r/CleaningTips • u/happyjazzycook • 15d ago
Discussion Taking off "outside" shoes when coming into your house
Do you? And if not, why?
I can see the advantage, obviously, but I was not raised doing this and almost feel as though this is something that (in my area of the US) has only been noticeable for the past decade or two.
We wipe our feet (shoes) on a mat when we come into the house if it's dry weather, take off the shoes if it's raining or snowing. And we always wipe our dog's paws when he comes in the house from a walk. But nothing more and I really don't see the point of asking guests to take their shoes off when they visit, although some do.
Genuinely curious...
Edit: I live in a suburb, walk the relatively clean sidewalks in our development, am hardly ever in a city where stepping in dog poo or human pee would be an issue. Even the small town near to us is clean, but I do realize that taking off shoes would be necessary in a city environment.
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u/Optimal-Currency-389 15d ago
As someone from Canada, the idea of keeping your shoes in the house feels entirely insane. 8-9 months per year either it snows or rains or your shoes are too hot for inside.
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u/poisonpomodoro 15d ago
I’m from a very rural place and I didn’t grow up taking shoes off inside. As soon as I moved away I was exposed to way more people taking shoes off and thought “huh. Well that makes a ton of sense” and got used to it very fast.
My extended family came to visit me in Seattle and one of them made a comment everyone takes their shoes off. Another said “it’s cause we’re so close to Canada. They do that there”. It still makes me laugh because tons of people take their shoes off in the US - just not in my very rural town.
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u/aurora_surrealist 15d ago
Very rural places in Europe are the exact places taking shoes off came from.
You don't want mud and cow poo in the same room you sleep amd eat in
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u/poisonpomodoro 15d ago
Oh yeah, I’m not implying it makes sense. But where I’m from they see it as some fancy ceremonial behavior or something.
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u/ClosdforBusiness 14d ago
So, I grew up on a farm in the US, and we had ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ shoes because we got VERY dirty outside, but your socks would get wrecked tbh if you walked around in the house without shoes. Dogs, deliveries, produce, etc.
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u/Primary-Confection82 13d ago
This is exactly what we do in my house. Live on a cattle farm and there’s no way my nurse brain could ever accept outside shoes being worn in our house. It’s also incredibly dusty out here so even if I clean the floors twice a day it’s never clean long enough for me to feel comfy walking barefoot. We take our outside shoes off on the screened in front porch and switch into our inside shoes before stepping in lol
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u/Telvin3d 15d ago
Was your rural town also in the Pacific Northwest? Because it’s not usually a rural/urban divide, it’s a geographic divide of “how often does the weather outside mean my shoes are filthy?”
Central and southwest, where 19 days out of 20 the worst you’re going to bring in is a bit of dry dust? People get in the habit of leaving them on. Anywhere that regularly experiences weather? You take your shoes off. Rural moms get just as mad about wet shoes in the house as urban moms do
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u/Adventurous-Brain-36 14d ago
I mean, the weather isn’t the only reason your outdoor shoes are filthy.
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u/Lextasy_401 14d ago
Yeah, I’m Canadian, I’ve got family across BC, the prairies, Ontario, and some distant relatives on the East Coast. No one wears shoes inside. I genuinely can’t imagine wearing my shoes inside - the only exception is if I forgot something and had to run back in the house to grab it quickly.
The only downside is planning nice holiday outfits and realizing that it has to look good with whatever socks or tights you have on since the shoes aren’t part of the outfit indoors lol
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u/Tundrakitty 14d ago
Even when I have to run inside, I cringe at stepping beyond the entryway with shoes still on. Blech.
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u/rcapina 14d ago
Yeah this is wild. I think the only circumstance where you can charge into a house with shoes is if you’re moving in/out.
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u/Esaemm 14d ago
Or when you have to catch the bus but forgot something inside, so you have to prance on your tippy toes to avoid maximum shoe dirt on the floor lol
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u/light-bulb-22 14d ago
My kid’s friends showed me the art of walking on your knees when you have sneakers tied on and really need the bathroom. Uh ok that works sure.
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u/Practical-Tea-3337 15d ago
Yeah, taking your shoes off at the door is Canadian etiquette 101.
In the winter most people bring slippers to your house parties.
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u/sunmoon08 14d ago
Taking off shoes is also etiquette in Asia. In fact, house slippers are provided for guests.
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u/DoughnutHungry5407 14d ago
Also Canadian and when I first heard about people just keeping their shoes on when they come inside I thought it was a joke. It makes no sense to me and it's gross
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u/yungrii 15d ago
PNW with partner from LA. He's been here for 30 years but still doesn't seem to really get why you'd take your shoes off.
... There's been a weird amount of vacuuming and shampooing... 😒
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u/frozenchocolate 14d ago
I hope you make him do all that if he insists on making all that extra work
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u/Dependent-Departure7 14d ago
Exactly!! I grew up in Alaska, its RUDE to wear your shoes inside. Hell, you'll get the stink eye if you don't tap your feet on the outside of the car before swinging your legs in.
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u/ghilliegal 14d ago
SAME
Literally cannot compute wearing your shoes in the house?! Whyyy would you
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u/Responsible_CDN_Duck 14d ago
As someone from Canada, the idea of keeping your shoes in the house feels entirely insane. 8-9 months per year either it snows or rains or your shoes are too hot for inside.
And when we had cable we saw Mr Rogers take his shoes off every day too. It's the sitcoms that skipped it.
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u/renaissance-Fartist 15d ago
I have to wear shoes (drs orders) and so I come home and change into house shoes. I have multiple pairs of crocs because if I forget and run outside in them I can very easily scrub them down in the shower on the regular.
We live in Minnesota, and so for a huge portion of the year, if you wear shoes inside you will be able to see salt and snow tracked all over the house. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t take off their outside shoes in this state.
I actually warn my friends that I’m bringing house shoes because I can’t be barefoot due to an injury, and im always the only person inside with shoes on and I look inconsiderate 😂
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u/staunch_character 15d ago
I bring my “indoor shoes” when I stay with friends. They’re just basic Adidas slides but so comfy! First thing I unpack.
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u/superfiud 14d ago
I have a pair of indoors only crocs for my poorly feet too. But I would just wears socks or slippers if I could.
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u/karinda86 14d ago
Yes!!!🙌 I do the same. I have rheumatoid arthritis and it extremely affects my feet. I cannot be barefoot without it feeling like my bone is scraping across the ground. Zero cushion. I literally bring my horse shoes with me to anyone’s house. I won’t wear my shoes there, but I cannot go barefoot. Ballet slipper styles don’t help. I need something with a sole.
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u/IcyFortune9537 11d ago
I actually like the idea of guests bringing their own indoor shoes or slippers. It gives them the choice to have something on their feet besides just socks.
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u/HermioneGranger152 15d ago edited 15d ago
Speaking on your edit, even in a suburb, you may still walk into public restrooms, parking lots, on sidewalks that have been pooped on by bugs and birds, and there’s just dirt everywhere. Particles get blown around, onto those “clean” sidewalks, you step in them, they get carried into your house. Taking your shoes off when you enter your home is such an easy and simple way to keep your floors cleaner, regardless of where you live.
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u/Corsaer 14d ago
I don't understand why people don't consider parking lots. Wipe your hands thirty or forty times across a grocery store parking lot or gas station lot and then tell me if you're comfortable just using a dry towel to get them clean--it doesn't. Blacktop stain, oil, and everything else. That's film and dirt on everyone's shoes unless they are keeping them meticulously clean and putting in that regular effort to actually wash and clean them.
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u/Adventurous-Brain-36 14d ago
Not just bugs and birds, friend.
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u/HermioneGranger152 14d ago
Oh trust me, I know, lol, but OP seemed convinced that their suburban sidewalks are safe from the pee and poop of dogs and humans…
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u/ParadiseLost91 14d ago
Or even just your average grocery store floor! Imagine how vile they are, full of other people's shoe grime and bacteria. No way I'd want to track that inside my home.
As a European, it's shoes off, always. In winter we wear woolly socks inside and it's cosy.
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u/HermioneGranger152 14d ago
Eugh yes! I work in a store and we only get the floors properly cleaned once a year. Sometimes I have to mop up spills and the water is disgusting!
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u/Silent-Victory-3861 13d ago
Exactly. Just because you don't step on a visible pile of poop doesn't mean the surface is clean. People who defend shoes inside seem to have hard time understanding this.
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u/mamoocando 15d ago
I honestly didn't know people kept their shoes on inside. I thought it was just a thing on TV.
Shoes come off at the front door, everyone does it at everyone's house. I have slippers for inside.
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u/tom8osauce 14d ago
There was an episode of Sex and the City where Carrie was made to take off her shoes to go to a baby shower. Everyone she told the story to was outraged that she would have to take off her shoes. I think that was the first time I realized that it wasn’t just for tv and people really did wear shoes indoors.
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u/WaltzReasonable416 14d ago
I really don’t understand why many (mostly white Americans) think it’s rude to ask guests to remove shoes. I think it’s rude NOT to remove them. My husband and I argue about this when his family comes over
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u/Queen_of_Chloe 15d ago
Takes me right out of a show when someone has shoes on the bed or couch or coffee table. So gross!
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u/superfiud 14d ago
The worst is home makeover shows where at the 'reveal' they're trailing around all over brand new carpet with their outdoor shoes on. Makes me cringe.
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u/SillyCanuck17 14d ago
Yes, "indoor shoes" are a thing. Usually sandals, slippers or mocassins (or birks, my current fave). I don't really like wandering around in bare feet. Your feet still get dirty!
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u/ImaginationOk8645 15d ago
Yes 100%. Your shoes have tracked in so many germs, in public restrooms, grocery stores, just everywhere. There’s literal microscopic poop particles on your shoes
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u/rowdyroddysniper 15d ago
To be fair, there are probably poop particles everywhere in your house too. Especially if you have pets.
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u/fsmpastafarian 15d ago
I’m pretty sure my house is still cleaner than a public restroom floor and I’d like to keep it that way
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u/misshestermoffett 14d ago
I’d rather have poop particles from one small cat than 100s of people having explosive diarrhea after hitting up chipotle. That’s just me, though.
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u/CaughtInDireWood 15d ago
I live in Minnesota. I’d say 75% of households here are shoes-off because of our inclement weather for most of the year. Snow/salt, mud, rainwater, etc. I’m very shoes-off even if someone tells me I can keep them on. I’ll only keep them on if I’m walking through the house to go outside to the backyard or whatever.
Plus I’m way more comfy in my bare feet or socks than I am in shoes. Some people here will even bring slippers with them to someone’s house to change into when they arrive.
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u/Wild2297 14d ago
Also in Minnesota. I am shoes off. No need for me to explain all the crappy people walk in outside, without ever seeing it or knowing it. My husband is a shoes on person but he was raised in Indiana. I complain about him wearing shoes but limit the nagging. But outside clothes on the bed? No. And he knows that would be a huge problem!
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u/carlitospig 15d ago
Yep, when I lived in Seattle it was shoes off. It’s a way to have to clean less.
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u/RadioSupply 15d ago
Yes, in Canada we generally remove our shoes. Even delivery drivers bringing in an entire fridge will start shuffling their boots off until you say, “Keep ‘em on, it’s okay, really, it’s okay!”
There are always exceptions. Say you’re having a backyard bonfire. Most people will come in sandals and slip-ons, and if they’re going in and out of the kitchen, they’ll leave them on or kick them off.
Bonus: if you have a party during parka weather, you throw a blanket over a bed, and that’s where everyone leaves their parka. Boots in the porch.
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u/christicky 15d ago
You alway know it’s going to be a good house party when you can’t open the front door because of all the shoes.
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u/RadioSupply 15d ago
“Sorry about that!” The other person in the doorway just shovelling boots and shoes in all directions, and you ducking back out and shutting the door because your friends aren’t paying to heat the outdoors!
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u/tom8osauce 14d ago
I had some contractors come into my house and they started to take off their steel toed boots. I told them to keep them on and passed them each a pair of disposable boot covers instead. It is so true that many Canadians would be willing to risk losing a foot instead of tracking outdoor dirt into someone’s house.
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u/ljenner 15d ago
I wasn't raised to take shoes off (also in US) so as a child I never thought about it. But then once I lived in my own home it was clear they HAD to come off at the door! Why make more work for yourself by dirtying up the floor with outside shoes?
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u/takethecatbus 14d ago
This is me as well.
I still argue with my mom about whether it's better to take shoes off at the door or not.
But then she'll turn around and comment about how hard it is to keep the floors clean and how impressed she is with mine (I'm not even a particularly diligent cleaner).
OP, my mom cleans the floors more often than I do, and when I wear socks at her place, the bottoms turn greyish brownish by the end of the day. At my place, that doesn't happen. That's indicator enough for me! I always wear shoes in her house now, because ain't nobody got time to do extra work on laundering socks to get them white again! I'm not necessarily a big germaphobe or anything, it's just really annoying and kind gross, especially now that I know it's not actually a necessary part of life.
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u/mykittyforprez 15d ago
Also from the US and we didn't do it either growing up but I do it now. I keep slippers by the door for me to put on when I come in. For (rare) guests, I don't worry about their shoes unless it was rainy out.
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u/Truthfinder57 15d ago
I live in a metropolitan downtown area and take off my shoes the second I enter my condo. The amount of dog and human excrement, pee, and possible diseases is endless. Occasionally I put my shoes on and then forget something, so I quickly walk over and get it, meaning I have a zero second rule if I drop food. It's not just cleanliness, it's health and safety.
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u/OpalSeason 15d ago
Very common in Canada, esp in winter. Even Dr offices, medical places, require you to take outside shoes off. They give you booties or slippers. (Clean bin and dirty bin). Schools and children programs have inside and outside shoes with a place for boots.
It keeps all places clean and dry and helps with slippage. Grocery stores are outside shoe places and they are so dirty and wet with mud, salt, and snow!
I have a foldable pair of slippers i carry in my bag for public inside shoes
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u/tom8osauce 14d ago
My Canadian office building (multiple tenants in the building, this was a building management initiative) even has boot covers available for people to put over their outdoor boots. Then if they come in with dirty shoes or boots, they can put the covers on and not track the dirt around the building. It isn’t something I see everywhere, but it has made the cleaners so much happier.
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u/Chicky_Melly 15d ago
No outside shoes allowed past the entryway and no outside clothes allowed on the bed.
On top of the cleanliness aspect of it all, I’m just a lot more comfortable with my shoes off and I have zero desire to wear them when I don’t have to.
ETA: I also have to break it to you, but there is a very VERY good chance that your super clean suburban sidewalks do in fact have poo poo on them that you are tracking in on your shoes.
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u/Selsia6 14d ago
This is how I was raised in the US (middle sized town in the Midwest) many friends also had shoes off inside.
Sane as washing your hands when you come inside, it just makes sense. The outside (and if love nature and bugs) has germs, bugs, pollen, dirt, waste, seeds, leaves etc. I don't want to bring those things inside, especially into a food prep area.
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u/Touchingtulips 15d ago
I read an article one day that said all shoes that have been worn outside basically have feces on them. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/07/03/my-shoes-dirty-studies-suggest-theyre-covered-fecal-bacteria/1637780001/
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u/KCChiefsGirl89 14d ago
Didn’t the Mythbusters basically prove that there is fecal bacteria everywhere though?
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u/Let_em_glow927 15d ago
How clean are sidewalks , parking lots, mall floors, hospital floors ?
Think of actual dirt , but also bodily fluids of all types - animal and human. Then there are chemicals, trace amounts of illicit drugs , endless possibilities, all pretty gross.
Now why would you track all that into your home?
We drop items on the floor at home. Sit or lay on the floor maybe , children play on the floor...
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u/littlemisslol 15d ago
Here in canada if you don't take your shoes off it's considered rude at best, absolutely disgusting at worst. Imagine all the stuff on your shoes tracking onto your floors, nooooo thank you
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u/2025TastyTreats 14d ago
Yep, rarely. if ever, do you not remove your shoes in someone's house in Canada.
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u/see112717 15d ago
I was raised in suburban US and my mom would actually yell at us for being barefoot in the house! She thought it was improper or something, idk.
I have house slippers but I don't use them religiously. I have foot problems and wearing my normal shoes and insoles most of the time helps my body to hurt less.
I know there is dirt outside. Don't come for me, you don't live at my house, I do and I'm fine w it, lol. We clean our floors regularly and ain't nobody died in my house yet from a little more dirt on the floors.
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u/madamekelsington 14d ago
For real. I honestly can’t think of anyone I know offhand that does this religiously.
Why I have a robovac on both floors 😂
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u/Original_Chapter3028 15d ago
Yes we always take off our shoes and don't allow others to come inside with shoes on.
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u/fabulousmarco 15d ago
Not common where I'm from. Residents of the house may take shoes off at the door, but typically just to slip into something more comfortable. Guests are never expected to take their shoes off.
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u/CPH79ER 15d ago edited 15d ago
EDIT: OP - just noticed your edit. I get the feeling you’re just looking to justify what you currently do. All good, but people have dogs in suburbs too. The amount of bacteria may be less, but still there… and it’s not like people in cities are constantly stepping in dog poo
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u/metdear 15d ago
I do, but I'm not sure how much it actually helps cleanliness. I have dogs.
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u/QuesoChef 14d ago edited 14d ago
I live in a house with a decent amount to maintain outside. I come in and out of the house a lot and never take my shoes off unless it’s raining or snowing (or muddy from rain), or I’ve just mowed or been in the dirt or mud. I walk in and out of the house a lot for general stuff that’s not messy. When I sit on my patio, I wear shoes, and go in and out to fill up drinks or do insignificant things. I have slip on shoes but tend to wear tennis shoes more.
Once inside, my shoes usually come off, but not at the door. I can’t imagine stopping to take my shoes off while bringing in groceries, filling up a glass of water, to run to the bathroom, etc., unless my shoes are dirty. Likewise, I have worked in an office all day with shoes on and it doesn’t weird me out anywhere near as much as public restrooms.
I also was raised in an area peobably similar to you, OP. I feel like it’s almost rude to ask people to remove their shoes unless it’s messy outside. Men tend to wear work boots that are hard to get on and off. And while most people remove their children’s shoes, it’s also a huge hassle to re-shoe them. If it’s not messy outside, I say “leave them on.”
The other day I was imagining asking a worker who came in to do a small plumbing or electrical job to remove his work boots. Or to ask the people who installed my AC unit to stop at the door, remove their shoes, and bring the unit in.
Carpet gets dusty just from existing and hard floors are easy to sanitize. I also open my windows as much as I can, which worsens the dust. I don’t have pets or kids but find they poop and pee and puke plenty in my friends’ houses. And we all walk in and out of our bathrooms and track those germs everywhere.
I do tend to try to remove my shoes at a friend’s house, but most sy, “Oh that’s ok.” And I’m definitely the same. Don’t ruin my carpet, rugs, furniture, but normal wear and tear and grossness is part of life.
Edit: Likewise, people would probably die how often I run outside shoeless. Down to the mailbox, out on my patio, into my yard. Most often, in and out of my garage. And worse - sometimes in socks! I feel like such a germ rebel.
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u/mean11while 14d ago
Just FYI, I only take my shoes off once when coming in with a car full of groceries, and not with them in hand. Car > mud room table with shoes on. Mud room > kitchen in my house slippers.
We have free range chickens, so our ban on shoes in the house is absolutely necessary. Contractors and service folks usually take their shoes off or use covers without being asked. But it's not a big deal if they don't. I can clean the floors, but I prefer to minimize how often I have to do that. I come inside 1000 times for every 1 time a plumber does.
(I also never go outside barefoot, because there's a century worth of farm hazards out there, just waiting for a bare foot.)
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u/QuesoChef 14d ago
Yeah I don’t live on a farm and don’t have chickens. I also don’t have a mud room. I just have a tiny entryway.
It’s definitely regional because service people never wear slippers unless it’s raining or snowing. And even then, probably depends on company having those policies.
I clean my floors 1x per week. And I don’t eat off of them. Ha. If I drop food, I just trash it (worked in a restaurant for awhile where they fired people for unsanitary stuff, and it stuck with me). So in that way I’m probably on the more extreme end of cleanliness. And I’m on the more lenient end of the shoes scale. Everyone has their balance, I guess.
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u/No_Capital_8203 15d ago
Extremely common in Canada. We carry a bag in our vehicle with shoes or slippers that are never worn outside. We use them in our friends home.
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u/ThreePartHarmoneigh 14d ago
No. My floors get swept regularly and mopped weekly. I only ask that people take their shoes off when it's wet out, which is rare in the desert.
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u/Smooth_Injury_5690 15d ago
You always wipe your dog’s paws but you still wear shoes in the house?
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u/tchurchiill 15d ago
The idea of wearing shoes in my house that were in the mall, grocery store, oily pavement, and god knows where else, is repulsive
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u/obertpobert 15d ago
If someone wore their shoes in my house I’d call the police
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u/Pangolin007 14d ago
For some reason it feels disgusting to me to walk around inside with shoes on but I have no problem with dog feet on my carpet and bed LOL
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u/ClutchesPearlsDaily 15d ago
No shoes in the house. Been doing it for many years but remember noticing how much cleaner our house was after we started. There is no going back.
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u/Visible-Armor 15d ago
In my mother's house growing up she walked barefoot but every guest kept their shoes on. Even my father would wear shoes in the house. Me? Heck no! Wipe off your shoes outside and kick them off at the door. I also wipe my dogs paws too :)
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u/aturquoiseseashell 15d ago
Always. It keeps the floors cleaner, plus I have a toddler now and I feel better knowing she’s not playing on the floor surrounded by random dirt and germs from outside. I live in a car-focused suburb and I did the same when I lived in NYC.
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u/Honest-Biscotti6638 15d ago
We live in a city and wear indoor shoes (currently crocs or wool slippers) inside our house for the reasons mentioned. We also have two dogs and use paw wipes whenever they have been outside. We have reusable shoe covers for people to wear if they feel uncomfortable taking off their shoes.
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u/0nomatopoeia_ 15d ago
We have been a shoes off house for 20 years. The thought of wearing shoes in the house is so bizarre to me at this point. I work at a hospital and my husband at a university I don’t want any of those germs coming in the house.
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u/KCChiefsGirl89 14d ago
I’m happy to take my shoes off before entering your home. But if you have dogs, I’m not going in because I don’t want whatever your dog has stepped in on my bare feet.
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u/No_Masterpiece_3897 15d ago
Yes, and why wouldn't you? It's such a simple thing to do that takes no effort. Especially this time of year where it's wet out and things can get a bit muddy. Take your shoes off at the door, that's where the muck stays. It's not tramped round the house and in the carpets.
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u/thoughtcrime84 14d ago
I kind of think trades workers doing work on your house is an exception. There are reasons to wear shoes when doing work. Like, I would feel silly telling the HVAC guys walking around my attic to take their shoes off. And yes, I bet a lot of them do have stinky feet, I know I would if I was doing physical labor like that all day.
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u/Wakeful-dreamer 14d ago
I've had plenty of workers bring shoe covers with them, and put them on without being asked before stepping on my floors.
Realistically I think most would if you asked. "Hey I've got some booties here, can you put them on?"
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u/ifeelborderline 14d ago
Trades usually have the blue disposable foot covers. My drs and dentist offices have them too
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u/thoughtcrime84 14d ago
I’ve seen them before but they’re not super common in lately where I am for some reason. I can understand wanting someone working on your house to use them, but eh, I just don’t care that much. Plus single-use foot covers and kind of wasteful.
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u/CoyoteLitius 14d ago
I'd want them to don booties if coming down from our attic (fiberglass insulation). I would assume they don't much like getting that stuff on their shoes either (some bring their own booties, but that was some while ago).
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u/East_Importance7820 14d ago
Repair people often need to wear their footwear to do the job because it is deemed safety footwear. Good ones should slip lil covers over the sole until they get to the targeted area to do their work.
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u/MsEllaSimone 14d ago
Every trades person I’ve had in the past 5 years has either offered to take off their shoes or has put covers over their shoes to come inside.
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u/AlphaBetaJamma 14d ago
Shoe covers or card board walk way if they are going in and out.
I used to have a box of shoe covers. But I seemed to have lost them. Luckily, the last few repairs/maintenance folks have come with their own.
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u/templestate 14d ago
I have shoe covers and I ask them to put them on. A lot of the professionals just put their own shoe covers on without asking though (my HVAC company and electrician, for example).
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u/Ready_Scientist1692 14d ago
Repair folks are an exception and they’re not around often enough that I mind mopping the floors up after they leave.
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u/Ok-Simple5493 14d ago
I don't worry about people doing work. It's asking a lot for most of them to work in stocking feet. It often makes the job more dangerous, and is hard on their bodies. I don't know anyone working in a job like that who wouldn't gladly put on the booties, but again. Traction is important for some jobs. It's also time consuming for them. You are paying for their time, but honestly, they are in and out of their mobile work shop during the job. They are often carrying things.
I either lay down a rug, or just clean up after them. They are usually not going through the whole house anyway.
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u/Electronic-Display73 14d ago
My parents back in the day would lay down covers (over carpet) where they expect them to walk, and carpet wash after if it's more area than expected (they would tell them it's fine if they can't stay on the plastic). It's a safety issue with their work, so I wouldn't ask them to remove. Nowadays I keep some shoe covers around, tho I hardly use it. I have hardwood and tile so I usually just wash the floors after wards (besides, any work done in your house probably generates a bunch of unavoidable debris or dust anyway, so it's a giant wipe down fest afterwards regardless)
To note also, if we throw a big party we don't ask for shoes off if it's mainly in the yard cause that's annoying, I'll just wash the floors/carpets/rugs after the fact as part of party clean up. Personally as someone who grew up in a shows off house, when I go to someone's house if your house is not carpeted, it's meh, fine (easy to wash) to me but if it's carpeted or floor to floor rugged I'm super icked by it.
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u/Freebready 15d ago
I'm from a european country and no one ever wears shoes inside. House slippers, at most. Why would anyone dirty their own floors on purpose?
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u/No_Joke_9079 15d ago
I recently moved into my own place and shoes off when you come in the door. This place WILL stay clean.
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u/MaeONays 15d ago
It greatly helps my allergies not tracking pollen and whatnot through the house.
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u/AntipatheticDating 14d ago
I’m going to sound so silly because as a Canadian this is so foreign to me… like… I promise I’m actually earnest in this question. But do you chill on the couch with shoes? Like recline and pop your feet up with sneakers on? Or cook at your kitchen in boots? Haha. I literally can’t picture wearing shoes around the house in my head.
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u/Nick_Fotiu_Is_God 14d ago
No. I can’t live in a world where I’m preoccupied by germs. I’m not putting my street shoes on the sofa or carpet but I do regularly clean my house so I’m fine.
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u/blackcloud247 14d ago
I find it appalling and utterly disgusting that peopme do not take tgeir shoes off in their home. How are you people not sick all the time? E.coli, pesticides, MRSA. My god. Are you bleaching your floors daily? Your carpets must be filthy. I cannit imagine it.
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u/Electric-Sheepskin 15d ago edited 15d ago
Some people do it, and some people don't. In some areas it's considered rude to wear your shoes inside someone's home, and in other areas it would be odd to take your shoes off after entering.
It's always a good idea to follow the cultural norms of the geographical area that you live in, and of course if your shoes are especially dirty with rain, snow, or dirt you'll want to take them off, but do what works for you. If you're worried about germs, that really isn't a concern unless someone in the home is immuno compromised, despite what people on Reddit say, so don't worry about that, but if you would like to keep your floors a little cleaner, or if it makes you feel better, feel free. But if it's not the norm where you live, don't let people online make you feel weird about wearing shoes inside. There's nothing wrong with it.
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u/VictoryAutomatic7579 15d ago
Love your balanced take - I was almost afraid to comment saying I don’t take shoes off in the house before reading your comment! I get that there are germs on shoes, but also i work outdoors and bring in all sorts of things from outside so I guess I’ll just happily build up a strong immune system!
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u/Fuzzteam7 15d ago
I will switch to slippers when I get home but I don’t leave shoes at the front door. I have two dogs and a cat and if you’ve ever stepped in cat vomit with just socks on or barefoot you would understand. I do have a robot vacuum mop that helps a lot.
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u/glitterhairdye 15d ago
I literally just walked in my house with my shoes on bc I just got my toe nails done and can’t take them off without ruining them. It’s grossing me out so I’m just sitting on a chair by my door.
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u/coldcurru 15d ago
I'm Asian and that's really common for us. Doesn't matter how clean the places you walk are. Fact is they all have dirt, just to varying degrees. Helps keep the whole house cleaner.
I will say I think it's becoming more common in non Asian houses in my area. People just like cleaner floors. I will default to taking shoes off in others' homes and visitors see our shoe rack by the door so they do the same here.
I don't wipe my pets' paws unless I know they've stepped in something really nasty. But my cats use a litter box inside my house which is literally a toilet. They groom themselves but we still vacuum and mop.
I also use house slippers though. Sometimes water gets on bathroom floors or there's a spill in the kitchen. I don't like gross socks and hate being barefoot.
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u/WrongPercentage9134 14d ago
Honestly, I lived in a "no shoes" household as a child. And I live in a "shoes optional" house now. I see little difference. It makes sense to say "we are dragging dirt and bacteria into the house" - but frankly? I'm not seeing it. No one is sicker. Carpets are just as clean (or dirty) as people walking around in socks or barefoot that were sweating all day in their shoes.
This is purely anecdotal, but I shampoo'd the rugs in my parents' house growing up and that is a yearly thing here too. I can remember how much dirt came out of those rugs. It was putrid. My rugs? They are about the same.
FWIW, if people are coming in with dry shoes, I don't think it really matters. No one is walking around with wet/muddy shoes.
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u/GrayRVA 15d ago
- We wear shoes in the house
- From our own controlled experiment, we KNOW that the floors get dirtier much faster than when we are making a conscious choice to remove our shoes at the door before walking on the floor.
- I HATE having to remove my shoes at someone else’s house, but the homeowner will never know that. 😁 It’s more gracious to allow guests to wear what they arrived in.
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u/kieratea 14d ago
I tell guests to do whatever is comfortable for them. I have cats and I swear they squeeze their little paws in the litter so they can track extra all over the house. Shoes aren't going to add much more to that and I have all wood floors and a robomop that runs every evening so I'm pretty sure my floors are cleaner than most people's.
Honestly, I would take outdoor shoes on wood floors or tile over no shoes and carpet. Carpet is the worst. So many of my health issues cleared up when I moved to a house with no carpet.
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u/LongOk678 15d ago
I have a foot problem. After my last tendon reconstruction surgery my surgeon advised me to never go barefoot, never wear slippers or flip flops. I feel bad walking into my sisters home with shoes on, so I do remove them sometimes, but not always.
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u/TigerShark_524 15d ago
In a situation like that, I'd get indoor-only shoes that have soles that are easy to clean up, and carry those with me when going to someone's home to change into, and then give the soles a cleaning when you get home so that you don't transfer food or pet dander or dust or bacteria/germs or anything else from the first person's home to the next person's.
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u/MLTDione 15d ago
I’m Canadian and everyone removes their shoes. Keeping them on is not even thought of.
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u/Surprise_Fragrant 15d ago
Nope, never have, unless our shoes were absolutely covered in muck (like mud puddles, for example). We wipe our feet on the mat outside, again on the mat right inside the door then walk to our closet to take off our shoes. This means that we walk clear through our house with shoes on. We don't keep them on, though. They come off, as noted earlier, then we either walk barefoot, sock-footed, or in slippers for the rest of the time. We've never asked visitors to take off their shoes in our home.
I live in a suburb, drive pretty much everywhere, and park very close to my front door.
And I have a robust immune system that can handle strange germs.
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u/UnlikelyTadpole 14d ago
I don’t. The dogs track in everythin that’s on shoes and worse, I’m not eating food off the floor so whatever.
That does mean I have to clean my floors more often but again furry pets, so I have to clean often anyway.
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u/oscarsowner 14d ago
UK here. We have a golden retriever who goes out on long muddy walks. Whilst I try and wash/clean his paws, it would be insane to never ever wear shoes indoors. They’re all hardwood floors so I vacuum and steam clean them at least twice a week.
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u/Good-Gur-7742 14d ago
No, I have hard stone and wood floors, and my dogs don’t take their feet off when they come in. I haaaate having to take my shoes off in peoples houses.
I hoover daily and steam mop two or three times a week. Never had an issue.
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u/Mundane-Adeptness23 15d ago
I have 5 dogs and 4 people. We don't take our shoes off. I wish we did, but it just doesn't weigh out.
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u/Mysterious-Apple-118 15d ago
We only have 2 dogs but same. They track in so much stuff it’s pointless to even try to take our shoes off. But they’re cute right?
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u/crumbdumpster85 15d ago
Yep. I’ve been both. My last house was in town and had very light carpet in part of it so we did keep our shoes off inside. But then my teens would bring over friends with the stinky sweaty teen feet and I’d see the sweaty icky feet prints on the wood floor and always wanted to tell them to put them back on before they got on the carpet 😅🫣
I also have two dogs and 5 cats walking around the house with their little sh!t mittens and live in the country and just said screw it. We are all in and out all day all day and it just doesn’t make sense. Also, I’m basically never dragging in gross city sidewalk or store stuff. I’m not eating off my floors. I’m walking on them with my shoes from the same yard I happily lay in lol
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u/bluesky557 14d ago
My dog and cat come in and out as they please, I am not wiping their feet off every single time. So I dont' bother with my shoes either.
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u/Cricket_1044 15d ago
Yep. Seven cats here, who walk on their poop in their litter boxes. We’re all still alive.
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u/Evil_Sharkey 15d ago
My parents don’t take their shoes off. They live out in the country and are constantly going in and out when they’re working on projects. They’d never get anything done if they had to change their shoes every time
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u/Mediocre-Belt-1035 14d ago
Okay thank you!!! I live in the country and we go in and out every few minutes for different things and I can’t fathom the amount of time I would waste in a day taking my shoes on and off each time.
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u/girlwhoweighted 15d ago
No. I think it's excessive and unnecessary. I protecting people's cleanliness as much as they think it is. But if that requires it. But am I home, no I wear my shoes if I feel like wearing my shoes
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u/Dolorisedd 15d ago
I think that shoes off is a newer american phenomenon. I didn’t grow up like that. No one I knew did that growing up. That being said, we do it now because shoes on carpet is completely disgusting.
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u/Aromatic-Ganache-902 15d ago
I grew up in the US and we always took our outside shoes off to come inside. Houses all had/have mud rooms for shoes and dirty clothes to go straight to the laundry. I live in the south and when I was a kid, we played outside in the mud/dirt and my mom was not having us bringing dirt in the house. Now I'm all grown and have a family of my own and my no adult kids were brought up to do the same. Our mudroom is right next to the laundry and if they were dirty, they'd put whatever dirty clothes in the hamper and to take a bath. We have a bench with cubbies where everybody puts their shoes as soon as they walk into the house. I loathe shoes in the house mainly because that's just how I was raised.
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u/00Dimple 15d ago
I was raised to take off my shoes in the house. I have slippers for guests but it doesn’t bother me if they do not take their shoes off, I just clean the floors after they leave lol. I like to sit and lie on the floor sometimes.
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u/earmares 15d ago
We don't, it's not really a thing here, but it is SOO much cleaner for those that do. Night and day.
Our floors are old and need to be replaced soon. When we replace them, I will go to a no shoe policy.
Surely you can tell when you don't sweep and mop for a while - that's from your shoes.
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u/N0stradama5 15d ago
If you use public restrooms anywhere, you should take your shoes off. You are tracking everyone’s pee and poop into your house, plus any other nasty stuff people walk through.
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u/pirozhokspovidlom 15d ago
I have a rug in my living room that I like to lie down and chill on with my cat that also happens to enjoy sleeping in my bed after walking around my apartment all day. The thought of not taking off the shoes and tracking absolutely anything from outside to those surfaces makes me feel physically sick. I take the shoes off before I step through the door and carry them straight to the shoe rack.
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u/Powerful_Jah_2014 15d ago
There have been many, many debates here about no shoes in the house versus shoes. In the house are okay. It is kind of like ocd - people who are against shoes in the house seem to be very strongly against shoes in the house either because they have germ phobias, or because they were raised that way and that is, the only way that is possible to live your life. Others were raised with shoes in the house and see no reason to make people take their shoes off at the door because they clean their floors regularly. The only people to me for whom it makes sense to not allow any outside dirt in your house, are those who have children crawling on the floors, but even for that, there is an argument that being exposed to germs makes kids healthier in the long run, and trying to keep your kids in a super clean environment is not doing them any favors.
I prefer no shoes in the house. But if there are guests, I do not ask them to take off their shoes - to me, that is basic hospitality, and I can clean the floors after they leave. And older people often have a hard time getting their shoes back on after taking them off (orthopedic shoes), or some people have medical issues that make it painful for them to walk around without their shoes on.
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u/Ki-Larah 14d ago
Like most things, I say if it you like it, do it, if not, don’t. I grew up needing to wear shoes 24/7, and it took years to become comfortable without them once I could. I had a medical issue with one foot that wearing shoes all the time simply made safer. Issue was resolved as a teenager, though I still sometimes get phantom pain.
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u/Boomer050882 14d ago
We take our shoes off because it more comfortable without them. We don’t expect our guests to take theirs off unless it’s snowing or raining. About half of our guests take them off without us asking. We have no strong preference either way.
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u/ChemicalPen7226 14d ago
I do take off my shoes at the door. I won’t make a visitor take their shoes off.
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u/langecrew 14d ago
I'm from Michigan and my family is from the South. I grew up never taking off my shoes, literally ever, unless I was coming inside with boots that are covered in snow. Even then I would just put on my normal shoes when I got inside. My mom always called shoe removal "a northern thing", in a somewhat contemptuous tone
I've lived in that way, but currently, my wife and I have outdoor shoes and indoor shoes.
Throughout both of these different styles of living I have found a 0% difference in the amount of time before I have to clean the floor again. In my estimation this is a useless debate that literally does nothing either way.
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u/DowntownPromise2457 14d ago
often no. my work boots tie up high so i can’t slip them off quick and sometimes i have to pee so bad i’m not taking the time to do that before i run to the bathroom across the house. i will say i don’t like wearing shoes because of the way they feel so they come off pretty quick after anyways, but ive just accepted i may have to clean my floors more often than others do. growing up my brother put on his shoes in the morning and didn’t take them off until he got ready for bed. he said that way he was ready for anything.
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u/LonelyEffective5774 14d ago
I find bare feet gross, sweating into the rugs and dampening the wood floors. Socks aren't a thing much at the moment. Shoes are fine most of the time. And I need the support shoes give me.
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u/she_wanders 14d ago
Shoes off isn’t going to mitigate my four animals. We are sweeping and mopping daily no matter what.
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u/DarthGator_ 15d ago
The point is that it keeps your house cleaner. Think of everywhere you walk throughout the day - public bathroom, restaurants, outside. You’re bringing in bacteria & dirt from all those places and spreading it around the floors in your home.