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?

To the OP and all those who want people to take their shoes off, do you provide a seat by the door?

Yes, we have a front porch with a couple of chairs. We also have a box of plastic shoe covers for people such as workmen who want to keep their shoes on. (Though most bring their own in these enlightened times - certainly from the better firms).

Off for us and DD's friends but I wouldn't dream of asking my guests to take shoes off unless they wanted to.

I have just replaced every carpet in the house but there is only a snug downstairs with carpet that people who visit would go into.

And yes to having a chair next to the front door .... because I use it myself.

Shoes off except kitchen which is tiled.
Main reason being this is a rented house with new beige carpet throughout!
We have a large rug in the hallway behind the front door that takes most of the hit.

Laminate floor: don’t care. Carpet: shoes off.

It's very common here to have a shoe rack that has a bench on top for the shoe changing :) We also have a chest (which contains some of my impressive yarn collection) which the kids tend to use to sit on for shoe changing as it's a better height for small people. Definitely need to provide sitting space for those who need to get shoes on and off, not everybody finds it so easy!

Yes, of course you should have a bench for those who prefer to sit while removing or changing shoes.

My guests sit on my bottom step, just opposite the door!

On or off here, we take ours off but I wouldn't dream of asking guests to take theirs off, their comfort takes priority.

I don't mind at the moment, because we're in the middle of doing every room so the living room carpet is a mess anyway thanks to builders having walked all kinds through when doing the kitchen.

But when we have the living room done and the new carpet down it'll certainly be shoes off at the door.

I take my shoes off as soon as i come in and i take my shoes off as soon as i go into anyone elses house.
Because its the right thing to do.

Grates on me when people walk into my nephews house his a baby with there shoes on. So much crap is on a bottom of a shoe

Was all ready to go off about the incorrect and frankly disgusting use of OCD but it seems OP has apologised and knows they were very wrong, so nevermind! Another person educated is not a bad thing.

We are a shoes on, on the hard floors, shoes off on the carpets kind of family!

100% off and anything else is disgusting imo

I was a bit OCD

For goodness sake, YOU CANNOT BE OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER.

@bluelightdistrict you might want to read the full thread...

Off... what is picked up on shoes 🤮

I tend to take my shoes off as I walk around a lot and pick up mud, particularly when doing the school run. In dry sandal weather, not so much and my feet tend to end up in the same state as my sandals anyway, and possibly worse if my soles are sweaty. (Yes I do wash my feet, but if I'm in and out, I'd rather keep sandals on)
The DCs are encouraged to take theirs off so they can go in the cupboard and not get lost.
DH tends to walk through in his shoes which stay pretty clean and dry in his office/ car based job.

Visitors, either tend to come in nice shoes in decent condition, so who cares. If they've been around places like parks or woods then they're normally intelligent enough to take them off near the door.

I hate being compelled to remove my footwear on the threhold of someone's house. I can't wear slip on shoes, so it's a faff, and it tends to end up with everyone piling in and faffing around in a tight space which is hardly welcoming. Then there's the paranoia if your feet/ socks aren't in great condition that you hadn't wanted on public display.

Slippers are awful, they just make feet sweaty then cold and serve no purpose.

definitely off. I walk home from work through the woods so my shoes are constantly caked in mud, especially this time of year. Don't want all of that on me nice carpets.

Shoes off, but I don’t enforce it with guests. I’d be cold walking round barefoot though, so I’m usually in socks and slippers. I even occasionally take my slippers to friends’ houses!

If you had ever genuinely had OCD you really wouldn't use that phrase.

Off, but we wouldn't ever ask guests to remove their shoes unless it is heavily raining or muddy outside (hall, bathroom and kitchen in our rented house have stupid white tiles). Having said that, my MIL and mum both have a no shoes household and friends always remove theirs automatically.

We are shoes on. Have beautiful floors and once in 15 years someone walked mud in.

We take them off if it's crap weather like now.
No dirt or issues here.

However I can say if we were shoes off I'd never ask guests too esp not older people.

Shows lack of respect to them. We are supposed to make people feel comfortable in our homes?

Shoes off, slippers on! We have animals, and it's surprising how painful an animal hair is if it works its way into a bare sole.

Shoes off, definitely.

However, I never ask visitors to take shoes off. I just keep a lid on my neuroticism until after they leave, then spray everything with anti-bac.

I'm not particularly clean otherwise, I just hate urban pavements.

If you had ever genuinely had OCD you really wouldn't use that phrase.

Agreed. I saw someone use the phrase in emmerdale too. Really really annoys me. And the way it's so misinterpreted. OCD is not "being clean" and it doesn't just centre around germs.