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Original poster

My dad is 80 next month and for his present he's asked for...

47 replies

Startstruck · 18/09/2023 22:15

Something to make their polished wooden floors less slippery, after mum slipped and badly banged her head.

They've been dangerous for decades because mum polishes them weekly with beeswax polish, on her hands and knees....

I mean, apart from the fact it's a rubbish present, it doesn't exist, does it?

OP posts:
UndercoverCop · 18/09/2023 22:17

You could pay to have them sanded and refinished with osmo polyx oil or similar, it's not slippery, other than that it's about grippy footwear and stopping your mum polishing so much

Vallmo47 · 18/09/2023 22:18

I love him.

AnnaMagnani · 18/09/2023 22:19

Maybe a padlock to lock away all your mum's tins of beeswax?

Original poster
Startstruck · 18/09/2023 22:20

UndercoverCop · 18/09/2023 22:17

You could pay to have them sanded and refinished with osmo polyx oil or similar, it's not slippery, other than that it's about grippy footwear and stopping your mum polishing so much

Yep, been trying that for 40 years. You've never been able to wear socks in their house and my dc were always falling there, but they bounce more when young. Mum did have proper firm soled slippers on when she fell.

OP posts:
HotelNotPortofino · 18/09/2023 22:21

Fitted Carpet?

HotelNotPortofino · 18/09/2023 22:23

I know it might not look as nice, but I spent a long time trying to find someone who could cut down wooden door thresholds on (stunning) parquet as DF kept tripping on them as he declined, and many peoplw
suggested I put cheap carpet over instead. I didn’t want to keep having to wash them, or remove/fix when we’d eventually have to sell…but in retrospect

gogomoto · 18/09/2023 22:24

A rug!

MumUndone · 18/09/2023 22:27

Sorry to ask the obvious but has your mum stopped polishing them since her fall??

hotcandle · 18/09/2023 22:28

A series of runners with a rubber base fixed to them? You can buy rubber mats in Argos and they're actually very nice and reasonably priced. Especially if you want to buy several as a sort of 'path' between A and B within the house.

ButterCrackers · 18/09/2023 22:29

Those socks with the sticky gripping circles on the soles or slippers that are like trainers with good grip.

Original poster
Startstruck · 18/09/2023 22:30

MumUndone · 18/09/2023 22:27

Sorry to ask the obvious but has your mum stopped polishing them since her fall??

No....

There was quite a battle over it at the time. We couldn't even get her to get medical attention, even though she lost consciousness.

OP posts:
Original poster
Startstruck · 18/09/2023 22:31

ButterCrackers · 18/09/2023 22:29

Those socks with the sticky gripping circles on the soles or slippers that are like trainers with good grip.

No, they're not up to the job. I tried them as a teen in that house.

OP posts:
dimsumfatsum · 18/09/2023 22:31

Some grippy socks?

Original poster
Startstruck · 18/09/2023 22:31

I dont think they'll accept anything that covers the floors

OP posts:
CrapBucket · 18/09/2023 22:31

Sorry to hear about your mums injury.

Grippy socks from trampoline parks are the best ever, I’ve found.

NailyDale · 18/09/2023 22:32

Oh my gosh that's completely mad to choose for years live in a house with literally dangerous floors that cause accidents.

PimpMyFridge · 18/09/2023 22:35

Slip rating is measured in P scores.
The higher the number the less slippy it is.
You can get paints to increase the p rating... no idea how keen they'd be to have them in the home... but they exist.
https://www.rawlinspaints.com/content/anti-slip?gclid=CjwKCAjw6p-oBhAYEiwAgg2PgtXyOVxa_02yKUp4tq5mefZfIdqJxdNsrSNKPB949wGoGZT7SU5idBoCHzMQAvD_BwE

Anti-Slip Product Ranges | Rawlins Paints

https://www.rawlinspaints.com/content/anti-slip?gclid=CjwKCAjw6p-oBhAYEiwAgg2PgtXyOVxa_02yKUp4tq5mefZfIdqJxdNsrSNKPB949wGoGZT7SU5idBoCHzMQAvD_BwE

CyberCritical · 18/09/2023 22:36

Rugs along the common walkway areas (with a good rug gripper mat or tape underneath so it doesn't slide around).

Not just firm soled slippers but rubber soled slippers with good grip, some of the hard soled slippers have completely smooth soles and are rubbish.

Mariposista · 18/09/2023 22:36

No advice OP just solidarity - aren’t these elderly folk stubborn! My gran got a bad burn off a rubber hot water bottle but she still stoically refused to put a cover on it. Why she wanted to have the boiling rubber near her skin is beyond me! We bought her one with a cover but she found a way of getting it off!

PurpleButterflyWings · 18/09/2023 22:38

Awww, this is so wholesome! 😆 I hope your mother is OK. No advice that hasn't already been given, but some BIG rugs maybe?!

PimpMyFridge · 18/09/2023 22:38

Google
floor coating to improve slip p rating score
Loads of results

HotelNotPortofino · 18/09/2023 22:41

I feel your pain

DF would repeat he wasn’t old and didn’t need help/adjustments despite so obviously needing them

perhaps if you suggest that a cheap washable/bleachable carpet would ‘protect’ the floor ‘better’ than adding non slip paint/mats/grips as a ‘temporary’ solution ;)

or if all fails blame (someone else) the hospital/social
services, some blameless receptionist at the doctors after mums fall,

GeorgeBeckett · 18/09/2023 22:46

Trampoline park socks. Should be able to get them by shoe size. I'm sure you could get his and hers even though it's his birthday.

JamMakingWannaBe · 18/09/2023 22:59

Curling shoes (as in the ice sport). If they stop you slipping over on the ice, they might well work on a slippery floor. Not cheap though.