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.

@JennieLee
We don't have a TV. ;)

I honestly don't think I've ever eaten anything upstairs... Ah, not true. Soup and crackers when I was sick.

But anyhow, there's not a lot that could (or shouldn't...) be stained in our house.

YANBU

I insist. If guests don’t then they have to go.
I dont care what they think. I have those plastic shoe covers for anyone doing work in the house.
My dd gets seriously ill if catches a bug so I’d rather avoid her being hospitalised and have a no shoes rule. I’ve seen all sorts on the pavements outside my house don’t want any germs walked through 🤢

It wouldn't even cross my mind to not take my shoes off in someone else's house (or my own!). For starters, it's bringing in all the nasties from outside (study from the University of Arizona: www.ciriscience.org/a_96-Study-Reveals-High-Bacteria-Levels-on-Footwear; bacteria includes feces, e.coli and coliform) and I have young children who play on the floor. If you check the link, the study shows that there were on average 421,000 units of bacteria on the outside of the shoe, whereas only 2,887 on the inside so I'd much prefer having all my guests take off their shoes!

My kids are not allowed their outside shoes inside the house. A very strict house rule. So why would I allow guests and extended family to do so? A lot of my family is the same so we are on the same page. It's my home and my rules. People must respect that. With house downstairs hardwood and stairs/bedrooms carpeted. However I have a box of soft slippers and flip flops in all sizes in cupboard under the stairs and fluffy socks too if those removing shoes have bare feet. I really don't see a major problem with this. I naturally remove my shoes when I visit friends/family and so do my kids, it's normal and a sign of respect within our culture although that's not the main reason I follow and implement this rule. It's more hygienic and less cleaning too. But I suppose each to their own for that matter.

The word is WEIRD not WIERD.

I don't think it matters op. I used to prefer for people to remove their shoes when I got my new carpet at I had a tiny house and my front door was practically straight into my living room. If anyone had mucky shoes it would be straight on my living room carpet. If I had a nice large hallway for people to efficiently wipe their feet and ensuring they weren't traipsing muck through my house I'd be more relaxed.

I still remember the guys who came to set up my broadband - as soon as I opened the door to one of them he shouted over his shoulder "we've got new carpets here!!" And his pal grabbed two pairs of disposable shoe covers which they both pulled on without me saying a word. I was very impressed

roseandvioletcreams interesting!

Perhaps you just like things nicely covered up

Would love to see a Venn diagram covering shoes off / obsessive towel washing / thrice weekly bed changers and the like

Those people with their boxes of socks and slippers....

It's really just for show, isn't it? I mean, no-one actually goes through the box, selects a pair of socks or slippers in just their size ... and puts them on for the visit, right?!

And another question - what's the protocol for when they remove their guest slippers or socks - do they hand them to you?

Do you have a set of tongs so that you don't have to handle their grim foot receptacles? Or perhaps a plastic (or even artisanal) bag for guests to drop their used socks into, so that you can transfer them instantly to your washing machine?

How does it work??

I'm not being arsey, this is a genuine question. Out of interest it's always made me wonder what people would do if they had a visitor who is a wheelchair user? I am, and obviously we can't take our wheels off or get up and walk. I wipe/clean the wheels as much as possible before entering, but beyond this, what could I do?

Oh, and twice daily showerers. The “I can smell unwashed people from 50 yards” brigade.

TheDowagerCuntess

Protocol!🤣
Your post has made me grin like a idiot.

A lot of our friends are vets or in country type jobs. We all tend to take shoes off at the door because there is a high likelihood of mud etc on our shoes. Our old house had a muddy driveway - so shoes off is a habit rather than a rule!

I don't think you're being unreasonable at all. I don't understand why anyone could be upset about being asked to take their shoes off in someone else's houses.

Mud, dirt and dust get ground into carpets and any stones stuck to the soles or heels of shoes can damage wooden floors, as do stiletto heels. Why would anyone potentially want to damage a friend or relative's floors?

Bit rich to start correcting people's spelling rosewhite

All your earlier snippy comments were followed up with corrections. Surely you understand more than most about typos??

Speaking for myself, I'd certainly be ok with a wheelchair coming in! I'm mostly ok with people's shoes, if I try to relax and not imagine there's dog shit on them. It's just that the more people's shoes you have traipsing through, thr higher the likelihood of nasty stuff...

If you check the link, the study shows that there were on average 421,000 units of bacteria on the outside of the shoe, whereas only 2,887 on the inside so I'd much prefer having all my guests take off their shoes!

We are a shoes on household. None of us are ever ill. Bugs go through my DS's nursery and don't impact us at all. Maybe all that bacteria is a good thing?

It is, over clean houses are killing kids' immune systems and predisposing them to allergies.

YANBU- I don’t understand why it’s not automatic! I find it funny that this is such a polarised issue! I’d always take my shoes off and personally think it’s rude not to! The idea of walking over someone’s carpet/floors with shoes is really weird to me. People seem to get really upset at the idea and take offence but why?! Shoes with dirt/grit leave marks, damage floors and if kids are playing I don’t think it’s nice that they’re scampering on floors with trodden dirt. Flooring is blooming expensive too!

I hate taking my shoes off in someone's house, it makes me feel strangely vulnerable. Obviously, if they were muddy I would, but I find it quite insulting when they're clean.

I'm a wheelchair user. I don't take it into people's houses - I can't think of one that's accessible apart from my own. Normal houses don't tend to have lowered thresholds, widened doors etc. I wouldn't DREAM of driving it over people's carpets. I know where it's been.