To expect visitors to take their shoes off?

[marymungoNminge]

Just that really! Do you take off your shoes in the home or keep them on?

I'm pretty house proud and I like a tidy home, not a germaphope by any means but I take pride in keeping my home fresh and clean. (Well as much as I can with a toddler!) I think it's really rude to walk into someone else's home with outside shoes on where there's spit, shit, dirt and whatever else. If I had wooden floors maybe that'd be different.

Someone came for an appointment today walked in with their shoes on and left dirt on our stone coloured carpet. WIBU to tell people to remove their shoes if they walk in with them on? DD(2) takes shoes off and puts them on the shoe rack. I just think it's gross but maybe I'm the odd one! It's just how I was brought up!

YANBU.
Someone has actually studied what is on the soles of shoes.

https://patho3gen.com/project/how-dirty-are-your-shoes/#:~:text=Charles%20Gerba%2C%20microbiologist%2C%20and%20professor,the%20inside%20of%20our%20shoes.

I think it just depends what you're used to.

In the time and place I grew up it was considered a very working class trait but I suspect as a general rule, most people are shoes off at home for the family and guests.

I think this has been done to the death now….
Half the country think you’re a slovenly heathen if you keep them on and the other half don’t care and would hate to ask people to take them off .

Yes, always shoes off. It’s a living space not a bus station.

I think it's rude and unwelcoming to ask guests to remove their shoes. It's putting your comfort ahead of others'. If I'm worried someone has sullied my carpet, I just clean it when they've gone. Some people feel very inhibited about taking shoes off in front of others.

People are sick less though!!??

Grubby bare feet which are also sweaty.... being absorbed into your carpet 🤮

What kind of appointment though? I don't think I'd take my shoes off for many kinds of appointment, even in a house.

I'm very house proud and have a cream carpet downstairs. DP and I wear flip flops or slippers at home. I would never ask guests to take their shoes off, it's so upright and unwelcoming. The only exception would be if their shoes were obviously muddy or filthy in some way but otherwise, shoes stay on!

*sockless

Gosh shoes really are dirty. I'll never feel rude now for asking anyone to take their shoes off!

I always wonder about feet in flip flops too. I live in them in summer but I don't think they keep feet very clean! But I guess you don't sweat in flip flops like you do in shoes. (Yes I know I probably am being unreasonable here and I'd never ask someone to wash their feet if they've worn flip flops unless their feet were black.)

We always do Shoes off at the door and slippers on.I have garden clogs too.
In other people's houses I do take shoes off.
I can understand people not liking bare feet on show though..
I don't ask people though as we are solid wooden floors apart from upstairs.

I naturally just take my shoes off when entering someone's home. Some will tell you to leave them on and some won't. I hate people coming into mine with shoes on it's filthy 🤢 and rude.

Shoes off here definitely!!

It is rude to walk into someone’s house and not remove them!

I don’t feel awkward asking, they are being rude leaving them on!!

It depends on what kind of appointment. Lots of lone workers have policies to keep their shoes on so they have leave a difficult or unsafe situation quickly. So I wouldn’t expect HV or GP to remove their shoes. I would expect guests to remove their shoes unless they had mobility issues.

The last time I participated in one of these threads someone made a username about me " Dick with a clean carpet" because I said I don't care if I'm a dick for asking people to remove their shoes or wear shoe covers, at least I'm a dick with a clean carpet.

I will stand by this until my death.

Always shoes off in our house.

It was a hair appointment, over a few hours.

Why do people not like having their feet on show, surely it's like any other body part? (Not goady genuinely curious) I'd much rather clean bare feet on my carpet than dead bugs and shit from outside personally but I know it's personal choice.

I do find it rude though to walk into someone else's carpeted home and don't even offer to take shoes off.

100 % take shoes off.

I expect it in my house and do it in other people's houses.

What kind of appointment though - unless viewing a house, it has never occurred to me to take my shoes off at an appointment of any kind.

If I'm working, whether in a domestic setting or not, my shoes stay on. I may need to make a quick escape, and I don't want to be faffing around looking for shoes.

I stand with you!

I'd rather be a dick with a clean carpet all day long.

I've just read the article about what bacteria is present on shoes, and it's awful.On the other hand, there's bacteria crawling over every surface including our eyelashes and skin.Could easily become a phobia

We have bunxh of cheapo slippera from Ikea for guests and I always easily wash them after.
Shoes off here. We are nkt brita so it might make difference

I don’t think there’s a right or a wrong way.

But it’s polite to ask when you go to someone’s house.

Upper classes never traditionally did this as they had staff to clean their floors and carpets.

Imo its irritating and annoying to be asked but I would do as asked in someone else's home! I would never feel comfortable demanding someone remove their shoes in my home!

Always shoes off for us. I have guest slippers for visitors to use. Also keep shoe covers for tradespeople etc to use.
We always take our shoes off when visiting family and friends.