The Steps in your staircase perform a vital function. We all know that our iron balusters or wood spindles need to be no wider than 4 inches apart and our handrail and box newels or regular newel posts need to be secure; but we can't forget the steps. Let's all make it a new years resolution to keep the clutter off our stair steps. Most people forget how important it is to keep our staircase steps clean.

Here are a few helpful tips:

1. Assign someone in the family the responsibility for removing shoes, newspapers, coats, books etc. from your staircase, or just clean it up when you see it.

2. Vacuum your steps to remove dust, dropped pins or hairclips, and anything else that could stick someones bare foot.

3. Check your staircase every few months to make sure the steps are solid. Loose boards or torn carpets can lead to nasty falls. Just get your hammer and nails and fix the problem promptly to keep someone form falling and getting hurt. While your at it, check the banisters, handrail and iron balusters or wood spindles to be sure they're stable. If your stairs are carpeted, I would convert to inexpensive solid wood treads but if not, make sure you check for loose strings that may be unraveling. It is very easy to clip them and prevent them from getting caught in peoples shoes.