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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think wearing shoes indoors is disgusting?

542 replies

CJ2010 · 07/03/2011 20:24

I have a 'No shoes worn in the home' rule at my own house but I have noticed that a lot of people are not fussed if peps walk into their houses with their shoes on. Why do they allow this?

Last night when I arrived at my mum's, she ordered me not to enter the living room, as she had accidentially trod dog poo through the room and was busy scrubbing the floor. All because she bizzrely wears her shoes in her home. How hard is it to take your shoes off in the hallway, once you get home?

I tried to hide my annoyance as it is her home, but I wouldn't allow DD to crawl about on the floor. The room stunk of poo and i felt sick.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Bogeyface · 09/03/2011 11:17

diddl I was referring to all of the posters who seem to have a morbid fear of anything that might contain a rogue germ. changing clothes after being on a bus, not putting a coat down on a bed for a few seconds? REALLY?!

Jojocat · 09/03/2011 11:20

What about school? Goodness knows what is walked in on feet and the children spend half the day sitting on the carpet - eek!
At my gals school we had indoor and outdoor shoes which seemed a bit ott at the time but had its benefits!

Mummy2Bookie · 09/03/2011 11:20

YANBU

thornykate · 09/03/2011 11:22

YANBU to think it's disgusting but I do believe each to their own in their own home.

I have a friend who always keeps her shoes on in my house, I offered her some (very clean) house slippers (Bit like the ones they give you in spas) to wear & she said "no I'm ok in my boots" Hmm She has borrowed footwear of mine before so I know she doesn't mind wearing my things.

It does make me cringe a bit as I like to keep outside germs out if that makes sense?

Can't even believe I am posting this as I sound like I have OCD which is so not the case Grin or else my house would be much tidier!

Dylan44 · 09/03/2011 11:23

Those dettol adverts have a lot to answer for!

LadyBiscuit · 09/03/2011 11:25

I put my handbag on my kitchen counter. To date, no one has died and my DS has puked once in 4 years and me not at all so we're clearly superhuman germ resistors :)

midori1999 · 09/03/2011 11:26

Some people really have too much time on their hands if all they can think about is how dirty things or how many germs there might be on everything. Don't like the idea of fabric sofas at all... Hmm

I'd rather be minging than uptight... how do these people even have sex? You can't sanitise that.

diddl · 09/03/2011 11:29

"diddl I was referring to all of the posters who seem to have a morbid fear of anything that might contain a rogue germ. changing clothes after being on a bus, not putting a coat down on a bed for a few seconds? REALLY?!"

Yes, sorry.

Re-reading my post looks as if I mean that everyone buys the stuff advertised.

"What about school?"

At kindergarten & primary school here, they take outdoor shoes off & have slippers on.

But tbh I´m not sure whether it was more to do with young children not wearing shoes all day.

thornykate · 09/03/2011 11:30

lol midori my DP is worse than me about hygiene but we do get it on lots Grin it's not my family germs that I am bothered about.

I might get some of those swimming pool shoe covers for home for guests is that better than dropping hints about shoes off? Grin

Bogeyface · 09/03/2011 11:30

I'd rather be minging than uptight... how do these people even have sex? You can't sanitise that.

:o That made me spit my coffee! Although because I am a minger I think I might leave it there for a week, and sneeze on it too for good measure Wink

DaisyDaresYOU · 09/03/2011 11:48

If you have cream carpet I can understand where you are coming from.We had new cream carpet fitted,my mums twatty ex hubby made muddy footsteps all over my carpet.Apparently he didn't notice he had wet slimey muddy shoes.Oh trust me he knew.It looked like he'd jumped in a heap of wet mud Argh!

Ephiny · 09/03/2011 11:56

I'm not uptight or obsessive about germs and cleanliness (we have a dog after all!), just think it's odd to wear your shoes at home. It's natural to me that when you go home or into someone else's home, you take off your coat and your shoes Confused.

I wouldn't demand that visitors remove shoes, that would seem rude, but I would be a bit surprised and puzzled if they didn't, especially if they'd seen me take mine off. I always take mine off if I go to someone else's house. I don't know anyone who wears shoes at home.

Clearly not everyone feels the same way though!

Whoamireally · 09/03/2011 12:12

Having spent a year in Japan, where they have different (communal) slippers even for going to the toilet, I am very much a shoes off at the front door fan.

It was only after I came back from Japan that I started to find wearing shoes inside utterly disgusting. I never used to remove them before I went.

I always take my shoes off in other people's houses too - and if I'm going round a friend's I'll take my own slippers with me. And my friends do the same at mine. So there. Grin

PepsiPopcorn · 09/03/2011 12:22

If shoes indoors are "disgusting", then what on earth do you think of all the truly disgusting things in the world? Confused

hotelsforfamilies · 09/03/2011 12:28

I might not indicate that I think a host is impolite to ask me to take my shoes off, but I do and I suppose this gives them reason to belive that their guests are alright with this request. It's like saying to your guest that they are dirty and that you (a superior being) recognise this whilst they don't and with this comes the issue of power.

I've noticed that often the people who are fussiest in their own homes are the very same ones that expect to wheel their pushchair into my house and allow their children to drop cake crumbs and wipe chocolate on my walls and soft furnishings when they make a great fuss about children sitting down at the table and wiping their dirty hands in their own homes wtf!

I am aware that in some other countries it is expected to remove footwear at the door, but we don't live there, we live here. Btw my house isn't dirty by any stretch of the imagination and I would take my shoes off OUTSIDE the door and leave them without being asked there if they were dirty.

diddl · 09/03/2011 12:34

"It's like saying to your guest that they are dirty"

Of course it isn´t.

It´s like saying shoes are outdoor not indoor wear.

wordfactory · 09/03/2011 12:34

Well that's it.
If I had muddy boots or wellies or whatever, of course I wouldn't tramp mud through someone's house.

But if I was invited for supper and had carefully chosen some beautiful footwear to match my outfit, I'd be a bit annoyed to be told to take them off and sit in my bare feet.

But I'd do it of course. You'd never know I thought you were a poor host.

PepsiPopcorn · 09/03/2011 12:36

So true, hotels. Of course a polite guest isn't going to complain at what they are asked, but that doesn't mean they agree with it.

"I might not indicate that I think a host is impolite to ask me to take my shoes off, but I do and I suppose this gives them reason to belive that their guests are alright with this request."

Ephiny · 09/03/2011 12:40

I live in the UK, not 'other countries' and don't know anyone who wears shoes in the house. So I assumed it was the norm here too. This thread indicates otherwise though!

diddl · 09/03/2011 12:41

"But if I was invited for supper and had carefully chosen some beautiful footwear to match my outfit, I'd be a bit annoyed to be told to take them off and sit in my bare feet."

Even though we take shoes off here-as do guests-without being asked-and I wouldn´t ask-although I would think them rude, for such an invitation as above I wouldn´t expect people to take shoes off.

Ephiny · 09/03/2011 12:44

I suppose it would be quite odd if people were all dressed up with no shoes on! But then I wouldn't be hosting a black-tie event in my home, more likely takeaway pizza with people sitting on the floor because we don't have enough chairs Grin.

Whoamireally · 09/03/2011 12:49

I think it's pretty clear that we all think that different things are disgusting - and it's partly due to upbringing and cultural differences.

In certain places it is considered disgusting to blow your nose in public. In others it's socially acceptable to boak up snot and phlegm in the street. Or piss in the gutter.

I had never even thought about the shoe thing until I'd spent a lot of time in a place where you just don't wear your shoes inside, and after that there was no going back.

It's not really a case of 'yes but we don't live there do we' so the rules don't apply. My house, my rules. If you don't mind shoes on in your house, fine - I don't have a problem with that. So am not sure why the shoes-on people have a problem with the shoes-off.

diddl · 09/03/2011 12:52

"If you don't mind shoes on in your house, fine - I don't have a problem with that. So am not sure why the shoes-on people have a problem with the shoes-off."

Yes, people who are "shoes on"- does it bother you that people take their shoes off or do you insist that they keep them on?

MrsvWoolf · 09/03/2011 12:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

kitpuss · 09/03/2011 13:04

We all wear shoes in our house. People often take their shoes off when they come in, which is fine by me but I often tell them they don't need to.

And I never take my shoes off in friend's houses unless they are muddy or wet. I hate having cold feet.

I don't make my children take their shoes off at friend's houses either, although the oldest will do it by himself sometimes now. If I do take their shoes off the youngest slips over on wooden floors in his socks because we only have carpets at home!

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