Removing shoes indoors

[diagold4u]

Am interested to know how many people actually have the rule of no shoes indoors.
We've had this rule from when I was young and have carried it on when I moved out. I think it makes sense not to walk all over the house with shoes that have been worn outdoors, who knows what you've stood on and then bringing all that in to your home.
I have shoe covers that I provide to workers.
Especially with young children I think it's even more important not to wear outdoor shoes indoor, carpets/rug will harbour all that dirt no matter how much you Hoover up.

My actual aibu is, if someone came to my house as a guest would it be U for me to ask them to remove their shoes? Obviously in a polite manner.
I feel quite embarrassed having to ask when these people already know.
My current house is all flooring with large rugs everywhere, the main living room is carpet.
I've noticed certain extended family members get annoyed at my request but the way I see it, it's my house, if I don't walk with shoes, why should you when you've chosen to come to my house.

Ours is shoes off and anybody who comes just takes theirs off as well. The health visitors and midwives always asked if we'd like them to take shoes off. The only people who I wouldn't expect to remove their shoes is very young children and workmen, although I'd probably put something down over the carpets for workmen.
It's your house and if they know you well enough they'll take them off without being asked (or they should)

I have never been in a house where I was asked to remove my shoes and I would never, under any circumstances, ask people to remove their shoes in my house.

Very funny story that I heard some years back.

An estate agent turned up at a couple’s house and the woman asked him to take his shoes off. He did so and he was wearing white socks. After walking around the property for some time, doing what he had to, he sat down and then made a comment about the fact that he really ought to wear dark socks because “walking around on grubby carpets made his white socks dirty”!!

Apparently, the woman had to be calmed down by her husband!

lol

I've lived in countries where the norm is shoes off (and it's very rare indeed to be invited to someone's home, almost all socialising is done in restaurants, parks etc), I've lived in parts of the UK so cold you'd be asking for hypothermia if you took you shoes off on arrival.

I do know someone who has a doormat that actually says, pretty much word for word: "Welcome to my house." And then, on the next line, "Now take your shoes off".

I've never had to ask, we don't have strangers coming over, it's just family and friends and most are of the same culture so it's what they do at home anyway.

You'd all take your shoes off if you had these.

Shoes off policy here. I usually remove mine without asking.

Those are the creepiest things ever! @DrSbaitso

I have always had no shoe rule and ask visitors to remove their shoes when they enter.

We were ambivalent about it as we have hardwood floors downstairs not carpets, but would naturally take our own shoes off when we came in as it's more comfortable and I can't imagine sitting on the sofa in the evening with my shoes on .... However once we had a crawling baby we became a shoes off at the door house and it stuck.

We don’t take shoes off unless we want to put slippers on or want bare feet. I’d never ask anyone to take shoes off, it’s so

I suppose if you have an executive detached house, on an estate with lots of cul de sacs and a tendency to cream carpets, it might be the norm, but otherwise incredibly ill mannered to insist.

I wouldn't demand that someone did though, but most people when they come in see that we aren't wearing shoes and note the seat and shoe storage in the hall alcove , so generally do it automatically. We don't at PILs as it's always freezing MIL has the back door open in all weathers, fosters dogs, has chickens that occasionally wander into the kitchen and is usually on the way to or from the stables. It's a lovely house but you need shoes

My friend is a district nurse type of thing, in present epidemic they are expected to put ppe on in car before ringing doorbell, there is no way they are going to take off shoes on arrival or put on shoe covers as ppe would then need replaced, even before epidemic they were told never to remove their shoes or wear plastic covers as if they need to leave in a hurry for personal safety reasons the plastic covers could be a slip hazard, as mostly they are caring for the very sick and dying I don't think many people if any have a problem with this. When I was in a similar field of work there were quite a few houses where you would have wiped your feet on exit

No shoes in the house full stop. Why would you bring shoes which have trodden in all sorts of luck outdoors into your living space? I just don’t get it.
I have never known guests or visitors to have a problem with this. Shoes around the house are simply disgusting and unhygienic.

We wear shoes to go outside and take off at the front door where all our shoes are. Guests see our shoes by the front door and take theirs off when they enter. I've never had to ask; they just do it. If we had e a brief visitor say to pick up something; they usually ask and I say it's fine as I don't expect to them to take them off for such a short visit.

As a family we take our shoes off at the door but I wouldn’t ask a guest to.

@SuperCaliFragalistic

Let's just say that Shoes Off is very suburban

There's something very upwardly mobile about needing to keep your shagpile pristine, at the expense of the comfort of your guests.

Oh yes cleanliness and hygiene is so very pretentious. I mean who doesn’t like the grime from the bottom of their shoes all over their living areas.

We have hard flooring everywhere except the upstairs hallway and stairs but still ask shoes to be removed at the door. If you have walked outside with your shoes on then they aren’t clean and it’s unhygienic.

I'd never dream of asking guests to remove their shoes . It's rude.
It's akin to saying that your floor is too good for them to walk on.
I , also, don't want to smell peoples' feet.
Vacuuming and mopping, which gets done, regularly, will deal with any 'dirt' or 'germs.'
If you choose to put fabric on the floor then you should accept some outside debris and vacuum it up if you're too worried about it.
As to clacky floors , it will be fine to allow outdoor shoes. If you're that bothered , mop it... takes five minutes.
If you've got light coloured carpets... you're a fool.
Had a white carpet in our bedroom once. No footwear was ever allowed. It looked grubby within a few months and a hired carpet cleaner made no difference.

We take ours off as a family, both for comfort and hygiene, but would never ask guests to. When people see the shoe rack and ask if they should remove shoes, I just say they should go however they are most comfortable.

I love taking my shoes off as soon as I get home. Find it weird if people want to keep them.

@Radio4Rocks

Shoes on here. I think it's rude to ask people to take their shoes off. Fortunately none of our friends are that sort of person.

I’ve been asked to take my shoes off in two houses, I was mortified and have not been back to either

When I was growing up (many years ago) taking shoes off was not a thing. I had one friend who's family did this but that was seen as unusual. But they were also the sort that had those plastic runners covering the new carpet. Bit belt and braces but the mum was quite an anxious type.

We always take our shoes off in our own home,but I never ask visitors to remove their shoes.
If I visit someone I play it by ear, if someone has pristine cream carpet I would offer, if someone has hard flooring then i wouldn't

@mumof2exhausted

I love taking my shoes off as soon as I get home. Find it weird if people want to keep them.

Despite not having a no shoes rule here I'm usually bare foot