Comments on: Unitasker Wednesday: Drywalkers

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:32:45 +0000

Betsy, my grandfather was a farmer, and his solution to tracking in dirt while on a bathroom stop was very simple: An outhouse. Even when i was a kid and he was mostly retired from farming, the outhouse was still in use, so while he was out gardening or working on his car, he didn’t have to track dirt into the house.

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:21:22 +0000

I wasn’t going to post my opinion, I usually just like to laugh at these to myself, but I have to add my two cents. I guess it’s good for some people, but it doesn’t seem like it would hold all the water, mud, and dirt that falls off the shoe. Also, for the people who want to make this themselves, wouldn’t water from the shoes soak right through the knitting and felt?

By: Karyn

Karyn — Sun, 17 May 2009 11:57:11 +0000

@ the milliner: How can you “totally disagree” with my experience? I’m talking about people who ignore my request to take off their shoes because they don’t give a damn about my carpet, not people who are considerate but have their arms loaded and can’t reach their shoes at the moment. Look again at what I wrote: people who “refuse” to remove their shoes, people who “lack respect” and “can’t be bothered.” Such people do exist, even if (thankfully) you are not one of them.

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 15 May 2009 23:26:25 +0000

I used to call on a metal working company. They would have rows of these shoes outside the door leading from the plant into the office. I would prevent plant workers from bringing oily metal filings on their shoes into the office/showroom carpet. Even the office workers would put them on whenever they went into the plant to protect their shoes. I thought it was brilliant.

By: the milliner

the milliner — Fri, 15 May 2009 13:03:46 +0000

@Karyn Totally have to disagree.

As the person who does most of the vacuuming, mopping and sweeping in our house, I can assure you that I totally have the respect to remove my shoes and boots, and even to wipe & dry my dog’s paws so she won’t dirty the floor. But I do use the surgical shoe covers (similar to this unitasker) all the time.

When you’ve got a 20 lb. kid in one arm (and you can’t put him down or he’ll get into everything) and you need to go back in to the house because you forgot your cell phone or something, these are easy to slip on (with one hand) over snowy, muddy or dirty shoes, go back into the house, get whatever you need, and not leave the floors a mess in the process.

Just sayin’.

By: Karyn

Karyn — Fri, 15 May 2009 08:21:38 +0000

@ Erin: “…this blog isn’t about something incredibly serious like cancer or brain surgery.”

What? Oh, hell. NOW you tell me.

Re: the Unitasker in question, it seems like a good idea in theory, and apparently works for some people. However, my experience is that the kind of people who refuse to remove their shoes couldn’t care less about your carpet in the first place. If they lack the respect to be bothered to remove their shoes or boots, will they take even the small bother to slip their feet into these things?

By: Stefan

Stefan — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:48:47 +0000

Amusingf discussion. Those slippers are quite common in Germany (do an image-search for “überpantoffeln” and you’ll see) for those who have an expensive wooden parquet floor.

They are especially useful during the wintertime when people often have grit sitting underneath their shoe soles, which can leave very ugly scratches on wooden floors.

And as those slippers are made of felt, they also have a bit of a nice polishing effect on the floor just by walking around.

By: Angela

Angela — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:56:59 +0000

Those are really neat. I’m from Pennsylvania and I’ve never seen anything like those. I think they would great next winter!

By: Marie

Marie — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:51:43 +0000

We solved the “in and out” problem in the opposite direction. Our garage has a phone, utility sink, and mini fridge. As for the bathroom, DH has plenty of trees to choose from if he’s extraordinarily messy when nature calls. :p

By: Peter (one of many ; )

Peter (one of many ; ) — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:53:53 +0000

Sorry, but when you have to run into the house for a moment with dirty shoes these would work well. So many times I slog through the house with snowy boots saying…’eh, it’s only water’ leaving water spots and bits of sand on my floor I need to clean up afterwards.

By: Betsy

Betsy — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:24:23 +0000

I gotta tell ya, my Mom and Dad live on a farm. And when my Dad comes in to use the bathroom after he’s been in the chicken coop, these would come in pretty handy. It’s been years. The man just isn’t going to take his shoes off for a pitstop.
Also, these aren’t really unitaskers. They keep the floor clean AND they save time with outdoor chores.
Hello Father’s Day present!

By: Liz Kay

Liz Kay — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:37:05 +0000

Sorry, meant to say: “as many strong feelings AS the no-shoes=less cleaning post”. This one: http://unclutterer.com/2007/10.....-cleaning/

By: Liz Kay

Liz Kay — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:34:05 +0000

Wow, glad to see this didn’t generate as many strong feelings about the shoeless household post! My parents prohibit shoes on most of the carpets in their house and came up with a simple solution for their own quick trips as well as workmen with filthy boots: plastic bags. Grab two plastic grocery bags, slip them over feet in shoes, continue with task at hand.

It wasn’t a tripping hazard. It wasn’t hard. It definitely looked silly. I’m sure some contractor out there is still making fun of my parents to this day, but hey: they haven’t had to replace their carpets in 20+ years.

By: Sian

Sian — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:10:05 +0000

I’m a veterinarian. I want a pair!

I wouldn’t get them for ‘just on the off chance’/occasional gardening though.

By: satt

satt — Thu, 14 May 2009 10:17:54 +0000

As a general contractor, we are constantly in & out of customer’s homes. Living in a northern state with lots of inclement weather, these are incredibly handy. It’s that or leave mud on our customer’s floors. Or spend at least 5 min each time we enter & leave a home to remove/put back on our steel-toed boots. Unitasker it may be, it saves trash build up by using these instead of the disposable surgeon-style “booties” many others in my field choose to use instead. In my opinion, those “booties” are the TRUE waste. I am incredibly disappointed Unitasker fails to see the true value of these.

By: Laura

Laura — Thu, 14 May 2009 07:04:34 +0000

Sorry, just have to follow up on my earlier post.

People, use these if you want, but I still wouldn’t have them in my home. To wit:

1. $30. No way.
2. Brush clean or hand wash and air dry. ???? How are you going to get oil, mud and blood off of that??
3. They don’t make suitable slippers because they are way too big.

We are a shoe-less home too. We built cubbies in the garage next to the door, enough to hold several pairs for each of the 5 of us. The kid’s playmates know to kick off their sneakers.

Just saying.

By: Adam

Adam — Thu, 14 May 2009 06:55:17 +0000

They only seem cheesy until you have a pair. I’ve got them, I use them, I couldn’t be without them. Taking off work boots everytime I need to make a phone call or get a glass of water just isn’t practical.

By: OogieM

OogieM — Thu, 14 May 2009 03:11:17 +0000

have to agree with the rest of the folks who say they are useful. And I too think I’ll try to knit and felt a pair. When you’ve suddenly find an animal spurting blood and your boots are covered in manure, blood, mud and worse it sure would be nice to not have to also spend an hour or so cleaning the floor after you race for the emergency supplies, some of which have to be refrigerated. BTDT

Also useful for quick trips to the bathroom.

By: Sara

Sara — Thu, 14 May 2009 01:29:10 +0000

@B don’t know where Barbara came from, but i assume erin was replying to you and maybe got your name from you email?

anyways…i completley agree with you 100% well said.

By: Another Deb

Another Deb — Wed, 13 May 2009 23:48:01 +0000

My sister does not let people wear shoes in her home so I am obliged to remove my shoes to walk on carpet, marble and tile. I never go barefoot at home due to arch pain and these might be a good way to keep us both happy.