I was watching Paul James, the gardening guy yesterday and he was talking about bringing plants inside the house that you want to protect from the winter weather. That brought back memories. I can still remember all the hours I spent bringing in my plants, throwing away dead plants, emptying terra cotta pots for the winter and storing them in the basement. The problem I always had was trying to keep the bottoms of the pots off my wood floors. I wound up finding these plastic saucers that worked like a charm and that's what Paul was recommending as well. Now the kind I used was a clear plastic but they do come in a terra cotta color as well. Anyway, the point is if you're going to bring your plants in you need to do three things: 1-check for critters - you don't want to be bringing any bugs or animals in the house. 2-clean off your pots. Wipe them down with a vinegar solution to get rid of any fungus and crud that has collected over the summer months. 3-find a spot that provides the same light exposure that the plant had outside. That way you'll be sure the plant would be too shocked as it settles into its new digs. Make sure you use those plastic saucers and you won't have to be concerned about damage to your floors or rugs.