Shoes off house rule

[BettyBi0]

So we have a shoes off rule in our house. Mainly because of the grubby London streets and dog poo everywhere locally plus a floor licking toddler.

Every time my parents visit I have to ask them to take their shoes off. EVERY Fing TIME! They act like its such a massive imposition.

AIBU or would you just shut up and put up?

Militant.

Maybe they want you to take off your shoes it are too polite to say.

"I can't get over how people don't "get it"!! The street is filthy, there is literally urine, faecal matter, saliva, engine oil, bird excrement, food waste, vomit, general grime etc EVERYWHERE. The germs are countless. I cannot believe people don't care about all that being trodden into their houses, on their carpets, into their bedrooms etc. "

A bit of muck never killed anyone. The floors get hoovered or swept and mopped once or twice a week; the rugs machine washed once or twice a week too. 45 years, three DDs and a dog plus numerous small furries and no illnesses bar standard childhood ones plus the odd cough or cold. Not a great deal to be paranoid over IMO, unless you have lowered immunity, which we don't.

That's a good point Giles who would walk through dried pigeon poo in their bare feet? Or someone's spit? Or over the trail of wee where some bloke just did a wee in the alley.

only on MN would asking a neighbour to take.in a parcel be considered rude but traipsing traces of faecal matter into kids bedrooms and sittings rooms be acceptable

Giles why are you so obsessed about what other people choose to do in their own homes?

Get over it.

I've just managed to reach the ripe old age of 50 and I can honestly say I've only ever heard of guests being asked to take their shoes off on here. I've lived in a few places in this country and a good few places abroad, both with and without being with the forces. It does seem bizarre to not care about the comfort, be it psychological or physical, of your guests. If asked I would, obviously, but probably wouldn't visit again. Especially if offered slippers or (boak) socks they keep for guests. Obviously muddy footwear is different.

And you too Pyjama. Obsess about your own home and don't worry your little head about other people's floors.

And btw we generally take shoes and boots off eventually, once we're settled in; we just don't necessarily rush to do so immediately we step over the threshold. And I would never expect a visitor to my home to take theirs off. In fact I'd rather they didn't.

And to the person saying its 'basic manners' I would say that as I said above, the comfort of your guests is basic manners.

'My little head', really?

I doubt anyone's worried, it's a discussion, don't be so bloody patronising.

Sorry - ensuring the comfort of your guests.

the comfort of your guests is basic manners.

So you let smokers smoke inside so they don't have the discomfort of having to go out in the cold and the rain for a fag?

You certainly sound worried. Which is weird since you're unlikely to ever be in any of our 'shoes on' homes. Live and let live and you'll find life to be a lot less stressful.

Mrsw I'm one of those who don't get it! Really I don't. I have tiled floors mostly downstairs, I don't expect anyone to take off their shoes when they come here, I'm not obssessed by faecal matter, droppings, poo, yada yada. I have doormats outside, I have doormats inside and everyone would make use of them. If visitors want to take their shoes off, feel free. If not, that's fine too. I've had big parties here - not one person takes their shoes off for it. I wouldn't expect or want that - I don't have a pyjama party with everyone in slippers!

In your post you talk of your dog allowed in the kitchen the lounge and the conservatory. Dogs poo and sit their bare arse down on a carpet - I find that more revolting than clean shoes in the house to be honest!

Fair point, itsall no I wouldn't have smoking in my house. But I don't really know many people that smoke and none of the few I do would be coming to my house. Smoke stinks though, it's harmful, and it lingers. So not really comparable. And everybody wears shoes, its a big part if life, not everybody smokes.

I think once you start thinking about the invisible army of germs that could possibly be sneaking their way into your house via the coins in your purse, clinging SAS style to the underside of your handbag, lurking on your phone screen, flattening themselves to the Tesco's delivery crate, flying invisibly through the air... that way madness lies. And where are these streets covered in piss, shit, dog turds, pigeon crap, vomit, rotting food? Are parts of Britain still officially in the Middle Ages, with just the one central midden running down ye high street and a dead horse rotting by ye well?

I live next to a farm, near a bridlepath frequently by horses who literally don't give a shit about dropping one where they stand, with two cheerfully filth-magnet dogs whose paws get rinsed in - shock horror - my downstairs bathroom after a walk. I clean the wooden floors weekly, I wear Uggs inside, I don't let the dogs upstairs. So far, no one has died and I only ever get a cold when I go to London and use public transport.

Has anyone heard of anyone ever getting ill from carpet germs / having shoes on in the house? Seriously?

I've already said of all the homes I've visited I've found it's about 50/50. Usually the people I've known who've been shoes off, have had some new carpets or something, and 6 months later they've not been bothered. I don't have an opinion either way on their preference.

Over the years I've known loads of people with funny ways. One friend wouldn't allow chips in the house because they were smelly.

Logically you're unlikely to get ill from shoes. But you can't help the way you feel.

It definitely doesn't necessarily mean you're Hyacinth Bucket.

I wouldn't ask visitors to take off their shoes, I think its a bit rude, what if they have holey socks or monster feet? However Everyone in my family takes shoes off as soon as they come in as its a rented house with pale carpets...

We are a shoes off family but if people visit I don't ask them to take them off if they don't do so spontaneously because I don't want to make them feel awkward. Worst one was my mate who wheeled dog poo on his wheelchair all round my ground floor and I had to discreetly chase him with babywipes. I didn't want to mention it and he didn't want to mention it either as he was embarrassed.

Maybe it's rude to ask guests to take them off but even ruder for them to not at least offer. Same as being told to use a coaster. We all have different preferences when it comes to our homes and they should be respected.
If you don't like cold little tootsies pack a pair of welly socks in your handbag.

DEFINITELY YANBU
I hate it when people come stomping their dirty shoes through the house! We don't have carpet in hall/ kitchen so don't insist on shoes off right away or just popping in. But certainly don't want shoes on the lounge carpet and wiping dog muck or mud about when toddler will be sitting, walking bare foot and probably eating his snacks off that carpet! I'm no clean freak but like things to be hygienic.
It's like thr selfish lazy people who don't take their shoes off when going into swimming pool changing rooms making the floor all manky and muddy when I've got to walk on it in my bare feet.... but that's for another grumble!

I'm comfier with no shoes on so automatically take them off at home or when visiting others. My kids automatically do too, DH does not. In fact he's just come in from work and has kept them on. Most people offer and I say it's up to them, just I'm comfier in slippers. Only thing that really annoys me is the inlaws stamping around and leaving mud everywhere. Every time they say "oh sorry there's mud everywhere" but do the exact same next time

even ruder for them to not at least offer

Waaaah - can't you RTFT?

Some people do not know that it is ever appropriate or desirable to take shoes off in houses as they have never come across this concept. They are not being rude by not offering!