Wood floors and carpets can have a hard time when the weather turns wet and/or wintery. The following multi-step approach will help you protect your floors throughout the seasons.

One doormat alone is not enough to protect your floors. Plan on two or even three steps to addressing the dirt and wet shoes headed your way. Step one is a good outdoor mat. Look for a large one with dual functionality. It should be rough enough to allow guests to scrape off any water, sand, sleet or mud, and absorbent for the wet that comes with the weather. You may love that cute printed doormat, but leave it in the store – a pretty inside floor is more important.

Once inside, add another mat just under the door. There are a number of low-nap, high-absorbency rugs made for this job. This will take the next layer of dirt and wet off your guest’s footwear.

Finally, you may want to add a third machine-washable rug at the entryway to your nice floors. Looking at the amount of dirt that rug collects will help you realize that the third step makes a big difference for your wood or carpeting.

Be sure to take the same approach to every entryway in your home, and your floors will look great all year long!