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Original poster

For asking the heating engineer to wear shoe covers in my house

136 replies

purplehearts21 · 03/12/2025 15:12

Guy came round this morning to the service the boiler, I greeted him in and asked if he’d wear the shoe covers as I’ve just had new floor fitted and new rugs. You have to walk through my whole house to get to the boiler and I get they they can’t take their shoes off for health and safety so I’ve came up with a solution. The guy looked at me like I’m a bit mad but I wouldn’t dream of walking through someone’s house with my shoes on. We’re a shoes off at the door family and you won’t believe the amount of people that will just walk on through unless you say something. ( including dh father and stepmother who are exactly the same and will stand and wait til you take them off in their home but will walk through ours with shoes on no bother) I find it so rude and would never do it unless I was asked to keep them on. This man looked at me like I was an alien though but at least he agreed.

was I being unreasonable to ask?

OP posts:
Mariammaom · 03/12/2025 15:37

Of course no one should walk through your house with muddy, dirty shoes! Any tradesmen should bring their own covers.

Luckyingame · 03/12/2025 15:37

Should be a requirement. Full stop.

taxguru · 03/12/2025 15:36

YANBU. We've been a shoes off/shoe covers household for 28 years since we moved here. These days, any decent tradesmen/contractor will either bring their own or will either remove their shoes or put on the shoe covers (we have a box by the front door) without any fuss. Yes, the odd neanderthal seems to make a big deal of it, but they're a very small minority, and we make a mental note not to use them again! Certainly the big firms like BT, Virgin, British Gas, etc come to the door with shoe covers in their hand and put them on automatically.

Comefromaway · 03/12/2025 15:33

YANBU (& I am a shoes on house).

I work for a firm of gas engineers & we have a supply of shoe covers.

IcyPuddles · 03/12/2025 15:32

purplehearts21 · 03/12/2025 15:12

Guy came round this morning to the service the boiler, I greeted him in and asked if he’d wear the shoe covers as I’ve just had new floor fitted and new rugs. You have to walk through my whole house to get to the boiler and I get they they can’t take their shoes off for health and safety so I’ve came up with a solution. The guy looked at me like I’m a bit mad but I wouldn’t dream of walking through someone’s house with my shoes on. We’re a shoes off at the door family and you won’t believe the amount of people that will just walk on through unless you say something. ( including dh father and stepmother who are exactly the same and will stand and wait til you take them off in their home but will walk through ours with shoes on no bother) I find it so rude and would never do it unless I was asked to keep them on. This man looked at me like I was an alien though but at least he agreed.

was I being unreasonable to ask?

I’ve never asked a tradesman to cover his boots and it doesn’t bother me to be honest, although a lot of them bring their own covers.

My mother in law was stupendously posh and she considered it rude to ask guests to take off their shoes. I think it’s an upper class thing.

xILikeJamx · 03/12/2025 15:29

I don't think I've had trades in the house in the last 10 years who hadn't brought their own shoe covers. I often tell them not to bother, but they usually make the gesture of their own accord

FullOfLemons · 03/12/2025 15:25

You can pack of shoe covers on Amazon

I always offer but as PP mentioned most bring their own.

bumptybum · 03/12/2025 15:19

I do find it very very odd that your fil and step mil insist on you taking off shoes but walk into your house with their shoes on. That’s mega rude because it’s very clearly stating that they think shoes are filthy but they hold your place as not important enough to warrant removing their shoes. I’d find this level of rudeness intolerable. I hope you stop them and ask them to remove their shoes.

ForZanyAquaViewer · 03/12/2025 15:19

They usually bring their own and automatically put them on or take their shoes off, in my experience.

mumofoneAloneandwell · 03/12/2025 15:16

Definitely reasonable. As above x

bumptybum · 03/12/2025 15:15

Very normal. In fact a lot of contractors bring their own. So i can’t imagine he’s never seen them before

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