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?

Same here pyjama - food is one of the few things I am not funny about. (And I love to cook which I guess is why buggers keep coming round even though I force them to wear pound shop slippers!)

We've all got our little ways. I bet even the shoes on people have things that they're fussy about.

Middle eastern background here and so shoes off is the usual. It's because people sit on the floor here tho, Japan etc. is same deal. However, as long as you aren't trailing mud all over our Persian carpets (common sense dictates people don't do this anyway) then I wouldn't dream of asking someone else to take their shoes off. It's just inhospitable to have conditions for your guests visit like that I think.

Also "guest slippers" wtf?? So someone is uncomfortable with removing shoes and you think slippers that God knows who has worn before will make them feel more comfortable??

My guest slippers are from the pound shop and never worn more than once Natasha. A couple of people have even asked me where I got them!

Shoes off in the house was always a rule in London. I had two friends that never took their shoes off. I never asked. Everyone else would either remove their shoes or stay by the door (picking up, dropping off kids etc). The people who don't take off their shoes, also wear their shoes in their own homes. One family was not the cleanest the other was cleaner than me but clearly had no problem with shoes. Having said that they never walked anywhere or took public transport! Where we live now we rarely take off our shoes if we walk from car or bike to the house. No one takes their shoes off when they enter people's homes either. The streets are pretty clean (no spit or dog poo). The only time people remove shoes is when it is raining and then everyone is covered in mud. To be fair we have no carpets or rugs and the floor is cleaned daily. I don't allow shoes on upstairs.

I really don't understand the fixation on this thread with "in many countries it's culturally normal to remove shoes in the house". Perceptions of rudeness vary from culture to culture. The OP didn't expressly say she was culturally British but she probably would have mentioned it if she was Japanese, Finnish or Iranian.

In China it is considered the height of politeness to hold your bowl right up at your mouth and slurp your noodles loudly to signify enjoyment. Also many Chinese do not think it is rude to clear their throats loudly and graphically in public.

However if a British person did either of these things in a home with no Chinese cultural connections they'd be considered very rude. It would not matter a jot that these things were acceptable and expected in China!

What has clearly emerged from this thread is that across British culture opinions and practice vary. Therefore we can't make any blanket statements that shoes on or shoes off is rude. People can't be rude if there is no consistent cultural norm with which to comply.

You must generate a massive amount of landfill with all the pound shop slippers you throw out after one use. Far too wasteful for me.

Yes we do - and I buy cheap bath mats and tea towels from Asda so I can just bin them after (maybe) one wash. It's very wasteful but it's worth it because germs....

I'm not surprised you don't give a fuck about the environment when all your head space is occupied with germ hysteria.

Well done.

No need for bitchery squoosh. I agree it's weird of me as I have said several times. And since the Chinese are building a new coal power station every week, I don't think a bit of textile related extravagance is going to have any discernible environmental impact.

Jessie my reason for pointing out cultural differences is because lots of posters are making assumptions about aspirational lower classes, cream carpets and Hyacinth Bucket types. Or saying that they've never heard of shoes off.

'But...but...but the Chinese'

What a pathetic excuse.

Aw you sound really nice squoosh.

No, but if I'm visiting a friends house, and culturally they find shoes in house rude, I have no problem adapting.

I'm not even massively green but weirdos that throw out bathmats and slippers after one use really boil my piss.

Yes I think that's the attitude of most people pyjama - as I said upthread it's something that only seems to offend on MN rather than in RL.

Now pay attention Squoosh I use the bath mats twice! Tbh they are pretty threadbare after one hot wash - if you really want to make an environmental difference you might want to petition Asda to stop selling shit products for 2 quid. Even a planet killer like me would wash and reuse them if I had to pay more!

For example, I've got a friend who'd think you were really fussy to remove shoes. I've got another friend who'd be upset if you wore shoes, from conversations we've had I believe it's her beliefs as a Muslim, she wouldn't go into a pub either.

I'd love if one of your guests had a massive wet bowel explosion over one of your precious rugs. You'd probably burn the house down.

Wow blaming Asda for your environment fucking ways? That is some serious deflection. We've had the Chinese, Asda - who next? I am no green crusader but your waste is really distasteful.

She wouldn't meet me in a pub, still like me saying boo hoo I'm not going to meet you any more because I like pubs and this is England.

Well we are Muslim too (albeit non-practising) and I have no problem with pubs.

Jessie my reason for pointing out cultural differences is because lots of posters are making assumptions about aspirational lower classes, cream carpets and Hyacinth Bucket types. Or saying that they've never heard of shoes off.

Sorry pyjamaramadrama I don't follow.

We don't have a pervasive shoes off culture in this country. Therefore posters are commenting on what might drive the clear differences in approach in Britsih households. And when they say they have never heard of "shoes off" (which you seem for some odd reason to find hard to believe) it's reasonable to assume that they mean they have never heard of it in a Britsih cultural context. I'm pretty sure if pressed most people would realise they'd seen Japanese people do it on TV or something, bu they quite sensibly did not think that relevant enough to this debarte to include in their posts.

Well there you go, everyone's bloody different.

To me though moaning over your cold feet or your matching shoes is as bad as moaning about your carpets.

Squoosh you are waaaaay too invested in my posts sweetheart.

I know it's wasteful but honestly I don't care. We could all change our lifestyles to improve the environment but there comes a point where we decide not to bother in the interests of our comfort/time/sanity. Mine is different to others because I probably have OCD. Unless you are living in a yurt and washing your clothes in a river, there is no need to judge.