shoes in the house

Melody · #1 Jun 20, 2004, 09:00 PM

Hi! I have been looking forever on the internet for an answer, but haven't been successful...maybe you can help. We are getting new carpet tomorrow and we do not wear our shoes in the house...but, when we have company, they will come in with the nastiest shoes you've ever seen! How can I let them know I'd like them to take off their shoes without offending them?? I do not wear shoes in their homes. We are actually having to get new carpet because of people not removing their shoes. It's just beyond cleaning at this point. TIA Melody

labman · Jun 21, 2004, 06:39 AM

Lighten up, get a darker carpet that is stain resistant while you still have friends willing to visit. Also put in a walk or something to keep the mud or whatever off people's shoes. Life is too short to be worrying about carpets. I have a hardwood floor in my family room where I can enjoy visits with my friends and their dogs.

Melody · Jun 21, 2004, 10:06 AM

Your not understanding...we have sidewalks and they do NOT walk through the mud to get into my house. I have grease stains on my carpet because men wear their work boots into my house and I have a yellow paint stain wear a friends husband wore his painting shoes into my house...oh, they apologise, but I'm the one paying $3,000 to have my carpet replaced. And, FWIW, it is darker carpet that I have coming...still would rather not have to spend another $3000 because a rare visitor ruins it. I have dogs and we wipe THEIR feet before they come in...I have 3 children and they remove their shoes...telling me to lighten up is not what I asked for, I asked for a way of saving my carpet from peoples nasty shoes. :-/

Scorpio848 · Jun 21, 2004, 06:38 PM

Be subtle. Put a sign out by the front door. You could even have a cute one made out of wood at almost any mall. And then they see it and get the hint. Should they ask if it is serious when you answer the door, tell them politely that yes, you prefer people to take off their shoes. Then in the future they will know ahead of time and make sure to have a pair of clean socks on with no holes.

Scorpio

Gkhster · Jul 4, 2004, 05:58 AM

I hate taking off my shoes. Yet, when I visit a home, I take a look at the inhabitant's feet. If there is any question, I ASK if I should remove my shoes.

Hey, it is your home. If I want to come in, I had better abide with your rules.

I should add, that if my feet were cruddy, and YIKES covered in wet paint, it would be the ultimate in rudeness to trod on your carpet!

Some people will need a sign, or they won't think of their shoes.

Sometimes I've got cruddy socks going on. (They may have started clean, but a day's worth of grunge takes its toll) I wouldn't be offended if you offered the use of a pair of your husband's socks. Perhaps if you sense discomfort with the 'take off your shoes' request, you could be ready with such an offer. Just a thought.

I hope that this helps.

Guy

Pinay24 · Aug 1, 2004, 02:11 AM

We are very opposite since we have a carpeted floor & my husband won't allow even just us to walk around having bare feet. But we always have our carpet cleaned by professional carpet cleaners at least once a month or every two months aside from a regular cleaning using vacuum cleaner.

Anyway this is common in most oriental/asian countries to take off the shoes when you get inside some people's house. But try to remember in some cases like these that you have to provide also a sleeper(s) for visitor(s) to wear inside your house just to avoid those diseases from the feet just in case.

andrewbaker · Aug 19, 2004, 08:55 AM

Hi Melody,

You are absolutely right, and should have no hesitation in asking visitors to remove their shoes.

I live in an appartment where the residents have recently collectively paid for new carpeting of the communal hallways. Each block contains 4 appartments, and at the communal front doors there is a smart sign saying, "NEW CARPETS - PLEASE REMOVE SHOES ON ENTRY". Of course it is difficult to enforce this, but we have not encountered any problems.

Residents remove their shoes at the entrance and usullay carry them to their appartment, and visitors leave thier shoes just insdide the front door. For example, last week I had a visit form a sales lady fr a finance company. When she arrived and saw the sign and that I was i my socked feet, she just slipped off her formal shoes and left them at the front door. In fact, when she was leaving she remarked on how nice it was to have been able to slip her shoes off for an hour or so!!

Similarily, when my girlfriend comes from work and stays overnight, she simply slips off her shoes at the front door and leaves them there overnight. When she is leaving next morning, she goes downstairs to the front door in her work suit and stockinged feet, and slips her shoes before leaving.

You should have no hesitation in copying this ecample, _ i am sure it would work!!

smark · Aug 27, 2004, 07:13 PM

Do not feel bad. I'm Black and I make all of my guest take off there shoes. I live in a penthouse apartment downtown long beach ca and my carpet is between butter milk and egg shell color and it can get dirty quick. My mother ignore's the policy but my 4 year old daughter reminds her all the time. Do people know what we walk on in our shoes throughout the day.
Gum, urine, spit, bugs and who know what ever else is on the ground. But stick to your rules and if they deal with it good and who ever doesn't like it don't have to visit.

Plumbpudding · Sep 10, 2004, 07:29 PM

Smark! You nailed it! Yes, shoes walk through the damndest crap and you've mentioned some of the worst. Why people take offense at taking their shoes off is beyond me. I believe in using common sense--and being hygienic is right up there. We are definitely on the same page!

You want in this house, then off come the shoes. HOWEVER, the carpets onto which I walk in stocking feet had best be in pristine condition. I have been in the odd home which had I been asked to remove my shoes I would have flatly refused. The crud was incredibly bad--the way some people choose to keep their homes is beyond me. It's just not healthy--never mind the aesthetics of the matter!

By the way, Smark, am I missing something? What has "Black" got to do with removing one's shoes? Just curious?

andrewbaker · Sep 15, 2004, 03:39 AM

word spreads!

As a follow up to my earlier post I had another visit from the finance company's sales lady last week. She again removed her shoes at the door and came into my appartment in her stockinged feet. However, I thought her comments might interest people.

She said that following her previous visit she had decided to remove her shoes when visiting all clients in their homes!! She said that our example had made her realise it was a sensible thing to do, and that she never wore shoes in her home and would expect visitors to remove theirs. She added that she always wore the same court shoes for work, and that as they were old and worn and she never bothered to clean them, it was best to remove them in clients homes - she also added that on a personal level she found it comfy not having to wear them all day long!!

She then added that she had told 2 female clleagues about her new attitude and that they had also started to remove their shoes when visiting clients in their homes!! She said that 1 of them went in stockinged feet like her, and that the other lady had started to carry a pair of slippers in her bag which she changed into when visiting clint's homes.

She also said that she had told her 20 yaer old daughter who worked in an office in town, and that her daughter had decided to take her shoes off when she arrived in work and go all day in her stoickinged feet around the office!! She said her daughter walked across an area of grass on her way to work,as a result of which she often had wet or muddy shoes which was why she had decided to take her shoes off in the office. She also said her daughter had commented to her on how much more comfortable she found it working in her stockinged feet all day, and that she much preffered it to wearing her formal shoes around the office where she worked!!