There is always a pile of shoes by the front door because I don’t allow shoes inside. Not my own, my family’s, my neighbor’s, or any friends who come over. If you know me, you know I will curse you for wearing shoes past the doorstep. My mom gets an exception because she needs the arch support, but I mumble my displeasure under my breath with every step she takes.
I think this all started when I had my first child because I didn’t want him crawling around on the floor, where people had just tracked in who-knows-what from the great outdoors. Makes sense, right? Now that my children are well beyond their crawling years, I still expect people to leave their shoes outside. I don’t think it’s that crazy of a concept. Think about what we walk in, step on, and track around on the bottom of our shoes.
I was recently in New York City, and if you’ve been there, you know you walk a lot. I’d rather walk than hop in a cab, Uber, or subway. It’s not only faster but better for you. As I was walking from block to block, I tried not to notice how dirty the streets were. At any point, I could have been walking on vomit, trash, waste, urine, etc. No offense to New Yorkers, but the city is filthy. And therefore, every pair of shoes I wore during my trip was covered in filth. Studies show most shoes carry potentially harmful germs and toxins, so why would anyone wear them inside their home?!
You would think the floors would stay clean without much shoe traffic to get them dirty. Wrong. We just had our tile floors cleaned. The entire house is tile. I usually have them professionally cleaned once a year but last year I guess it slipped my mind.
I’m always amazed at how much dirt comes up and how much cleaner they look. I take before and after pictures and the proof is in the photo. Right away, with bare feet, you can feel the layers of dirt are gone. It feels so smooth and less grimy. It may sound weird but it’s so good for my mental health. When my floors are clean, I am happy.
READ: My House Must Be Tidy Every Day (or My Anxiety Kicks In)
Some people may not feel comfortable asking house guests to take off their shoes, though. Here are a few tips I found online:
- Tell them about your no-shoes policy in advance so they won’t be caught off guard when they arrive.
- Post a sign requesting shoes come off next to a shoe rack or rug at the door. The pile of shoes should be a dead giveaway, though.
- Offer them a pair of clean socks or slippers to wear while they visit. Not sure this one is feasible if you have a lot of guests with varying-sized shoes.
I may not turn you away if you prefer to keep your shoes on, but it will make me uncomfortable until you leave. I don’t care if you wear shoes in your home, but you aren’t wearing them in mine.
