These Amazon Mats Are Saving My Wood Floors From My Large Plants

If you use terra cotta pots for your plants, you know how fickle they can be. Because they're so porous, they tend to accumulate salts and minerals on the exterior. (Don't worry; it's not dangerous and can be easily wiped away with a damp rag and a vinegar solution.)

Of course, the real danger of having porous, terra cotta pots is that when you overwater your plants (or really, just water them at all!), the pot itself (and even the saucer below) can become damp. This is an especially precarious situation if you've got beautiful wood floors. After all, if you go through months of watering your plant with no protection, you may eventually move it to find a huge water stain, or, the excess moisture can weaken the finish on your floors, causing it to peel/flake off.

The solution? Simply place a plastic-backed cork pad under your plant pot. The protectors, sold in a set of three for only $11.99 on Amazon (and in a variety of sizes), absorb extra moisture, but the plastic backing doesn't allow water to completely sink through to your floors.

Not totally into the look? Do as I did and put down a protector that's slightly smaller than the base of your plant — that way you don't even see it.

​Buy now: Cork Plant Mat Protectors (set of 3), $11.99​