So fed up with people not taking their shoes off!

[Puddingsmummy]

We have a baby who's starting to find his feet, he's on the floor a lot so I always ask people to take their shoes off before coming into our home.
However my DH feels embarrassed to ask anyone so if they don't offer then he just let's them walk in. I find it so annoying! Not only do I find it unhygienic with little fingers on the floor but also I don't want to be sitting on the floor when people have worn shoes indoors!

I've even put a little sign up in the porch asking people to kindly remove their shoes but still it doesn't work!!! Soo annoying!!!!!

Only way is be direct with visitors. Hints never work. Most people are fine with it - you just get the odd person who seems to take exception. Nothing to be embarrassed about to ask. We also have some plastic shoe covers for those who don't want to take shoes off and workmen who need to wear their shoes/boots for safety. Much easier to give a choice of shoes off or wear covers.

It would never occur to me to walk into someone's house without asking if they wanted shoes off. In my work, I used to go to the houses of ethnic households and they were often "no shoes allowed".

What if they've got athletes foot and a fungal toenail infection? Or verrucas?

YANBU. Shoes off in this house! I don't mind someone dashing in to grab something after they've wiped their feet completely dry on the door mat but we always take shoes off and put slippers straight on when indoors.
I always ask guests (nicely) to remove their shoes at the door.

Sorry thought this was AIBU lol but still- you're not

I think you are being over cautious. Nobody needs a completely sterile environment. It’s not good for you. Unless they are traipsing dog muck through your carpets then I wouldn’t worry. Get a decent doormat and stop fretting.

@BearRabbitPants - what do you do if they reply "I'd prefer not to because I've got athlete's foot/fungal infection/verrucas/other gross stuff."?

I'm not bothered about shoes off or on, whatever makes guests comfortable. I used to take my babies to all sorts of groups, and nobody took their shoes off at those. I don't think shoes are more contaminated/risky than the average pair of hands or bare feet.

This is always a contentious issue on MN, I'm with you OP I don't want people's mucky shoes on my carpet.

My parents & in laws don't have a 'shoes off policy' so they are always the worst coming here as they just ignore my wishes.

My house isn't sterile obviously but I just hate shoes in my house

I'm with you on this one- we had wooden flooring, dd on the floor, id had a c section and struggled for a while after with pain so did as little as possible- ex mil comes in knowing full well it's shoes off prances in then does a little dance and says " oh no I forgot to take my shoes off " - twat!
Hope you solve it soon xx

You just need a good door mat and to stop being so finicky.I suppose it would be a worry,if you had cream or white carpets all over though.

When my children were young,and crawling about,we had a dog and two cats,so always pet hairs all over,and we had three chickens that used to wander into the kitchen now and again.All the fun of the fair,and germs maybe.!!!

We generally take our shoes off purely so they don't get left lying around and so the DCs can find them. No expectations for guests.

I feel embarrased if I've ended up with sweaty sandal feet and a host wants me to reveal them to the world. It's not more hygienic than the sandals. It's also not very welcoming expecting guests to balance and squat around fumbling with the fastenings on their shoes on the doormat.

By the time they're crawling babies will all too quickly end up developing their immune systems on sticks, stones, grass etc given half a chance. There is no health hazard from any sensibly maintained floor!

No thanks, I don't want to tread in baby dribble and other body excretions with my bare feet.

Is this like a reverse story pinch? This exact topic was in the Daily Fail this morning.

And if your guests don't want to catch athlete's foot, toe fungus, or plantar warts from your carpet? Or from the shoe socks that you leave by the door to be shared with everyone? If they don't want to walk through dog pee or baby pee with their bare feet?
Not to mention slipping or falling on polished wood or stubbed toes from furniture...
If bare feet eliminate disease, why do hospitals and doctors' offices allow shoes?

If you have a fungal infection you should be wearing socks anyways, otherwise you're just spreading the infection to your shoes and repeatedly reinfecting yourself...

Honestly, your carpet with a baby crawling all over it is likely to be dirtier than the average person's shoes.
I hate taking shoes off in people's houses.

I always state my house is an Asian household, no shoes.
My family of course will take their shoes off anyway
Everyone else respects that this is religious, cultural over hygiene.
The only people allowed with shoes on is workmen, because their Health and Safety is more important. However, they have to wear shoes covers.

Loads of research just out that dirt from outside helps with the immune system and actually help prevent children developing asthma. We can be too sterile. It’s also rude to ask people to take their shoes off!

Now if you have pristine white carpets it may be a different story but you may need to relax a bit..

My dm is the opposite, hates people taking their shoes off or being asked to do so because she has terrible athletes foot and doesn't want to infect everyone else.

I dont care if people take their shoes off if they are wearing socks, but I don't like bare feet walking around my house.

@SilverySurfer Good job you haven't been invited.

And to be honest if someone doesn't like baby dribble then they certainly aren't invited to my family home!

OP this subject has been done over and over on MN.

I think the majority of people keep their shoes on in other people's houses. They wipe or clean their shoes coming in. Some religions don't like it so I would go along with that. I would go along with your wishes but wouldn't visit often!

Carpets will be the most of your worries. I know people have to have them by law if they're living upstairs in flats, but they are unhygienic. But maybe you vaccuum and clean yours daily.

And as other PPs have said, do you provide slippers? I wouldn't be happy sharing them and bare feet would be a no from me. So do your guests provide their own slippers?

We are a shoes on household and have managed to raise 5 very healthy children. It wouldn't enter my head to remove shoes going ino someone else's house, but if I was asked to I would do it without comment.

It's shoes off here too. And if you don't like it turn around and trot back out.

I never get how people can walk around there house in shoes. First think I think off when I open the door is letting my feet be free. Odd.