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!

Shampooing a room is such a ballache! I would rather ask that have to completely remove all furniture and clean a carpet!

My cleaner brings her own indoor only shoes - didn't have to ask her this is just how she rolls - but she is amazing.

I have an elderly family member who can't take shoes off because she has very badly damaged feet due to an accident when young. No-one outside the family knows as she's very self conscious and friends aren't generally rude enough to insist on shoes off. She does sometimes take indoor shoes to change into but it's difficult as she finds it hard to stand on one leg and she had to wear lace ups.

You shampoo your carpet just because someone comes inside with shoes on????? I've heard it all now. Unbelievable.

No. As I said, it's very rare that people don't take their shoes off, and I also routinely clean the carpets (I have a dog) so if it's been muddy or they left a mark I just choose that time after they've gone to do it.

I’m in and out my house all day multiple times an hour. Washing in washing out. My office is in the garden so coffee, lunch, forgot my charger. I garden. My shoes are left on. I really couldn’t be arsed with the faff. I’ve hardwood floor which may make a difference. The streets in my village are maybe a bit dusty but I’m sure I’d notice blood shit and spit and just avoid them.

However, I do offer to take my shoes off in others houses. Rarely am I asked to. Maybe it’s a rural thing.

I’ve had various non family visitors recently - builder, boiler service, surveyor. Only the builder asked if he should take his shoes off, and that was because they were muddy. I didn’t expect the others to, as we have wooden floors which are easily cleaned and have a coir doormat outside the front door plus a washable, very absorbent mat inside the door.

I was a lot more concerned when we had babies/toddlers and carpet throughout downstairs.

Shoes off in my house but I do have shoe covers for workmen etc.

Pavements are so filthy. I do not want that indoors in the carpets where I walk barefoot.

I hate being asked to remove shoes, I’d rather know in advance so I can bring some slippers or I think the homeowner should provide overshoes or cheap slippers.

@TallerThanAverage I'd happily give you a pair of shoe covers if that's your preference.

Just another thought. So if you have a dinner party or your DHs 40th big bash and invite your friends and family. Is everyone sitting with bare feet or shoe covers on? I just haven't come across this with friends or family in a social gathering.

How does this work in the summer with a bbq or garden party.

I think it's rude not to remove your shoes in the house.

Your home, your rules.

YABU, but, as is shown every month when someone starts the same thread, and the same extremists start posting, you'll never convince people who have a different perspective from you.

I never wear shoes at home but never ask anyone to take theirs off. I’ve noticed a lot of workmen do kindly offer to take their boots off, but it takes 2 minutes to vacuum if necessary so unless it’s really muddy workboots I always say don’t, seems a bit unnecessarily subservient to me.
Guests do or don’t, makes no difference to me. I‘ll do what hosts do if I’m at someone else’s house - but occasionally I’ve been in very grubby houses for various reasons and there’s no way my shoes are coming off.

Exactly this.

Also, standing for hours with no shoes on is hard on your feet and legs.

If I worked in someone else’s house, I would probably take shoe covers or indoor shoes. If someone comes to my house, I would never in a million years ask them to take their shoes off.

You probably need to provide overshoes, bought cheaply from Amazon or eBay, people often don't wear socks in the summer and wouldn't want to be barefoot in a strangers house

I have a ‘posh’ friend who has always hosted lovely dinner parties a few times a year. Everyone gets very dressed up and is then asked to take their shoes off when they arrive. She would look really funny in her fitted velvet dress with her slipper booties!

No point though in everyone taking their shoes off if you have a hound or cat that has no overshoes on and probably scotches it's arse over the floor.

Yanbu. Shoes off.
I don't want spit, dog mess etc being walked into my house.

I can’t get necessarily get my shoes back on if I take them off without help which my DH does at home and also need a heel lift in shoe so find it hard to walk bare foot plus it kicks off my plantar fasciitis. Would happily wear shoes covers but would only be able to get one over one shoe. Luckily my friends are all accommodating apart from one and we have drifted apart now.

We take our shoes off at home and I have indoor shoe so I can walk. Would never ask people to take their shoes off .

I had a gas engineer refuse to wear shoe covers. And he was the most entitled bastard I've ever met. Demanded coffee made. Didn't have it available as I was waiting for fridge delivery that morning so stole my husbands coffee from outside when he came in.

Traipsed all through my house and then made himself at home on the sofa with his grubby boots and sat there for a good 45 minutes doing god knows what on his ipad while I had the fridge delivery and other deliveries coming.

I hate shoes on inside the home especially as I have carpets. NEW carpets as I've just moved in too!

Really? Have look at the Toe Bro on YouTube and you’ll see why some people don’t like taking off their shoes!

Normally on threads like this the people who live in areas where dog shit, spit etc is on every pavement don't even have a doormat. One house I visited had cream carpet inside the front door and I was expected to somehow hop around outside the door getting my shoes off before entering. I didn't go in, we'd have had nothing in common!

Well, I could come in, take my shoes off and air my toenail fungus

That's appalling!!
Grubby overalls on the sofa too

I completely agree. People on here saying carpets aren't clean, that's fine, but I don't want to make them anymore unhygienic by allowing shoes in. Plus nearly all shoes have stones stuck to the bottom of them. I don't want those to break my hover or DD to eat them.

If my carpets really are 'filthy' after being shampooed every few months and hoovered daily (they are new too, bought in feb) then I have no shame in keeping them clean and tidy. I know carpets are meant to be walked on, but shoes are for outside. Carpets are inside. If someone's embarrassed by their trotters, stick socks on.

I'd much rather someone's sweaty feet walking on my carpets than cleaning up mud, shit, stones etc.

It's just gross to me. I'm really house proud so maybe that clouds things. I love a fresh well kept home as clutter makes me very stressed. Carpets make a room imo so letting them get filthy isn't an option in this house.

I've never lost friends to it from this day so it can't be that rude