Having a new baby around the house, especially if it’s your first, means a lot of change in routine. There are countless books and groups to help lead you in the right direction, but it’s not uncommon to stop and ask yourself, “am I doing this right?”

Getting your home ready for a new baby requires a lot of prep. One of the most overlooked babyproofing steps is ensuring your floor is a clean and safe environment for your baby. 

It goes without saying that your baby will spend hours on the floor. Be it in their playpen, learning to crawl, or playing; it’s almost guaranteed that they will come into contact with your flooring more than you might think. 

The following are a few quick tips for getting your floors baby-ready.

  1. Have a “baby area” designated that you pay extra attention to.

Even if you have the best intentions, it’s not realistic to think that all of your floors are going to be baby-friendly all the time. The first thing you can do is set aside an area specifically for them. This should be a soft, open area. 

You can either set up a spot on plush carpet or lay down blankets. If you opt to let the baby crawl around on high pile carpet, make sure you have a good vacuum for high pile carpet, so the area stays clean. Likewise, if you choose to lay down blankets, make sure they are soft and washed frequently. 

  1. Don’t freak out if you have hard floors, but make sure they are safe.

So many people think “I only have tile and wood! How can I make this safe and comfortable for my baby?” Don’t worry; most kids will do just fine on hard floors. If you’re particularly worried, stick to the above tip and simply set aside an area specifically for them in the beginning, and slowly let them meander to different areas.

However, one thing to note, with hard floors, you should make sure there are no cracked tiles or bowing wood floorboards. These can be sharp, and if your baby falls, they could be easily hurt. 

  1. Vacuum at least once per week

If you’re not already in this habit, you’re going to want to get into it. While you shouldn’t be a clean freak, it’s still important to make sure your baby has a clean floor to crawl around on. 

If you don’t have the time or energy to vacuum at least once per week, look into a robot vacuum to take the edge off. 

  1. Clean spills right away

If your baby (or you!) spills something on the floors, don’t procrastinate. If you want to keep your floors looking great, regardless of what happens on them, you need to take extra measures to make sure they stay clean. 

For liquid spills on wood floors, this step is critical. If you don’t clean liquid from wood right away, the wood can warp, which not only can ruin the aesthetics of your floors but can create a potential hazard. 

  1. Take it one day at a time.

If you’re preparing for your first child, you may be tempted to try to make everything perfect right away. Nothing will ever be perfect. While your baby will be spending time on the floor once they start crawling, you shouldn’t worry too much. 

With the right initial preparations, and with these tips in your head, you can rest assured your baby will be able to be on your floors safely.