weather event: “Even if there isn’t visible evidence of salt stains on your wood floor, this is a good precautionary routine to follow after snowstorms to eliminate any residue that can build up over time.”
Plus, Sokolowski says, “floors with a matte or satin finish may show residue more easily, so they might require more frequent attention to maintain their appearance.”
How to clean shoes exposed to rock salt
Shoes are the main vehicle carrying salt into your home, so even if you take them off and keep them by the door, it’s still a good idea to clean them off periodically. There’s no set frequency, so use your best judgment as to how often you clean them. (Snow boots and work boots need less attention than expensive loafers or sneakers.)
Sokolowski offers these step-by-step instructions:
- Shake off excess salt outside.
- Make a solution of warm water and a few drops of dish soap.
- Wipe your shoes with a damp cloth dipped in the soap solution.
- Allow the shoes to air-dry on a rack or bench, not on the floor, to prevent moisture damage.
How can you repair scuffed floors?
If you see a scratch on your hardwood floor, don’t panic. For minor scratches, Sokolowski likes using a wax stick or hardwood repair pen in a color that matches your floor. These inexpensive sticks can be found at home-improvement stores or online. Clean the area, allow it to dry, and then just follow the instructions on the stick or pen.
“For deeper scratches, apply a wood filler to the damaged area and then refinish it with a matching sealant” to restore its previous shine, Sokolowski says.
Other tips for protecting hardwood floors in winter
You’ve put down mats and added shoe racks by the door. Maybe you’ve fixed a scratch or two. Now that you’ve got your floors back to their former glory, here’s how to keep them looking great all winter long.
- Clean hardwood floors regularly, according to your winter cleaning schedule.
- Keep your home’s humidity between 30% and 50%.
- Put down rugs in high-traffic areas to absorb moisture and catch salt that makes it past your first-line defenses.
- Shake off umbrellas and coats outside to keep melting snow from pooling on your floor.
- Add a plastic bin or tub under coat and shoe racks to catch drips.
- Clean your dog’s paws with lukewarm water and a towel when coming in from the yard or a walk.
- Seal cracks and add weatherstripping around doors and windows to keep temperature fluctuations to a minimum.
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At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece, Ally Childress tapped her experience as a longtime journalist to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Dan Deonarain, owner of Galaxy Maids; email interview, Jan. 13, 2025
- Alicia Sokolowski, co-CEO of AspenClean; email interview, Jan 13, 2025
- Scientific American: “Salt Doesn’t Melt Ice—Here’s How It Makes Winter Streets Safer”
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: “Winter Is Coming! And with It, Tons of Salt on Our Roads”
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: “Care for Your Air: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality”
- Angi: “How Much Do Hardwood Floor Repairs Cost? [2025 Data]”
