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?

Cold feet with warm cheeks is really common. I get very cold feet and went to the doctor about it (my feet were going numb indoors with the heating on).

He said it was a circulation issue but very common, not dangerous and I should just wear thick socks.

I wouldn't judge people on their shoes rules. Especially internationally, it's a cultural thing. But... when I was a kid it was definitely my lower MC friends whose parents had a no shoes rule. None of my posher acquaintances have a no shoes policy. Not judging, just observing. UK class rules are admittedly bonkers, but they certainly exist.

I like the idea of not wearing shoes in the house, but we aren't there yet.

Your parents know your preference so they should take their shoes off. On the other hand, since they obviously they feel very uncomfortable with the idea of taking their shoes off and many people do, then I wouldn't make a big deal out of it.

It is kind of rude to not take your shoes off in someone's house whose rules are no shoes, but it is also a tiny bit rude to insist, or to make a guest, or your parents, feel unwelcome if they don't take their shoes off. Ynbu though.

Have always in all families houses taken shoes off. Only found one friend who hasn't had the no shoes rule. Why would,you want the floor in your house as dirty as the floors outside? Yuk

I sometimes get cold or smelly feet, I just take slippers or wash my feet at home before I leave.

"when I was a kid it was definitely my lower MC friends whose parents had a no shoes rule."

When I was growing up I was mainly around lower middle-class people and they didn't have a no shoes rule. The only friends that did were probably middle-middle (father a GP, mother housewife) and has Scandinavian connections. Whenever anyone talked of no-shoes houses, it was considered 'posh'.

I think it must be generational though. I'm in my late 30s and this is probably something that's changed a lot since I was young. Ironically, more houses have non-carpeted (and therefore cold) floors than when I was a child as well.

Genuine question to the no-shoes people. What if you had workmen in? If they dropped a hammer or something onto bare feet they cold get a nasty injury. Your shoes are by design there to protect your feet after all.

cold=could.

Workmen excepted. But they don't tend to regularly visit

Yanbu. I totally agree, it is your house, they should respect you and your house.

Spider...workman can leave shoes on but they come very rarely and if they leave shoes on clean them v well or put blue covers on. You be surprised how many work man have blue covers in their bags so it must ge a common request. In fact the plumber just put blue covers on without asking last week! Very impressed and to,d him so and said it was a standard.

Most 'workmen' carry shoe covers.

Pyjama...please read my other posts and you realise im dyslexic! Also ipad tends to correct things. I accept chocolates as an apology! . (Joking)

People always use the ridiculous Buckingham Palace point on these debates. The fact is that Buckingham Palace isn't a home. We have no idea whether Kate and Wills prefer shoes off in their own living quarters where the kids crawl around. Because we will never go in there. Besides, they'd probably just get the floor professionally cleaned after the paupers had been in.

I don't know many properly middle class people, although a few who probably think that they are. I'd say most of the people I know who are shoes off is because it's their religion or culture so it's ingrained in them.

I know plenty of the working classes that don't care about shoes. Some do and it's generally not been because they are house proud, it's just because they've got kids crawling on the floor or just upstairs on the carpet because they don't want to risk a muddy footprint.

The only really twatty person was an ex soldier my friend was dating. He lived on the 10th floor of a council flat but had kitted it all out with light cream carpets, cream sofas, cream leather bed, it's was bloody awful. He presented me with his cream house slippers and got offended when I said no thanks. I never went there again.

Sorry rach I was only joking with the 'workmen' & hadn't really read your post.

Passes they only do Cadburys here.

I came home once to find my SIL who was visiting from Australia lying across my couch with her trainers up on. I was almost contorted with internal rage. The thought of what she traipsed in before she threw herself (and trainers) on the couch still makes me angry.

YANBU

We grew up with a no shoes rule and I don't know any South Asian families who wear shoes in the house. Come over for a gathering and you'll be greeted by a pile of shoes at the door!

Maybe it's an immigrant thing? I think my parents felt they worked so hard to buy the carpet that it was damn well going to last at least 20+ years!

People seem very worried about pollution from outside coming into the home. It's not clear whether this is simply that they don't want (cleanable) surfaces to be made dirty, or they are worried about sources of infection.

The 'hygiene hypothesis' argues that exposure to dirt is an important part of the development of a robust immune system. (Children on farms less likely to have allergies, asthma etc)

However, perhaps we should be more concerned about invisible pollutants? There was a recent study about the poor air quality in modern homes, which tend to be well insulated and infrequently aired. Many Mumsnetters like a cosy house with the heating nice and high! The use of cleaning products - the same ones that wipe up that muck from outside - is associated with a high level of harmful substances in the air we breathe inside the house. Not to mention of course the heavily polluted air in the UK from traffic and industrial processes....

And it did... their front (guest) room (where we were never allowed as children) is pristine after 25 years

I visit paying clients at home and always take my shoes off. Would rather take shoes off unnecessarily than have someone cringing because I haven't but too polite to say!

We have wooden floors downstairs so knock yourself out really don't care. Do have no shoes upstairs rule due to cream carpets put in by previous owners.

I don't think I have been in a house/flat/yurt/caravan in which it haven't been shoes off in a very long time.

I really don't know anyone who has a shoes on household now, but we live in the countryside so it's common sense really.

In all honesty, the only 'shoes-on' houses I ever knew were student houses. There were various valid health and safety reasons why it was best to keep shoes on. In fact, it was better not to stay in one place for too long in case you stuck to the floor.

UK born and bred (although probably more of the Hyacinth Bucket variety that is so sneered at on this thread rather than true Downton Abbey class) so it's not a cultural thing.

My family live in the countryside. They are shoes off with muddy wellies, but shoes on with everything else. But they have dogs, so the floors are never pristine anyway.

Asking anyone to take shoes off is bad manners. I want my guests to feel comfortable and they can take them off or leave them on. I don't mind. People going on about dirt coming in are mad. No one is going to die from this. Hoover and clean more often if it worries you.

Houses used to be colder and floors harder/floor surfaces more varied - I grew up before the era of central heating and fitted carpets throughout - so I think taking shoes off is something that's a relatively recent trend. I wonder too if it's related to the fact that newbuild houses have become very small. People buy pale carpets - beige, cream etc - to make small living areas look a bit bigger. Once upon a time the trend was for bright patterned carpets, which didn't show every speck.

If you go still further back, people would have had outside toilets. Keeping putting your shoes on and off every time you needed a pee. (Taking shoes from the front door to the back door would have been very impractical.)

I hate wearing shoes inside! I always take shoes off if going into somebody's house unless I'm literally there for a minute and not going to step on carpet.

I also take my shoes off if I'm somewhere I need to concentrate - choir rehearsal, work... I would much rather sit with my feet tucked up, so it's only polite to take shoes off.