Should you wear shoes in the house?
There are lots of benefits to taking your shoes off at the door –
- You can avoid tracking in dirt and debris, which means less time spent cleaning.
- You’ll decrease the chance that harmful toxins like pesticides, or lawn chemicals will enter your home.
- You can help avoid disease-carrying bacteria that cover the bottoms of our soles coming into your house. A study by the University of Arizona reported that bacteria was detected on the outside of about 96% of shoes tested and it easily transfers to the floors of your home.
- Bacteria and viruses can live for days or weeks, hiding in the carpet until being stirred up into the air for you to ingest or inhale.
Benefits of wearing shoes in the house -
Despite the risks, there are some benefits to wearing shoes indoors.
- Keeping stinky feet in your shoes so others don’t have to smell them.
- Helping avoid the pain for some when walking barefoot.
- Needing to have regular foot support due to a physical condition.
Although there are more benefits to removing your shoes, you need to decide the best thing for you and your family. But here are some tips to help you get into the habit of taking off your shoes at home and making it a habit.
Tips on Removing Shoes Indoors -
· Store shoes by the doorway: Entryway storage for shoes such as a hall tree, shoe rack, boot tray or cubbies are a clear space for people to leave their shoes.
· Designated Indoor Shoes: Have a pair of shoes or slippers that you only wear inside the house. If you wear orthotics, you can even wear them in both. This resolves all benefits of wearing outdoor shoes in the house.
· Let Guests Know: – You can tell them or use a welcome mat outside the entrance that says something like “lose the shoes” to let everyone know your no shoes policy. Most of the time if you don’t wear shoes in the house, guests will notice and take theirs off also.
· Clean your shoes regularly: To get rid of germs on your shoes, clean them about once a month with a disinfectant that kills both bacteria and viruses. Regular cleaning also helps the shoes last longer.
· Vacuum floors weekly: Vacuuming picks up dust particles that pathogens may cling to. Vacuum your floors at least once a week and more if you wear shoes in the house.
· Tidy up after guests leave: Vacuum, dust, and mop the floors after guests leave to keep your house clean of tracked in dirt and germs.
References:
Alam, M. J., Anu, A., Walk, S. T., & Garey, K. W. (2014). Investigation of potentially pathogenic Clostridium difficile contamination in household environs. Anaerobe, 27, 31–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anaerobe.2014.03.002
T. Rashid and others, Shoe soles as a potential vector for pathogen transmission: a systematic review, Journal of Applied Microbiology, Volume 121, Issue 5, 1 November 2016, Pages 1223–1231, https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.13250
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