Is Wearing Shoes In The House Making You Sick?

Do you wear your shoes in the house, or leave them at the door? We used to think that a no-shoes in the house rule was just about cultural differences. But these germy statistics are making more people reconsider whether or not guests should be allowed to walk around their home while wearing shoes.

Poop

Yes, ma’am. Or, as one researcher put it after seeing the results of his study, “a lot more poop than I thought.” Not only is thinking about tracking it through your house pretty gross, but the particles carry E. coli and a host of other pathogens that can make you pretty sick.

You Can Contract Athlete’s Foot

Ugh, I know. But apparently, the microbes that contribute to athlete’s foot, toenail fungus and foot odor can all come into your house on the bottom of someone else’s shoes, not their bare feet…

And Much More

A recent University of Arizona study found 421,000 units of bacteria on the outside of a single shoe.

That bacteria included meningitis, pneumonia, and several strains of bacteria that will keep you running to the bathroom.

You Could Be Tracking Toxins Onto The Floor

Pesticides from the yard, toxic coal tar from the road, and even lead can cover your floors when they’re tracked into your home through your shoes. And long-term exposure to these toxins could result in long-term illnesses (from chronic stomach aches to allergies).

Things Can Get Real Pretty Quickly

These kids found out that wearing shoes in the house can be deadly. Tracking in the fake soccer turf after practice caused several members of one team to develop cancer.

Your Pets Can Track Dirt From Outside Into The Bed

Shoes track outside grime inside and on your floor. And Spot jumps right into the bed after a long nap on the floor…

Shoes Make Cleaning Harder

Shoes are great at grinding dirt into carpets and dragging filth over hardwood floors to wear them out. Take them off at the door and you can cut down on your cleaning bill and extend the life of your floors.

Carpet Makes A Great Petri Dish

If your place has carpeting, that’s even more of a reason to take off your shoes. The fibers in your carpet are great at trapping bacteria from outside in and allowing it to spread and grow once it’s in your house. This can make you sick without you even realizing it.

Kids Run An Extra Risk Of Getting Sick

Because they spend a lot of time on the floor and are too small to fight off as many toxins, kids are the most likely to encounter and ingest stuff tracked in from outside.

Your Neighbors Will Thank You

Walking in slippers instead of heavy shoes can also get your downstairs neighbor with the bat-like hearing to finally calm down on her noise complaints.

Taking Your Shoes Off Can Help You Relax

“Health” isn’t the only reason to change your shoe policy. Take your kicks off every time you enter the house and you’ll send your brain a signal that it’s time to relax. And who couldn’t use the time to wind down after a long day at work?

Bare Feet Are Cleaner

Looking at someone else’s bare feet makes some people cringe (including me). But lots of studies say that your shoes are actually much more unsanitary. Not only do they track in dirt from the outside, but the ridges in the soles are the perfect place for bacteria to grow and thrive — before finding a new home on your floors.

No One Has To Go Barefoot

Hate the idea of going barefoot (or asking your guests to)? Just keep a few pairs of slippers by the door to slip on when you ask them to leave their shoes behind.

Your Feet Need Time To Breathe

There’s another significant reason you should kick off your shoes. Keeping any shoe on longer than you have to can lead to arthritis in your knees, as well as hip and back pain. Staying barefoot at home will keep your feet healthier and ready to tackle another eight hours tomorrow.