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.

I always ask on entering a persons house if they want me to remove my shoes. It's not an unreasonable request.

You can ask - I have a couple of friends that do and I have to remember to take my 2nd stick as I really struggle to walk with bare feet, though am relatively mobile with shoes. And the ends of my sticks have been all over the pavements too, would you not let me use those either??

I always take my shoes off at other people's houses and they do at mine. No one asks it's just the done thing.

@BackforGood
Great synopsis!😆😆
Out of interest what's your preference?

@Fucksgiven
As opposed to a really common?

Ah the “grim” and “unhygienic” brigade have arrived. What do you do on your floors, eat off them??

If you have a crawling baby I can almost understand it (although my 4 have survived to teenagerhood despite crawling over floors walked on by shoes ).

I can’t imagine caring more about my floor than my guests.

This is why we only put carpets in the upstairs of our house, so people can leave their shoes on when they visit. And they often do - even though we live in Germany which is supposed to be one of the places where shoes off is totally accepted. The whole "slippers in school" thing is also a bit misleading - the kids mostly wear Hausschuhe, which are little lightweight canvas shoes with rubber soles, rather than Pantoffeln, which are fluffy slippers.

IMO YANBU

If someone asked me to take my shoes off I wouldn't bother going in but would go home. I have reynauds and get extremely cold feet therefore wear shoes all the time. No shoes = I'm in pain and no one is worth that.

If people turn up with muddy/wet shoes then I'd expect them to take them off but ordinary ones, no way.

I always find it a bit odd how ‘anti’ lots of people are. I think it’s a generational thing as my parents always leave theirs on at home but my sister and I take them off. In our case we’ve reverted to a habit that is different to our upbringing. Most of my friends take them off and do automatically at each other’s houses.

I feel uncomfortable asking people to take shoes off. But I'm also very stressed about germs (possible OCD). I know people don't look where they're treading when they're out and about; I'm obsessed with dodging dog poo so I'm always scanning the pavements, and I'm amazed at what other people obliviously step in. Some of that will end up on your floors if you have shoes inside. It's probably fine - but it unsettles me. Luckily all my friends seem to be shoes-off people. We must be very common!

To the shoes on people: do you keep your shoes on in your own home? Out of interest.

Most of my friends and regular visitors take off their shoes when they come round, but if they didn't I wouldn't ask (unless their shoes were sodden or dirty or whatever), but most people seem to. I always take off my shoes when visiting friends houses. I feel so uncomfortable in shoes in a house! Must be from when I was growing up or something.

When we were viewing houses we went to one open house where the owner had stipulated that prospective buyers should take their shoes off to view the house. I did find that quite funny/weird!

Why are people so worried about their floors but not care about hands on the walls as you try to balance?

I do care about hands on walls. I’ve no idea why people think it’s acceptable to prop themselves against walls with dirty hands.

YANBU as long as your floors are warm. I always ask anyway when I come into someone’s house as I do think it’s rude to wear shoes through it unless it’s all wooden or tiled floors.

Asian household here. Shoes off. Love how people think it's "precious" etc to do this. Wearing shoes in the house is seen as dirty.

We don't make people do it though.

Wearing shoes in a house is grim and weird. Why would you want all the outside muck and shit paddled all over your floors? I’ve got hardwood so I can just wash but for those with carpets unless you’re having very regular carpet cleans you must have a really disgusting house. I’d judge a shoes on house.

I’m from a Scandinavian family though so admit to cultural bias.

This is also a mumsnet problem only, in the real world I’ve never had to even ask anyone to take their shoes off. They see we’re not wearing any and do accordingly. And I don’t offer slipper socks either.

With hardwood floor I really don't see the point. Cream carpets maybe but wooden floor no.

I have no shoe rule indoors. ask people to i hate shoes indoors. Most people have socks on. We dont really get many visitors

Greek.

Asking people to remove their shoes would be the height of rudeness. Just isn’t acceptable.

I could just see my guests faces if I asked

I always take my shoes off when I go in to someone's house but that's because I like being barefoot. If peoplle come here they can do what they want in regards to shoes, I really could not give less of a fuck either way.

I always take my shoes off in other people’s houses but don’t expect them to be taken off in mine. Personally I feel more comfortable with them off but now I’m worried it’s a bit disgusting! My feet are always clean!

I often go shoeless at home but it's not a rule. Depends on how comfy my shoes are. I'm rarely asked to remove them, and I'm a community mental health nurse so visit a lot of homes.

Grew up in 'nordic' country, so that shoes off is the norm. I find i take mine off without really being conscious of doing so. I love the feeling of being barefoot/wearing socks only.

I have never asked anyone to do the same in my house. We have hard / wooden floors throughout downstairs, so there would not much damage if anyone did wear shoes.

So far, people have tended to take their shoes off when they see the shoe rack in the hall