To ask all guests to take shoes off in my house?

[chardonm]

Just that really. A few people seem really put off by that.

My dear sil has to be reminded several times before she takes them off.

I hate the thought of trailing the dirt inside the house.

Well, it is, yes. I can't really help it.

I absolutely cringe if asked to take my shoes off. I have the stinkiest feet ever. I will do it, but it is mortifying. When house hunting, I've refused to view homes - even ones I was very interested in - because the realtor insisted on removing shoes - yuck! Dozens of strangers traipsing through and you want my bare feet to stand in their germs? Bleugh.

All hardwood floors in my house, and either it has to be bare feet or shoes/slippers - anyone in socks has a (very slippery) death wish!

When I was growing up it was only insanely uptight people who did this (my aunt was the only one who I knew who asked people to take their shoes off). I never minded taking them off but thought it was odd.

I don't know if it's because I and most of my friends have kids and live in the country side but everyone takes shoes off. The kids who comes to visit will do it automatically as they walk in the door. It does make sense and make the carpets last longer so am happy enough to go along with it.

The Royal family aren't comparable with the rest of society.

That may be true. However the upper classes really don't do shoes off as a general rule.

Do people who have pale fitted carpets and/or floors that can be easily pitted by anyone in high heels regret it?

Or does the happiness that comes with the right 'look' outweigh the hard work of having to police shoe removal/sock and slipper supplying/feeling obliged to clean up immediately if anyone has walked around in shoes?

I do a bit of vacuuming, sweeping etc when things are obviously crumby or muddy. It's fine. (Nobody has died.)

Void to you, but it is their apartment. Maybe Kate asked Michelle and Barrack to take off their shoes before they ventured further into their vast apartment, somehow I doubt it. This is not about if Kate kicks off her shoes at home, of course she does, we all do, this thread is about if you ask guests to remove their shoes before they enter your home, Kate and William clearly don’t.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/1618285-Whats-the-most-pretentious-thing-youve-ever-heard-someone-say-lighthearted

This is the artisanal slipper thread. Comes up every few months when the shoes on or off thread comes around again.

@EllenJanesthickerknickers

Thanks :))!
I sometimes wonder whether part of the issue between MIL and me is that I just don't pick up on "British" clues/class markers?

Well, the other issue is how she raised DH/let him be treated, but that's not something I can "fix" with a bit of cultural awareness...

Jennielee in my case when I bought my first house I was a single parent on a tight budget, I purchased dark beige carpet throughout the house because it was what I could afford.

I would cringe when people walked their wet dirty shoes on because I knew that I couldn't afford to replace the carpet when it got trashed. It wasn't a case of choosing a fancy floor for show.

Now I have hard floors I don't care because they are easily mopped. I'm also now in a much better financial position that I will be able to change the flooring when I need to.

I don't really know why people hold such strong views and get so sneery.

Personally having always lived in a house with wooden floors downstairs until very recently I dont insttruct my guests to take off their shoes. Most will do so out of respect and I appreciate that. If you dont, then no biggie either because im probably wearing mine anyway.

What makes me chickle is the family members who insist that I take my shoes off when in their porch and you get death stares if you forget, yet traipse through my house with their shoes on and think nothing of it

Bettyboo again however, there is a difference between Kate and William meeting the Obamas, and me for example, asking my mate Tracey from the school run.

We don't know whether Kate's mother and sister remove their shoes, frankly I don't really care either. But one is formal one is informal.

Doesn't bother me one way or the other downstairs but I don't allow shoes upstairs because I paid a lot of money for the carpet and I like to keep it in good condition.

jennylee

I have oft wondered this too. The sheer stress of having flooring that won't in its owners eyes... Bear usual stresses of normal walking on it

I just can't think of anything less relevant in my life to worry about than caring for and policing the bloody floor. 😂😂😂.

We have floor boards it's never even occurred to me to care about heel marks in them or anything!
Our floors look great by the way. But I'm sure their littered marks.
I wonder if it comes from lack of anything meaningful to think about

The floor serves me and our family. We do not serve the floor here.

I think that footprints are very easily removed in my experience.

It's stuff like red wine or oily spillages that are a bit harder to get off and having everyone barefoot or in slippers doesn't really protect against such things.

You can of course try and police where people do or don't eat. But I honestly can't be bothered once children are past the really messy toddler stage. (And they're not going to be carrying red wine about.)

I think it's possible to have a house where things are worn and marked and used - rather than looking pristine - but it's still essentially 'clean' and looked after in that it's not incredibly dusty or grimy or a health hazard.

Your choice OP. You may have to clean floors just as often though.

Sennen but that is real life as well for normal people, normal people have friends around for dinner parties, so a relatively formal occasion where people would be dressed up, it’s all relative. No we don’t know if Kate makes Carol and Pippa take their shoes off before they enter Amner Hall but somehow I don’t think so, she might send them to the tradesman entrance though if their shoes are particularly manky.

The only reason we ended up with floor boards is because we couldn't afford carpet in the first place.
Now I don't think I could ever have carpet. I prefer rugs.

Betty

Most normal adults and older dc can see when their shoes really are dirty and take them off.
We are shoes on but if it's been raining they automatically take them off at the door

The floor serves me and our family. We do not serve the floor here.

Excellent, I agree

septimus

I'm shoes on but wear pants in bed.

We all do.
The worst shoes off person I know has incredibly complicated rules for everything house related.

Yes Rose I agree, manky, wet, mud, shit covered shoes take them off, arriving in your Jimmy Choos for a dinner party from car to front door can stay on.

You can of course try and police where people do or don't eat. But I honestly can't be bothered once children are past the really messy toddler stage. (And they're not going to be carrying red wine about.)

In the kitchen or dining room. Where else?

(well, also the garden)

People have been known - shock horror - to carry a drink or snack through to eat in the living room while watching something on TV. Or even upstairs. It's anarchy here. We live like feral creatures.

Sennendream

Rosewhitetips who even says 'common' anymore, seriously?

A pp said “common courtesy”. Mine was a reference to that.