Serious Question - how do you deal with a tradesman with sweaty trainers?

[Tinat44]

I'd love to hear some advice or thoughts on this unusual topic.

We're having some major works done in our house (switching the bathroom and kitchen, basically) and so there's a big plumbing job to be done. We've got an absolutely delightful plumber, a really lovely lad to do the work. He's about 30 and is charming, polite - good-looking too, although that's not really got anything to do with it, I know!

There's an issue though, and I really don't know how to deal with it. Every day he works in his shorts and his socks and leaves his shoes in the porch. He wears those canvass-type shoes, I'd call them plimsolls but I suppose they're more like Vans. The problem is though ... they smell!

There's no problem with him at all, he's a delight working away but in the porch his shoes really whiff. It's just an unpleasant sweaty smell that eminates from his trainers. I really don't know what to do. My partner moans about the aroma in the porch and it's a bit embarrassing if anyone calls at the door.

I guess it's probably the reason why he works in his socks but it's awkward. I could put the shoes outside but that's a big obvious and I've put an air freshener in the porch but it's not helping much.

Does anyone think I should something or just put up with it for the next few weeks?

[minipie]

Is there somewhere else he could leave them that you would prefer? Or would you prefer he kept them on?

I think you can say something but only if you have an alternative suggestion - you can't just complain about it to him.

[Tinat44]

I don't want to embarrass him and if he feels comfortable working in his socks, I wouldn't want to force him into doing something else. The porch is obvious place to leave them as he just slips them off when he comes in and they are available if he needs to go out to his van.

Maybe I'm just being silly.

[whois]

Um, that's a bit ackward!

Could you bring yourself to ask him to run them through the washing machine over the weekend???

[Tinat44]

I don't think I could do that! I wonder if he knows about it or realises?

As I said, there's not a problem at all with him personally and the strange thing is that his socks are fine. It's just the damn shoes!

[minipie]

Well if you're not willing to ask him to do anything differently then there's your answer - you'll just have to live with it

[Gatekeeper]

I would spray his shoes every day on the sly

[Gatekeeper]

I would spray his shoes every day on the sly

[nannybeach]

Come on, hes hardworking, AND good looking, his socks dont smell, only his trainers, which are probably old and comfy, it would be annoying if he were to come into your home with filthy muddy shoes, it is incredibly difficult in any circumstance to tell someone that any part of them smells, I have worked with a couple of folk with the most dreadfll BO (and IM not just talking underarm sweat here!!!) spray your porch if you must, put some kind of airfreshener out there, dont make it obvious, he wont be there for ever, and you dont want to offend a good builder!

[BlackGirlAndRobin]

Definitely spray them on the sly. Just don't get caught doing it.

[Madbengalmum]

Yup,odoureaters spray on the sly.

[ChishandFips33]

Put up with it til he's done - how long is he with you?

[insancerre]

Tell him to keep his shoes on
It can't be safe for a tradesman to work in his socks

[ParadiseCity]

Get a better air freshner/candle. It's only your porch.

[Tinat44]

Many thanks for all the replies. He's likely to be here for another couple of weeks. I don't think the fact he works in his socks is a safety issue, it's mostly light work now that the main renovations have been done.

As I said, I've put air freshener in the porch - I suppose one of those candles is a possibility but I just couldn't spray his shoes! They're those canvass sneakers rather than trainers and he does slip in and out them when he goes out to his van. Surely spraying them would make them wet?

I'll just put up with until he finishes and I only posted in case anyone else had ever experienced anything like it? Anyhow, thanks everyone.

[Cel982]

I'd just Febreze them every now and again, it dries fairly quickly so he's unlikely to notice it.

[ChishandFips33]

I suppose you could febreeze the porch and some will 'naturally' fall in his shoes.

Febreeze other areas of the house too so it's not obvious he is the issue