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.

MammaSchwifty
How do you know that?.

seeingadistance
It's quite likely a community centre carpet was hardwearing, man made fibre and heavily patterned. A lot of people have plain woollen carpets in their home.

It is odd though, I've never ever had to ask anybody to remove their shoes in any home I've lived in. Visitors always do, even my potential house buyers did when my house was in the market ~ all of them. I guess they are used to doing it in their own homes or didn't want to inherit soiled carpets.

I notice also that many delivery and repair companies now supply their personnel with plastic overshoes to put on.

For those saying it’s highly unlikely for dogs shit to be trod in a house, I have witnessed it at my DSIL, who was ( not now) a shoes on in house person.
Recently having had beautiful cream carpets fitted, she hosted a small family gathering. An elderly relative traipsed dogs shit/ diarrhoea right the way through her hall and into the dining room. The stench and sight was absolutely fucking horrific and I felt completely gutted for her.

@Itchytights the foot prints I've seen in my area of those who have stepped in dog shit don't tend to be those of very small footed humans.

Oh and when I moved into my place I thought the hall carpet was brown. I removed it and discovered it was actually pink by seeing the edges. I replaced it with tiles and rugs. The rugs I wash or chuck depending on their dirtyness.

Oh Vicky - bore off and derail another thread with your poor, defenceless men schtick.

you are legally liable if I have an accident
The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957/1984 covers the duty of care owed to visitors to private property including private residences, and if it is reasonable to foresee that a situation is hazardous, the occupier is liable. It is reasonable to foresee that socks on hard smooth floors is a slip hazard.

@StoneofDestiny

A hard wearing, heavily patterned carpet would have been a logical and sensible choice, but this particular carpet was self coloured. No pattern at all. I found a small off-cut when I was clearing out cupboards and it was pretty much the type of carpet that people would have in their homes. I'd guess it was designed for high traffic areas, but other than that, it was the same as any domestic carpet.

I tell you what's worse than shoes in the house, people who put their handbags on my kitchen surfaces! The very same handbag that has been on the street next to them while they sit at a cafe table, or on the floor of a train for example. Filthy!

Oh dear god

Some fuckers even breathe out the same air that they’ve breathed in on the street! I have a basket of artisanal gas masks and no one gets in my house without one.

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health/scientists-analysed-womens-handbags-found-12035078

We all carry bacteria but we usually wash our hands regularly but who washes the outside or inside of a handbag? At least shoes don't normally make it to my kitchen table.

jcyclops

I'm not convinced that law applies here though. Foreseeing that a situation is hazardous would be something like some unsafe scaffolding, or broken steps. Politely asking someone to remove their shoes, with the full knowledge on both sides that a) they can't make you remove them [unless willing to break a different law] and b) you are free to leave, seems very different...

Some fuckers even breathe out the same air that they’ve breathed in on the street! I have a basket of artisanal gas masks and no one gets in my house without one.

Family and close friends take shoes off in our house. No one else. And close friends only do because we do it - I don't ask them too. I usually offer in other people's homes, although I notice it's usually pretty clear if a house has a 'shoes off' vibe as they'll be a pile of shoes near the door.

YANBU. it should be a culture to take shoes off when you enter a house. Imagine all the bacteria you stepped on in your shoes when you're outside!

@Everyonekswingingit at least hard kitchen surfaces are very easy to clean properly to remove the bacteria but carpets aren't.

White or cream carpets are not a good move.

My main experience of visiting the home of someone who takes great care to keep everything 'nice and clean' relates to my mother. She is not 'shoes off' other than with muddy boots. Instead her main obsessions relate to crumbs and food spillages. The fact that every room including the kitchen has some sort of fitted carpet heightens this. The table is always protected with three layers of covering - a rubber protector, a cloth and mats. With especially dangerous items e.g. milk jugs an additional protector - such as a saucer is required. When you eat she watches you like a predator to make sure nothing falls onto the table or floor. If it does she instantly leaps up for a cloth or dustpan and starts dabbing/brushing. I posted about this once before and was told that naturally she wanted to keep things 'nice.' I do think wooden tables are nice but in her case the wood never sees the light of day. My husband, my daughter and I do feel obliged to visit her - and feel rather sorry for her as her obsessions re cleanliness are increasing tiring for her. She literally cannot bear to have something momentarily out of place. But it doesn't feel like a comfortable place or a home. It's hard for someone to be a good host when they are constantly exhibiting such a high degree of nervous vigilance.

I like people to take their shoes off too, my carpet in the living room cost a lot of money and would hate for it to be ruined !
Some people like to look after their house in different ways and of thats something you like people to do they should, otherwise tell then not to bother coming ! It's your house and your choice

I'd never ask someone to take their shoes off. When I was a child, I was told that it was rude to take your shoes off in someone else's home unless they had invited you to. Guests wearing shoes was normal, and it'd be especially odd for an adult to take theirs off.

I also wear shoes inside my own house in winter as I get chilblains and walking around in socks/slippers makes them worse. My carpets are not covered in dog shit! Of course if my shoes are wet, muddy or otherwise dirty I take them off at the door, that's just common sense. As a guest I'd apologise for this and explain that I'd rather take them off than track mud in.

It's definitely a class marker. And I say that as a proudly working class person who is quite amused by the person some pages back getting offended by the 'lower' in 'lower-middle' OP, I think it's fine to ask, but not to insist - the comfort of guests matters more than carpets.

Hmmm just gut back from Singapore where everyone takes their shoes off so we did the same. I don’t ask people to take their shoes off at mine but have no problems if someone asks me to. Your house your rules.

@Wheret0n0w

I spent a short amount of time (must have been 5 - 6 weeks) in Japan as a young adult/older teen.

My guest family had toilet and house slippers :)

I was also very impressed by (what I perceived to be, I spoke very little Japanese...) attitudes to cleanliness and order.

And not just by the people doing the cleaning. By everyone.

Even small children and boys. (I was probably mentally singling out boys because back then I still vividly remembered living with DB1. Who did not care about cleanliness. At all.)

To the shoes off brigade-genuine questions.

Do you provide overshoes for when shoe removing is not practical e.g. the following scenarios

1. you've got a bbq in the garden and friends are round but in and out for the loo, to get drinks etc. Similarly if the kids are playing in the garden
2. workmen who's shoes are protective (hammer dropped on toe anyone?)
3. my husband is currently replacing the shed and is removing the old one. We're in terraced housing so no side gate, he has to go via the hallway.

You'd hate my house. As well as not having a shoes off rule (though we often are for comfort) my bike is stored in the cupboard under the stairs, so comes in the hall. As mentioned no side entrance and as it's an electric one I won't risk having it nicked or getting the electrics too wet.

I won’t have outdoor shoes in my home and have never really encountered any resistance other than once when we had friends from London visit. They thought I was joking when I asked them to take their shoes off and I could tell that they found this strange. Is it a north - south difference? I live in the north and here it seems pretty standard for people to remove shoes before entering someone’s home.

I always have houseshoes or socks available for guests and whenever we’ve had workmen here I’ve provided plastic shoe covers and/or have covered my floors with sheets.

My husband thinks I take it too far, but we also have a little son who will soon be crawling and I wouldn’t let him crawl around on the pavement.

Would you let him play in a sandpit?