It may seem like an overreaction to say you should never wear your shoes in your house. But trust me, it’s not. It’s an underreaction! Lol! So today I am giving you 3 reasons you should never wear your shoes in the house.
People used to make fun of my husband & me for being germaphobes. We have used precautions long before the “virus” came around! Don’t get me started on how dirty a gas pump handle is. Lol! But we have never worn shoes in our house. I always knew they were dirty, but this was eye-opening and confirmed my reasons for not wanting people to wear them in our house.
This site uses affiliate links, which means a commission is earned if you make a purchase via the link. All content and images on this site are protected and may not be reused without written permission from the author.
1. Where have those shoes been?
Let’s take a minute to think about where we walk in a day. Most of us go into public restrooms, parking lots, and grocery stores, and I could go on and on. Even the cleanest restrooms still have bacteria on the floor, not to mention the really gross ones that I am sure you have been in. Think back, did you walk into your house after being in that bathroom?
Have you noticed oil in the parking lot, and have you accidentally walked through it? And these are just the things that we can see. Is your skin crawling yet? Mine is and I even take my shoes off when I come into the house!
Think about the places you wear your shoes when you come into the house. I have seen people prop their feet up on the couch and even their beds with shoes on. Think of all the things you are putting onto your bed and couch. Actually, I am going to tell you!
2. Germs & Bacteria
Germs and bacteria have been in the spotlight for a few years now. But they really are out there and have been for years! And I hate to break it to you are on the bottom of your shoes. Most of them can live on the bottom of your shoes for several days to over 6 months. Not to mention that you keep walking through the same places and keep putting those things right back on there! Or new ones.
So, what types of germs and bacteria can we find on our shoes?
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus –is better known as MRSA. It most often causes a skin infection. It can become very serious because it is very resistant to several antibiotics.
- E. Coli – most commonly causes diarrhea. It can also sometimes cause urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, and pneumonia.
- Mold – some people can have a severe reaction to it. Others might get a stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing, burning eyes, or skin rash.
This is not an inclusive list of all the germs and bacteria that is found on the bottom of our shoes. It’s just to give you an idea. If you would like to read more about a research study that was done to find what bacteria was found on the bottom of shoes you can go here.
Speaking of bacteria, I did a blog post a while back on shower scrunchies that you should check out. You can read that here.
3. Environmental Debris
Environmental debris is basically anything that was intended to be disposed of, plant, animal, or natural material. Dragging these things into your home from the bottom of your shoes can cause damage to your floors. Both hardwood and carpet. Have you ever noticed a well-traveled path in someone’s home? We have a rug placed at the entryway into our house from the garage. That is where we take our shoes off. It amazes me how dirty it gets. If we wore our shoes in the house that would be drug all throughout the house.
Common debris:
- Chemicals – This can be several things. But if you are walking through lawns and they have treated it you have fertilizer and possible pesticides on the bottom of your shoes.
- Garbage – Most shoes have groves in the bottom of them and general garbage can get caught up in them and gets drug into the house.
- Food – This may or may not be your food…
- Yard trimmings – Grass, leaves, rocks, and yep, the chemicals that can go along with it.
- Oil – Walking through parking lots we pick up all kinds of things. Oil from cars, and other car fluids.
- Fecal matter – If you have been in a public bathroom, you can bet you have someone else’s fecal matter and probably urine on the bottom of your shoes. Also, animal fecal matter.
I don’t know if you have pets or small children but whatever you are dragging into your home on your shoes you are also exposing them to. Dogs and cats eat and lick anything they can get their tongues on. And small children put everything in their mouths and if they are crawling, they put their hands on the floor.
What are my options if I can’t wear my shoes in the house?
I totally understand that there are people out there that are “shoe people”. They must wear them in the house. I hate wearing shoes and socks for that matter! That’s one of the many reasons I love living in the south! It’s warm!
If you need to wear shoes in the house have a pair of shoes that are designated “indoor shoes”. Ones that never go outside. Or get yourself a pair of slippers. You know they used to be called house shoes for a reason!
I have a steam mop that I love to use. I use it both on my tile and wood floors. If you use a steam mop properly it will kill 99.99 of all germs and bacteria.
When we had all the kids living with us, I had a “shoe bin” by the door. Each of us had a bin in which we could put our shoes in. Now that it is just the two of us, we have a closet right by the entryway and we have a shoe organizer in there. Making it convenient for people makes it work so much better!
So, are you a wear your shoes in the house kind of person? If so, are you still going to be? I would love to hear your thoughts on it below in the comments!
Leave a Reply