To ask visitors to take their shoes off before coming into my home?

[moomin35]

Including my MIL who clearly didn't appreciate being asked!

Carrying slippers around is weird. Having slippers by the front door for guests is weird. (lighthearted comment)

I am part of the 'cream carpet brigade', but definitely not by choice. We viewed 3 very similar rental properties in the same development, and chose the only one of the three that didn't have cream carpets because we had a baby on the way and didn't think it was ideal. Come moving day, we arrived to find the landlord has changed the carpet to a cream one.

It's hard enough to keep clean without people tracking dirt through on their shoes. We don't host dinner or cocktail parties, so that has never been an issue.

jeane I used to live in London and now I live in a rural area. There are about three minorities. I am one of them

No you are not. I always ask when going in someones house, its only polite! People do ask alot of the time when they come to mine, but tbh its the professionals that just seem to waltz in with their germ ridden clodhoppers on. I have kids that play on the floors and carpet in the hall/living room.
Theres nothing wrong with wanting to keep your home clean and if people dont feel comfy walking roubd in their socks tough!

I would rather someone kept their footwear on if they aren't wearing socks or tights or whatever. As long as they wiped them before they came in.

I always take mine off because I wear trainers for comfort and they trap mud or worse. Elderly relatives who probably haven't been gardening keep theirs on, although my parents always change to slippers both here and at home. Most visitors ask (because they see our shoes at the door) and my answer is on the lines of 'please take them off if you are muddy, otherwise up to you'

all tradesmen seem to take theirs off now, unless they are doing stuff involving lifting or power tools in which case they (should) keep workboots on. This has only been done in tiled areas though and they cleaned up afterwards.

BTW in a rental it is up to the tenant, their house their rules. I rented out a house with a cream carpet (fitted before we knew we were renting) and it came back in a used but decent condition. 'Used' because it was 8 years later and carpets wear in that time.

I think it's good manners to ask if it's a shoes off home in any home you visit tbh. I always check first. I don't make visitors take off shoes but we definitely never have shoes in the house. The DC know the first thing they do when they come in is shoes off and on the rack and coats off on the coat pegs- well trained .

It's rude to assume it's not a shoes off home I think. I don't feel comfortable keeping my shoes on in a house, feels like I'm not staying and wanting to go ASAP iykwim.

I've got a nasty bought of athlete's foot and a fungal infection on my toe nail ATM. Do you really want me walking round your house barefoot?

Sorry, 500.

It just sounded funny to me.

I've never been asked to take my shoes off when visiting friends. No one's ever asked me at my door either. It seems really weird to do so.

If shoes/boots are muddy I would automatically remove them but most people have door mats which are more than adequate for normal shoes.

Shoeless house here too!

MILs feet stink so she crawls across the carpet so it doesn't to it. I'm not joking.

FIL four years in still tries to walk in with his rigger boots on, I still send him back out.

Stale, you'd rather have your guest crawling than risk marking your floors? Really, you (and MIL) think that's OK?

Just to add that we have cream carpets throughout, the house is warm and spotless so your feet would never get dirty by taking your shoes off.

Her house is really messy and dirty so I think this is where the trouble comes.

MILs feet stink so she crawls across the carpet so it doesn't to it. I'm not joking.

That's appalling. If I were your MIL I'd be telling you to fuck the fuck off (and take your precious carpet with you). What a horrible person you sound.

moomin - you may think your house is warm, but others might not. My mum's house is fully carpeted but my feet are always freezing at hers (though as it's my mum I take my slippers, but anyway, she's not a shoes-off person).

That's ok Jeanne. It's hard to get tone in messages sometimes.

Bit at some mentions of "barefoot".

Fair enough in the summer with open sandals, but don't people wear socks most of the year in Winter? My feet feel cold and uncomfortable just thinking about it

These always run and run.
You'll never get a consensus.
FWIW, I think it's rude and inhospitable, but then I do believe 'Your House, your rules' and when I go to someone's house that does this, I would take my shoes off.

I always take my shoes off when I go to someones house and I expect people to take their shoes off when they come to mine. This is probably because if I had my way I would never wear shoes.

It wouldn't even cross my mind to ask guests to take their shoes off and the only person I know who insists on this rule is my SIL, whose house is freezing, and whose floors are made of poured concrete . It's a pain in the arse taking shoes off and on, which is one of the reasons we keep visits to a minimum.

A chap came round to give us a quote for some work the other day, and took his shoes off on the doorstep before I could stop him. I was mortified as he sat there in his stockinged feet - I had my shoes on! He must have felt a right clot, but I guess he spends a lot of time visiting the 'cream carpets downstairs' brigade so must get used to it.

YANBU If you're coming in my living room, with it's light coloured shag pile (previous owners choice!) that my baby crawls on, I will ask you to take your shoes off. I've lived in too many places where dog shit is a major problem - it now makes my skin crawl when I see shoes on carpet. Have seen dogshit tramped into houses enough times to now be a bit paranoid. Don't have such a problem with shoes on our hard floors as they can be disinfected if need be!

As to moaning about bare feet- have you never heard of socks?

It's a funny one. I grew up in a shoes off culture and always take them off in my/others homes. I've never asked anyone as an adult and it's very rare that people don't. If they don't I don't ask but I do notice.

As a child/teen I always said to friends 'you can leave your shoes there' because I thought people would want to know where to leave them as it didn't cross my child brain that ppl would want to leave them on.

Finding ppl who wear shoes in doors has definitely come on since I've been an adult. Especially as the vast majority of ppl I know and see wear slippers.

I feel like I'm not staying if I keep my shoes on. Like having a cuppa with my coat on... Each to their own though.

At a big house party I would expect people to keep them on probably though...

So I haven't helped at all have I!

Surely it depends what else your wearing Bolshy? If I've got a skirt and heels on I'm hardly likely to have fluffy socks on too.

Surely it depends what else your wearing Bolshy? If I've got a skirt and heels on I'm hardly likely to have fluffy socks on too.

This.