To think wearing shoes indoors is disgusting?

[CJ2010]

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?

Can I just ask the shoes-off folk if they ever throw parties, have groups of friends over for supper, or any other type of socialising? Not your Mum for a cuppa type thing.

And if so, do you ask guests to remove shoes?

Also do you have a seat for people to manage?

And do you hand out slippers/socks etc?

I have carpet upstairs but no one ever goes up there except us but we do wear shoes. It's a carpet, not an antique Aubusson hand-tied silk rug!

I would not be comfortable if I were forced to take my shoes off because of the carpet, I probably wouldn't dare drinking red wine or such in case of spillage.
I wouldn't refuse to take my shoes off but I wouldn't accept another invite either

Lots of 'would' as I haven't encountered the issue yet :o

I have had to relax my feelings on shoes since having a baby, not tighten them up... everyone wears shoes in baby groups etc where the babies are crawling around. Also everyone wears shoes in the nursery DS will be going to in a few months time. It seems a bit gross to me, a combination of outdoor shoes and crawling babies putting things in their mouths, but no one else seems bothered.

I hate wearing shoes on carpet in anyone's house, and always take mine off if I can (sometimes it is a bit awkward eg at committee meetings). I don't expect guests to take theirs off in mine unless they want to, but most people get the hint from all the shoes by the front door.

And I'd hope the invite would state 'shoes must be removed'

I think it´s hard when you´re in a place where either/or is the "norm" iyswim.

Although "shoes off" is the "norm" here, it wouldn´t be expected at a party or where there are wooden floors.

Unless your footwear was caked in mud, of course.

Do what you like in your own home, but frankly I think it's rude to ask guests to take off their shoes. We have doormats, you wipe your feet when you come in, job done. So many people are obsessed with germs and cleanliness; it's turning us into a bunch of sterile, anti-bacterial freaks.

I hate the idea - in fact I have a friend and who insists the children take off their shoes every time they come in... to the utility room! So as kids are, they're in and out and every single time, have to remove their trainers and put them back on again. Houses are for living in, not show-pieces.

'We offer wipe clean slippers and socks'

Now that is what I find really revolting! I don't mind taking them off (although I think it is rude to ask guests) but I am certainly not wearing anyone else's slippers and socks-however clean!

If you have a dozen people around for a meeting where do you put all the shoes?

12 pairs?!

I have a small narrow hall and the cupboard under the stairs is full.
What happens if a dog thinks they are a good plaything? (or do we assume that those who want pristine carpets don't have pets?)

To all those that say it is rude to ask people to take their shoes off & to those that wear shoes in their homes - have a very good look at the pavements in your area & you will find - poo, fag butts, chewing gum, puke, spit, dog/fox/human piss.......

Unless you've got loads of cash / or get bored very easily, carpets / wooden flooring are in your home for a good 10 -15 yrs. So, why potentially cause damage to them and contaminate your living space?

I have laminate flooring, but it must be worst to clean muck off of carpet. It's madness to let people in with shoes on. Even if pepes wipe their feet at the door, they may still bring muck in.

YUK!!!!

For me, this issue is mostly about cleanliness but also about having pride in your home and keeping it in good condition. You can still enjoy your home but you must also respect it.

I'm really shocked by a lot of the responses on here.

For me, this issue is mostly about cleanliness but also about having pride in your home and keeping it in good condition. You can still enjoy your home but you must also respect it.

Yes, because your carpet, which is minging because unless you wash it daily with a RugDoctor it's filthy, is far more important than your guests.

see I can't see how you'd say (for example) stop a child in the summer running in and out of the house/garden and get them to take their shoes off every Single time!! My boys are always in and out of the house like yoyo's when the weather is good.

Shoes don't bother me, carpets do though. I have washable floors throughout downstairs and the muck that comes up when I wash them is vile if you think about it being stuck in a carpet. And don't get me started on the old trend for carpets in kitchen or bathrooms, just plain disgusting!

My floorboards are the same ones that were laid in the house when it was built 100 years ago CJ. So I'm sure they've seen their fair share of poo and vomit over that time :o

Have a look at the average person's carpet. How many of those things can you see? None. A few germs may have made it into the house but so what? Surely we encounter many more germs when we go out.

"have a very good look at the pavements in your area & you will find - poo, fag butts, chewing gum, puke, spit, dog/fox/human piss.......

Laminate floors are the work of the devil. Have proper wood floors or tiles and they are a piece of cake to clean and last for donkey's years. Our house is full of wood floors that have been here over a hundred years. We all stomp around with shoes on; none of us have ever died from the toxic cocktail of germs that apparently lurks on our floors, the floors are all clean and polished, and cat hairs are easy to see and clean up (unlike on carpets).

I have a (very stereotypical) idea of people who make you take your shoes off - they always have laminate floors, minimalist living areas and plug-in air fresheners. All the work of the devil, as I said

YABU

If the Queen came to visit, would you be shocked that she "bizzarely" kept her shoes on?

What do you think door mats are for???

We tend to take muddy shoes off in the bottom hallway - escpially since we got a cream carpet for the stairs and upper hallway and becasue of that, guests often see the shoes and choose to take their own shoes off. We do not however, expect them to take them off. And anyway, I don't take my own work-type shoes off (as in pretty court shoes) - unless my feet are cold and I want to put on my Ugg boots (which are mostly, but not exclusively, worn inside).

"And anyway, I don't take my own work-type shoes off (as in pretty court shoes)"

That got me thinking actually.

As I said, people here take shoes off.

But atm it´s cold & people are generally dressed in trousers/jeans/leggings/socks & boots or fairly heavy shoes-which don´t always clean so easily on a mat depending on the tread.

I think if someone was wearing court shoes with tights I wouldn´t expect them to take shoes off as they have smooth soles & clean easily & feet in just tights might feel cold.

Also in Summer, sandal sole tend to hold less dirt & might be preferable to bare feet.

I often wear odd socks with holes in under my boots ..so I will leave my boots on thanks