Comments on: No shoes = less cleaning

By: Allison

Allison — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 19:06:06 +0000

I have a no shoes rule in my house as well. I mostly just like taking my shoes off after a long day! I find that even if I mop once a week and sweep regularly my feet and socks still get dirty! So I created a foot pad that sticks to the bottom of your foot, called Footums. please check them out

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Footums

By: Marie

Marie — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:56:01 +0000

Regarding the “rudeness”: My husband’s friend walked all over our carpets with dog sh*t on his sneakers.

I’ll tolerate being called rude if that means I don’t have to clean sh*t off my rugs again.

By: Christine Q

Christine Q — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:50:05 +0000

Our nanny’s custom has always been to remove her shoes upon entering our home. It got me thinking, and I like the concept. However, the hurdle I have in my mind is, how to minimize the cluttered appearance and trip hazard of the pile shoes at the door? Or is just inside the door simply a place that one must accept clutter?

Comments, please, from the no-outside-shoes-in-the-house community.

By: jade

jade — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:25:33 +0000

Wow, it’s pathetic to read the amount of “WAAH I feel like your no shoes rule is imposing on me somehow” posts.

It’s more pathetic to read “Oh well the homeowner should be accomidating to me as a guest if i feel like wearing shoes.
GUESS WHAT? IT’S NOT YOUR HOUSE.
It is BEYOND rude to expect someone to accomidate your whims in their house. You do not live there, you do not take care of the cleaning or have the same daily habits, so you either follow the rules of the house or you can LEAVE, and you will not be coming back.

Anyone who actually started to make a scene over something as inconsequential as taking off their shoes (not including orthopedic shoes, which are a different kettle of fish entirely) whould be slapped right across the face for their inability to act like a rational human being and be told point-blank to not come near my home again. Good riddance.

By: Gabe

Gabe — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:46:55 +0000

Traditions aside…
Wear shoes for your own safety:
I wear shoes when I’m away from home visiting others as I don’t like stepping on potentially damaging foreign objects with my bare feet. (childrens toys, cracker crumbs, somebody drops a wineglass or bowl of ice cream, etc)
At home, I have shoes I wear in the house only…
Tell me- How many of you cook in the kitchen barefoot or in socks?
Ever drop a knife or fork? Splash boiling water from the pasta pot as you drain the pasta?
My biggest peeve in the kitchen or bathroom; stepping into water while wearing socks…
Girlfriend drips dry after shower – so bathroom floor is spotted with water droplets… I don’t care to use my socks to mop it up… then I have to change socks.

By: Natalie from Western Australia

Natalie from Western Australia — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:30:05 +0000

What an interesting series of comments. I live in Australia. I grew up in a normal house in a semi rural area. We put our shoes on to go out but then they stayed on until we felt like taking them off, unless they were really dirty. We were often barefoot but tracked heaps of dirt into the house from our bare feet because we spent a lot of time playing outside (always barefoot). As adults, my younger sister now has a shoes off policy for her and her daughter. They keep their shoes on a rack in the garage or by the doors BUT they always have dust on them and … very common in Australia… spiders! I cant think of anything more revolting than not being able to put my shoes on without first having to check whats inside them! Yes, they could keep them inside but being Australia and being mostly hot, they dont smell nice. Their ‘shoes outside’ preference has nothing to do with keeping the floors clean because their two fluffy cats leave fur everywhere. I am now 40 and have two young boys but have never *ever* heard anyone here suggest we need to take our shoes off inside because of whats on them. That might have a lot to do with the general cleanliness of our streets. If we do track something in, we wipe it up. My boys have only been sick with colds and things going around their schools, not from something they got while playing on the floor. As for parties, we just clean our floors as a matter of routine – generally before AND after visitors. I have light straw coloured carpets in my open plan front lounge and my kids and their friends all know not to walk over the carpet when they come in BUT I have carpet runners there anyway to catch any dirt.
I only have one set of friends who have a no shoes policy and that is because it is their culture to do so. However, they state to all that it is what they do, but they dont expect us to. I suspect they simply wash their floors when we leave too!
As for schools everyone wears shoes but the young kids (4 and 5 yr olds) can take them off at playtime (outside!)but have to put them back on to go inside. So, have I freaked anyone out yet???
I wouldnt mind if anyone did or didnt take their shoes off. The only thing I have ever minded was the person who brought their dog over on a visit, expected to bring her inside (we dont have pets) and let her sit on my new light carpets. Now THAT bothered me.

By: Eadie

Eadie — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:46:40 +0000

D’oh that should read “they didn’t have to” not “they didn’t have it”.

By: Eadie

Eadie — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:45:35 +0000

Hi everyone,

I haven’t read all the comments, so apologies if this has already been said.

I don’t think it’s a matter of right vs wrong, but a matter of culture and personal preference.

Some cultures take shoes off at the door. Fine. Some cultures wear shoes in the house. Fine. But if you go to someone’s house, it’s nice to what they like. If they like shoes off, then I go shoes off. If they wear shoes, I wear shoes.

I grew up in a shoes-off-at-the-door home, but my mum was extremely gracious when guests came over. Seeing us shoe-less, guests would start to take their shoes off, and my mum would insist they didn’t have it, and that we only did it for comfort.

Anyway, it’s become an automatic response for me to have shoes off at the door.

By: Francesca

Francesca — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:41:22 +0000

I also love how we’re talking about sensitivity to the asian shoeless tradition while we’re bashing on and dissecting the apparently “freakish” American tradition of wearing shoes indoors, hmmmm.

I noticed this when I traveled. My group had to be respectful of all the traditions and cultures we encountered and conform, heads covered in mosques, toilet paper hoding in Easter Europe etc. Yet in the US Americans have to repect the traditions of foreigners living here while our traditions are dissected and disrespected. When can one feel at home in ones culture if one is American, like the moronic “americentric” comment above reflects.

By: Francesca

Francesca — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:21:36 +0000

Based on my own experience and objective observations I do not see at all how taking off shoes indoors cuts back on clutter and cleaning, at all. Quite the contrary. And yes, it’s a cultural thing for Asians, which makes it really pretentious and self-loathing for Westerners to do. Don’t get me started on athletes foot-I’m sure disinfecting after that is a real mess.

One, your barefeet have oils which turns your carpets into dust magnets. A real estate agent once told me the dirtiest floors come from shoeless homes. Secondly, why do you want to spend more time bleaching holes in the socks you’ve turned into dust mops?

If you’re exposing your unprotected feet especially to hardwood floors you had better be cleaning more not less! Ever notice how once a glass breaks no matter how much you sweep those little pieces keep coming back. This is one big reason why I no longer go barefoot. And don’t get me started on if you have indoor pets? Nothing is grosser than walking on litter and then tracking it into your bed. (Come to think of it, what else are you tracking into your bed if you’re not putting a removable barrier over your foot while walking around the house? )And yes foot conditions mandate shoes unless you want your guests to be in pain, I have fallen arches-I know. I hope nudists don’t ask their guests to get naked at the door.

By all means switch into some comfy clean protective indoor slippers at the door, if you have time, but shoeless just defies logic if it’s for cleanliness or simplicity. But alas this seems like the whole Western bad, non western or hippy good mentality.

By: Sidra

Sidra — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:07:16 +0000

My parents bought a house with the shoe issue in mind. Our current house is completely tiled in the common areas, and only the bedrooms are carpet. This enables guests to wear their normal shoes during parties. Also, I’ve noticed people don’t walk through my room in this house as often–it’s as if the carpet gives them a mental boundary of ‘do not enter’ even without anyone stating it. So if you’re buying a new home, might be something to think about.

By: Brandy Gunderson

Brandy Gunderson — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:36:02 +0000

Edna, I do not know of a poem – sorry, wish I did. I simply cut a short article from our newspaper stating the amount of lead found in the soil in the area where I live, being an industrial area (Michigan), and the realted effects on children having high levels of lead in this city. It is in the soil, so on shoes, regardless of how you look at it. I have never had anyone complain while in my home. My friends respect my wishes. I did on the other hand have an in law complain that she couldn’t smoke in my house because it was too cold to smoke outside. And we had a 3 month old baby. I think people who are offended to respect the homeowners wishes should go elsewhere.

By: Edna

Edna — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:01:54 +0000

Does anyone out there know of a short poem that can be placed on the front door requesting guests to remove their shoes? I remember reading one years ago but I am unable to find it anywhere now. Thanks

By: Keilexandra

Keilexandra — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:13:01 +0000

Rebecca: I’m surprised that you cited etiquette as a reason against no-shoes. It’s a terribly American-centric point of view. In most other countries and cultures, taking one’s shoes off at the door is the accepted norm; in fact, in many Asian cultures, NOT taking your shoes off is a breach of etiquette because you’re disrespecting the host/hostess by tracking dirt all over the place.

By: Eva

Eva — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 04:39:00 +0000

I’m rather impressed that folks are making no allowances for differences in climate in this discussion. I live in the northern part of the central US and it is totally impractical to wear shoes inside in the winter (it doesn’t matter _what_ kind of floor you have, heavy road salt will ruin it). I try to be a good hostess, but in the winter I’m going to require my guests (asking politely, of course) not to track snow and salt all over the house.

Also, for folks who are generalizing like crazy, please stop. “Most Americans” can’t agree on much of anything. We live in a huge country and there is plenty of variation in our culture.