Question for people who don't allow shoes in the house

[va32h]

I know there are some people who don't wear shoes at home, and ask guests to remove shoes also. If you are a shoeless household, do you ask repairmen or the cable guy etc. to remove shoes also, and if so, have you ever had anyone refuse?

 

[mudnuri]

I prefer people to not wear shoes in my house. Basically its due to the 1600 sq feet of hard wood floors. That said, I have NEVER asked someone to take off their shoes.

When we come home, we all kick our shoes off in the hallway, and if someone is walking in with us, they generally do the same.

Repair men, all who have come here, have had booties they put on their shoes when they enter the house, thats common around here.

If someone comes in and says "do you want me to take my shoes off" I answer with a "thats totally up to you"....its probably a 80/20 of those who ask who take them off

I had a party saturday night, and had close to 40 people here in my house without shoes. 1/2 of them were up here when I was still outside, and I never asked any of them

Brandy

 

[Saffron]

Ewww. Yuck.

 

[oogieboogie]

No, I don't ask anyone to take their shoes off in my house. If they want to they can. Repairmen, cable guy, etc usually have these paper booties they use. They come in thru the front door, and there's tile there. They immediately put on the paper booties (like the ones you see in hospitals before they enter further in the house.

As for guests, they are welcome to keep their shoes on if they want. However, children who come to play with my kids have to take their shoes off because I don't want shoes on my couch, chairs & bedrooms.

 

[va32h]

I'm jealous! Our cable guy didn't wear booties! Maybe he didn't think our carpet was worthy of extra care.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I do home health care physical therapy. I had one family that asked me to remove my shoes. I refused. I don't feel comfortable trying to walk with an unsteady patient in bare feet. And it hurts enough to roll a wheelchair over your foot in a shoe. I would hate to do it without a shoe.

 

[MandM-Mom]

Its funny before we had children, we took off our shoes before we came in and so did everyone else. Now it seems it just wore away. Although before I had children had beautiful white carpets throughout, then my daughter turned 1 and up came the white and down went the forest green in the living room and hallways!!! Oh well maybe someday I will have white again!!!!

 

[Pugdog007]

I think it's kind of strange to ask people to take their shoes off when they come into your home. I don't know anyone that does this. I have hardwoods - I could almost understand the reasoning behind carpet - light colored but hardwoods? No I don't get that.

 

[DISshopkeeper]

Now where's that Popcorn smiley when you need it?

It's painful for me to walk without shoes. And no one has ever asked me to take off my shoes. It's a regional thing, I think.

 

[monarchsfan16]

I think it's kind of strange to ask people to take their shoes off when they come into your home. I don't know anyone that does this. I have hardwoods - I could almost understand the reasoning behind carpet - light colored but hardwoods? No I don't get that.

It's more common in northern areas where we have snow and stuff. We don't really have to ask at our house; it's pretty much habit of everyone who lives near us to take off their shoes. In the winter we track in snow, salt, sand, etc. In the summer we're tracking in grass, mud, dirt, pollen, and leftover road salt. Any of the above, especially water will damage a hard wood floor. In our house we have a big pile of shoes near the door, on a small slate tile area; the rest of the main floor of the house is hardwood. People generally get the hint, by seeing the pile. Reparimen generally have the shoe covers, or they're working in the basement and never have to even enter the house. My grandmother carries a pair of indoor sneakers and changes when she gets inside, at our house or hers. When people don't get the hint we usually will say "Feel free to take your shoes off". If someone needs shoes we won't make a big deal out of it, but otherwise they typically seem happy to take off their shoes.

 

[FSUGrad97]

I think it's kind of strange to ask people to take their shoes off when they come into your home. I don't know anyone that does this. I have hardwoods - I could almost understand the reasoning behind carpet - light colored but hardwoods? No I don't get that.

I agree! I have light colored carpets, and I don't ask my guests to remove their shoes. I want my guests to feel comfortable in my home, and if my carpet gets dirty, I bust out the carpet cleaner.

Personally, I think it's rude to ask a guest to take their shoes off. I am more concerned about my guest's feelings than my carpet. Yes, people spend a lot of money on floor coverings, but I think being a good host to my friends and family is more important.

 

[coreysmom]

I always remove my shoes when I come into my house, so do my kids. I don't ask others to remove their shoes though, I don't want to seem too fru-fru or picky to visitors! But, everyone wearing cleats must take them off before walking in the house. Cleats are bad news to hard wood floors.

 

[NCombs]

I don't think it is rude to ask someone to remove their shoes. I don't do it but I don't think it's rude.

We tell the kids to take their shoes off at the door. All the neighbor kids do it too, not just at our house but at everbody's house.

In fact, now that I think about it, most people in the area I live remove their shoes when they go into a house. As someone else said, maybe it is because of all the snow, mud, water that gets tracked into a house living in Iowa and it is just habit for most people.

 

[Aurora63]

We always take our shoes off when we come inside, because my DH is Muslim, and their method of prayer involves sitting and bending your forehead all the way to the floor. Most of our guests are my DH's Muslim friends, so they automatically take their shoes off. Ironically, I don't remember the last time I saw my DH pray formally at home. But the habit has stuck.

We don't ask repairmen to take off their shoes. And if a guest doesn't do it, we don't ask them. Their comfort is more important.

 

[AmazingGrace]

So funny that this came up. I do allow shoes in the house. But lately, all the neighbor kids have been coming over and taking their shoes off at the front door. I'm wondering if there's this unwritten code in my neighborhood about this.

 

[MinnieM3]

I've never asked anyone to take his shoes off in the house. In fact, if someone would, I'd think it was weird for some strange reason........

We have had repairmen wear the bootie things and some didn't.

(Will only go to bed when I reach 1300 posts tonight........ yawn!)

 

[grlpwrd]

We don't wear shoes in the house. When we have service people come over I lay old sheets or canvas on the floor or path they will take to do their job. Then I wash the sheets or whatever and re-use.

We have kids so I think it's important to keep the floor protected from germs and it's our culture...

 

[beachbunny]

We take off our shoes and no-one enters my house with shoes on. Yes, it's regional. Almost everyone in Hawaii (transplants excluded) removes their shoes indoors. It is also cultural. In Japan, it is considered an insult to enter another person's home without removing your footwear.

 

[Planogirl]

No one we know removes their shoes at other people's homes. I think it's interesting that anyone would even ask.

 

[scrump]

For me it is definitely cultural, that's just how they do it in Japan, so that's what we've always done in our house.