Are you a 'shoes on' or a 'shoes off' household?

[chocolatesaltyballs22]

We are strictly shoes off. We walk around in bare feet and I hate the thought of walking in outside dirt all over the house. MIL is coming to stay this weekend. She hates having to take her shoes off and there's this alwau this awkward moment at the front door when I ask her to take her shoes off (even though everyone else is doing so, so she should really just follow suit). She believes that floors should be hoovered/mopped every day anyway so why does it matter.....oh if only I had the time to clean every day - my cleaner does it once a week and that's it!

So I was just wondering if I was a bit OCD or if this is the norm?

[Damntheman]

I made the same mistake myself not that many years ago OP. It's one of those 90s habits that's a real bitch to break. On the plus side, at least we are not wearing our shoes inside the house ;)

[DogAndCatPerson]

Off, but have hard floors downstairs so I’m not obsessive about it with visitors.

[fishonabicycle]

I wish people would stop saying how everything is 'OCD'. OCD is a proper mental illness, not just being tidy.

[Untamedtoad]

Just buy her a pair of comfy house slippers and present them to her as soon as they arrive. Get a shoe basket at the ready to keep at the front door and remind everyone to pop their shoes in there "Hi guys! How are you all? Lovely to see you... Blah blah blah.... Yes, just throw all your shoes in the basket, will keep things neat... oh mil, I got you these to wear around the house as I know you don't like getting cold feet, and as it's so wet and muddy out, it stops any DIRT being walked around the house." I think it's rude, to not respect people's wishes in their own home. Surely most people take their shoes off when they enter someone's house? We have all hard floors, and I do clean them daily as we have pets, but I still expect people to take their shoes off.

[CleanAndPaidFor]

I'm a bit shoe phobic too. The (otherwise lovely) family on Gogglebox with the big dogs make me feel nauseous as they always have their feet with shoes on up on the table thing next to the tray of food. Yuck.

[Atalune]

Off for us and off for most people who come in as they are the same.

For parties and such shoes on as they are part of the lewk!

But her some nice slippers for your house?

[Southmouth]

Shoes off here as soon as you get in the door here! I couldn’t bear to think of all the germs and bacteria on bottom of shoes that is then getting trodden all around the house, especially with young children playing on the carpet.

[handslikecowstits]

Shoes off and if I know I'm going to someone's house for a while, I take my slippers with me (cold feet). My parents do this as well, always have.

[ShanghaiDiva]

Off - we live in China and nobody would enter the house with shoes. All workmen have shoe covers which they put over their shoes at the entrance door.

[forevercurious]

Shoes off here, if family / visitors ask then we say shoes off. However if they don’t ask and keep them on we generally don’t say anything but I feel twitchy.

We’re in rented property with very light coloured carpets - we didn’t realise how impractical they were until we’d moved in. Our front garden next to the driveway is currently very muddy and sometimes people do accidentally walk on it (especially if they can’t get passed the car!) and would rather not ruin the carpets with mud.

[hopeishere]

A mix but I wipe my feet before coming into the house and I generally manage, as an adult, to avoid shit, spit and mud so the soles of my shoes are clean.

There will be "germs" on everything - clean feet, socks, bags, coats, hands etc so it's a bit silly to insist on shoes off...

[milliefiori]

Shoes off. I wince when people keep their shoes on and trail mud and wet autumn leaves through my house. Why is it necessary? Just take your shoes off!

Get her some pretty slippers to keep at yours so her feet don;t get cod. That or she can steam clean the carpets and mop the floors for you daily as she thinks it should be done.

[Kazzyhoward]

All workmen have shoe covers which they put over their shoes at the entrance door.

That's a growing trend here in the UK too these days. We've noticed more and more trades/repair people offer to take off their shoes or put on shoe covers they've brought with them. Recently both a Sky installer and a gas engineer had them in their hand as we opened the front door, so perhaps the "big" firms have taken note?

[hopeishere]

@milliefiorido you not have a mat? I cannot see how people are getting so much mud and mess in their houses!

[BuzzShitbagBobbly]

you not have a mat? I cannot see how people are getting so much mud and mess in their houses!

This scenario is just another MN trope along with the mythical "I was only 5 minutes late".

Both wild exaggerations to suit a narrative, compared to the normal real world.

[hopeishere]

Huh?

[milliefiori]

I do have a mat. But we live in the country. I have male friends who can happily walk straight in and shed clumps of mud all over the kitchen floor (which isn't carpeted but it's still annoying.) @BuzzShitbagBobbly how weird that you'd think this an exaggeration. Just because you haven't experienced something doesn't mean it can't or doesn't happen.

[Poetryinaction]

Off in our house. I hate the feeling of shoes and am barefoot as often as possible. But when visiting I hate it if the house is dirty, and getting their dirt all over my socks or feet. So I tend to keep my shoes on if it looks a bit dodgy

[BuzzShitbagBobbly]

how weird that you'd think this an exaggeration. Just because you haven't experienced something doesn't mean it can't or doesn't happen.

You personally live in the rural country where people can and do tread mud directly into your house. I would wager that is not the case for a vast majority of people who live in paved and tarmacked areas with no mud to walk through to get to front doors. Not liking people wearing shoes in your house is fine, I was more commenting on the exaggerations some people will go to to to justify that.

Not sure why you have taken personal offence at a lighthearted comment and silly generalizations often found on MN (that I purposely removed your name from because it wasn't aimed specifically at you)

[Verily1]

Shoes off for householders but asking it of guests is rude.

[Whoops75]

We are shoes on, it’s a preference not manners imo

[user1480880826]

Shoes off. It’s revolting to walk around inside with shoes on that have walked through poo, wee, mud and god knows what else. It’s especially disgusting if you have small children who sit/roll around on the floor.

To those saying they/their guests know if their shoes are dirty and take them off/leave them on accordingly - how can you possibly know? You can’t see most dirt, especially not dog wee which covers almost all pavements. It’s also perfectly possible to walk through poo and not know about it.

The thought makes me gag and I’m not even a clean freak.

To the OP, why can’t your mum just wear slippers? My parents bring slippers to my house when they come and stay because they don’t like being barefoot and they, like us, have always been strictly shoes off. Similarly, I have a spare pair of slippers that I leave at their house.

[MadMadMad]

My mother always used to bring slippers when she came to visit but my father always kept his shoes on, I didn't mind one way or the other.
To the OP and all those who want people to take their shoes off, do you provide a seat by the door? I ask because I have a balance problem which means I cannot put my shoes (or socks for that matter) on or off without sitting down, so if you asked me to do it with no chair I would be getting you to get on the floor to do it for me!

[Stereomum]

Shoes off, and my Ds is very ill and on medication for OCD so please dont use a bit OCD. It can be very offensive.

[Kazzyhoward]

Shoes off for householders but asking it of guests is rude.

Personally, I think "guests" not offering to take off their shoes is rude.