Is it rude to ask people to take their shoes off?

[ppandj]

We have wooden floorboards downstairs with rugs on, vinyl in the kitchen and carpet up the stairs and all the way through the upstairs of our house. The vinyl is no problem because it can be easily cleaned. However, pretty much everyone in my and DP's families leaves their shoes on when they come round. I must hoover up about every other day just because of the little bits that get trampled around. Now that it's been a bit wetter outside there are clumps of mud all over the rugs. I always take my shoes off in other people's house, unless they say not to. WIBU to ask them to take their shoes off? I'm prepared to provide slippers/socks!

[mscongeniality]

YANBU! I think its so rude to walk into someone's home without checking if they would like you to take your shoes off or not. My downstairs is wooden so I don't mind either way but the stairs and upstairs is light coloured carpet and they just go upstairs without a second thought. And they do it before you can really say anything

[LiviaDrusillaAugusta]

Ah I see the faux shock has already started

[BuntyFigglesworthSpiffington]

'Huge bunfight about germs and manners'

And don't forget................'class'........that gets mentioned too I think.

[NicknameUsed]

"The only houses I have been in where shoes were acceptable were dirty anyway"

Actually, this has been my experience as well. My mum wasn't a great housekeeper. In fact she was quite slovenly. Ours was a shoes on house. Or in our case slippers.

[Orwellschild]

Borp if anyone said to me "I've left the tap running for you to wash your hands" when I walked into their house, I'd wish them a good day and turn around and leave again. And that would be the last time we communicated. Unless it was a close family member. Then I'd suggest CBT.

[LiviaDrusillaAugusta]

Yes - forgot about the class argument

Then it kicks off again...

[BuntyFigglesworthSpiffington]

Well my house is shoes on (or off if guests prefer) and it's shiny and clean and fragrant!

[LiviaDrusillaAugusta]

This is one of those debates where people pretend they can't get their head round a different way of living

[Creativemode]

I'd much prefer shoes off, but, I went to view a house once. The estate agent was really snotty and looked at our feet and said "ooohhh, you'll need to take your shoes off, I know I'm wearing mine but still". So we did the shoes off dance in the tiny hallway while she stood there in her high heels.

They were doubling up on appointments and there were two blokes wearing work boots looking round! So then it was time to look at the garden and she led us outside in the rain, I had no fucking shoes on so I declined! She got all huffy. The house was a dump anyway.

It was bizarre.

After that I decided it's ridiculous to demand shoes off, I don't like shoes on in my own house but I will get over myself for the sake of visitors comfort and preference.

[BuntyFigglesworthSpiffington]

'I'd wish them a good day and turn around and leave again.'

That reminds me of Tootsie. 'I said GOOD DAY Sir'!

[GlitteryFluff]

Our neighbour has a sign on their front door saying please remove shoes. So all their visitors knock on door and see the sign, then start undoing shoes etc whilst waiting for them to come to the door.

[GlitteryFluff]

Like this..
I quite like the doormat too..

[Orwellschild]

Bunty yup! I though I was a bit over the top carrying hand anti bac stuff all the time, but I just can't imagine going to someone's home and immediately being asked to wash. Alien to me.

[LiviaDrusillaAugusta]

Ooh your post has reminded me of this - not really relevant to the discussion but adorable...

[NicknameUsed]

Tradespeople nowadays tend to have plastic covers for their shoes as they are allowed to remove their shoes for health and safety reasons.

" I don't like shoes on in my own house but I will get over myself for the sake of visitors comfort and preference."

Same here. But I am fortunate enough that I have friends and family who either take their shoes off anyway or who have clean shoes on so it doesn't matter either way.

When DD was little I did used to have to ask her playmates to take their shoes off because they were covered in mud.

[Doggity]

I have a disability and walking without shoes is excruciating. If I know I'm going to a "shoes off" house, I bring my indoor fur lined crocs.

I don't mind being asked to take my shoes. However, I find it odd to expect me to wear slippers that I don't know if you've washed when you want me to take off my shoes. Surely it works both ways? I'd rather limp in agony than wear someone else's slippers. Yuck!

[BuntyFigglesworthSpiffington]

Oh that otter is adorable. He does a good line in snooty expressions!

[GlitteryFluff]

We only wash hands when we have been to London for the day. As touching all the hand rails etc on tube and stairs and escalators always makes me think we're going to catch something or spread germs about our flat. If we've been with my DM the she does too.

[Toooldtobearsed]

I have dogs.

Wear what you want when you come to my house 😉

[PepsiPenguin]

Loving the Otter

[Taytocrisps]

I'd consider it rude. Also, I'm mindful of my friend who had a condition which meant that her feet smelt really bad (nothing to do with bad hygiene) - she would be mortified if anyone asked her to remove her shoes. Old people might find it hard to bend down and remove their shoes without a chair.

Also, I'm not sure how it would work in hot weather when people are wearing sandals/flip flops without socks? You'd have sweaty feet walking across your wooden floors and carpets.

[Ifailed]

We only wash hands when we have been to London for the day How odd. Presumably germs don't exist outside of capital cities?

[squoosh]

She doesn't want to risk catching a bad dose of chronic hipsterism.

[GlitteryFluff]

Ifailed i drive or walk everywhere except when I go into london so don't go on public transport at home. If I did use buses or trains at home then I'd wash my hands when getting home then too. Basically after touching stuff that loads of others have touched/sneezed/coughed on. Walking to local shop with automatic doors and picking up some bread and paying using my Apple Pay then I've not really touched anything that has so much contact like the underground.

[GlitteryFluff]

I might be a hipster.....