AIBU to think that workmen should offer to take their shoes off in your house?

[Dollslikeyouandme]

I'm a shoes off in the house person, and always offer to take mine off when visiting. It's not because I'm a weird cream carpet visitor slippers freak. But I have carpet, a ds who likes to play on the floor. And a neighbourhood where the streets seem to be covered in dog shit.

I hate asking people to take off their shoes, so usually don't, and just hope they do anyway.

I've noticed workmen never take off their shoes, and lately I've had to have a few people in and around the house and gave been cringing at their boots standing on my bathmat mainly.

I just think shoes on carpets are gross.

I wouldn't dream of asking people to take their shoes off at the threshold - making visitors (of whatever sort) wobble around on one leg or kneel down undoing laces before they're to be admitted to the hallowed sanctum? Ridiculous.

My SIL insists on 'shoes off' in her house. So we don't go there. Fucked if I'm shivering in my socks to save her shitty laminate floors.

And if workmen were coming on a daily basis, to do something major, I'd definitely ask them to wear overshoes rather than asking them to take off their shoes. But people popping in to read the metres etc - too occasional to make any difference.

I think you were just very unlucky there, mrsspagbol.

If it's nothing to do with boots/workmen specifically, then what's the point with this thread, seeing as u specially labelled workmen in your opening post???

I didn't grow up in a no shoes off house and find it really weird to expect grown adults to come to your house dressed for that and to expect them to sit around in their socks! The most annoying is if you go to a party and you are all dressed up and your shoes are a key part of your outfit and you are expected to take them off! We don't have carpet downstairs for this sort of reason. I just expect people to wipe their feet on the mat and ask them to do so if they don't, which I do feel a bit rude about doing. If it's been raining loads or they have very muddy shoes then I would expect them to take their shoes off and would ask them to do so. I wouldn't expect workmen to take their shoes off, it's just one of those things you have to put up with, but most do offer. I don't like people walking on my bath mat, no matter who they are and I always hang it up to dry anyway. OP, why don't you just hang it up?

I'm sorry but 'shivering in your socks', and 'shitty laminate floors', is as bad and as rude as asking someone to take them off.

Anyway surely most people are only worried about carpets as they're harder to clean?

Surely that's why it's better to put on clean socks and offer?

Luckily most of the people I know are bonkers like me.

workmen here in Australia, always remove their shoes at the door...just one of those things. They never even ask.

Bornin1984, because workmen, for me, are the only people who don't automatically take shoes off at the door. And not because I make them, but because it's normal in my circle of family and friends to take shoes off in each others houses.

I was thinking about this and realised that I would rather people kept their shoes on as, in my house, they would run the risk of standing on a stray piece of Lego and probably sue me for the trauma. slattern

but in Australia it's a whole lot warmer! And in the winter laminate flooring and even carpets can be cold if there are floor draughts - my mum has double glazing and fully carpeted but my feet would still get cold if I didn't have my slippers. If I have cold feet I'm very uncomfortable, and I have been put off going round to people's houses if I know they're a shoes-off house.

OP, if you're having workmen in for any length of time, maybe get some cheapy mats to cover the floor than you can keep just for this kind of thing?

Torcot obviously I just washed the bathmat and obviously in future I will just hang it up, but at the time I wasn't really expecting the guy to stand on it and walk on it!

Unfortunately I think some people are taking me in the wrong way or nitpicking/twisting, I'm surprised noones said 'first world problem'.

Shoes in the house really does bother me, but I'm sure there's some things that bother other people. We all have our ways.

Its a health and safety thing - and common sense. If my DP is visiting a house to price up a job he will remove shoes etc, but if he is using power tools or shifting heavy stuff around then shoes stay on. However he will put down dust sheets in the room he is working and up the stairs to the front door if he is working upstairs.

My DP used to work on "social housing" contracts, once ages ago and once recently - he wouldn't treat those people any different to a paying client (as in paying him directly) as obviously those things are covered in rental cost. So i'm sorry it does sound like you have a bit of a chip on your shoulder - its ok for you to make generalisations about rude tradesmen but not ok for people to make generalisations about HA tennants. Can't have it both ways i'm afraid.

My DP is always polite and considerate when working in peoples houses - it is his business though so his reputation is important, i do know that contractors can be less than fussy when they hire "tradesmen" to work on social housing contracts, but if my DP has people working for him they have to treat customers with respect, and their houses. It really PISSES ME OFF when people assume all builders are going to be rude idiots with their backsides hanging out of their trousers and page three posted up in their vans

Also, dust and crap from working will stick to socks anyway and be more likely to be transferred onto carpets than if clean shoes were on. It is just common sense - if a house has brand new carpets throughout it is perfectly reasonable to ask for shoes to be removed. If this is not practical then plastic shoe covers can be worn.

LEM again I never said that, I never mentioned arse out of trousers or page 3.

I personally have had bad experience with the HA contractors, as I explained a couple of examples.

As my examples were just that! If you were unhappy with the manner in which you were treated by the contractors in your property, why didn't you complain? Don't you have to fill in a questionaire when the job is done to say if you were satisfied, there will be a question as to whether the worker was polite etc. I would have told that radiator fitter to fuck off out of my house if he behaved like that.

Why should they risk standing on nails, debris and tools? Blood stains more you know .

My DH has indoor work boots that he uses but it is inconvenient for him. He also puts down raised walkways over plastic sheeting or dust sheets. You can ask them to do this you know.

Workmen are supposed to wear blue shoes just like the ones you would find at a swimming pool.
Yanbu to ask them to take shoes off but depending what they are doing then it might not be safe or practical hence the blue shoes.
You can either stock your house with blue shoes or refuse entry if they don't have them or won't take there shoes off,simple.

I didn't complain and I've never had an evaluation form to fill in.

I should have complained about the radiator man, but I was just so glad it was done at the time as it had been leaking, they'd ordered the wrong one, then one was cracked. I was quite taken aback when he threw his phone across the floor I'm not very assertive as I should be.

Mignonette can I just reiterate that I do not expect anyone to risk standing on nails or taking off boots needed for a health and safety point of view.

I can totally see why someone carrying heavy objects, climbing a ladder, hammering nails, would need their shoes on. I should have been clearer in my op, but I was thinking really about a number of occasions recently where people have been coming in to 'look' at a particular problem. Why so many different people have been sent to look I don't know but that's another story.

People talking about shoe covers, floor covers, all sound fine and great, no one has ever extended that courtesy, I would be very, very impressed if workmen who visit my home put on shoe covers.

The difference is, OP, my 'shitty laminate floors' comment is in my head. People who insist on their visitors taking their footwear off are actually doing it, in real life. One is just a thought. The other is rudeness, and hilariously prissy.

As a PP said - if you ask me to take my shoes off before I enter your house, I will do it without a murmur - but I will judge you harshly for being so uptight and inhospitable, and thinking your floor is worth more than my comfort.

The things you are talking about are just basic respect but there does need to be give and take in both sides. They need to respect your home and you need to respect their safety.

I've had a lot of workmen in my house over the last 12 months and without fail they have all taken their shoes off at the front door. If they are going to be doing heavy work then they put those blue shoe covers on and if they are doing light work like decorating then they change into a pair of indoor shoes, usually trainer type shoes that they keep for indoors only.

With regard to your swearing plumber, I had one who did this, made me v uncomfortable and I thought it was totally unprofessional so I called the project boss who had him offsite v quickly. I then got apologies from both the big boss and the plumbers boss. Never saw him again on my job!

I always point out the no shoes rule to everyone. Noone minds, often people bring their own slippers or extra socks. With workmen, I expect them to go shoeless or slip some galosh things over their boots if they need their boots on. I would, if necessary, give them plastic bags to put over their shoes.

My part of the bargain is that I keep the floors clean and swept so people are not putting dirt on their socks. I hate the feeling when you visit a bathroom shoeless only to find the wc surrounded by a pissy mat :(

I suspect quite a few people do mind being asked to take their shoes off but they are too polite to say so.

Dolls

My DH is impressive and is the kind of tradesman (he is the company owner too) that looks really good semi dressed under a sink or bath.

Not that I am objectifying him. Oh no....

We're having builders round at the moment - the job will go to someone who takes their shoes off without being asked! So far they all have.....

To me it shows that they will respect the space as being a home and hopefully will continue to do so when tearing half of it down!! Am obviously not expecting them to do the work without shoes on!!

Well firstly, as I will say again, I do not and have never insisted that anyone take their shoes off. I quietly hope that they will, if they do great, if they offer I usually just say 'you don't have to however you're comfy'. Because I haven't got the guts to say 'yes'. I know my dad in particular has anxiety and can't take his shoes off. But lucky for me most people do anyway.

It wouldn't even cross my mind to worry about shoes on wooden floors as they're so easily mopped. Carpets if you do tread something in are a fucking nightmare to clean and if you have a lot of traffic will wear out quickly.

Are you really so cold and uncomfortable without your shoes? Or do you just like to prove a point and how much more laid back you are? I normally can't wait to kick my shoes off and let me feet breathe.

I'm not inhospitable, anyone who visits me gets a warm welcome, drinks and cake put your feet up.

I don't see the floor as more important than anyone's comfort but that doesn't mean I treat the living room carpet the same as I would the footpath outside.