Am I being too fussy

If this was important to me, I'd check Amazon for a box of shoe covers and have a seat available as well as a waste basket.

Does make sense to me to remove outer shoes when entering people's houses. Only because there was some research I remember reading about, which said that there were more bacteria on the bottom of shoes than on toilet seats, and that bacteria on the bottom of shoes live longer than on other surfaces and that up to 90% of the bacteria is transferred to a floor in a house!
My DH is the fussier of the two of us when it comes to removing shoes and I would never ask someone to if they felt uncomfortable

Having guests sitting in sweaty socks or tights makes me shudder, in fact it disturbs me somehow! A wipe on the doormat is enough for me. If anything gets trailed in then it can be dealt with easily enough. I've had kids and dogs in my carpeted house for over 40 years and I'm still alive to tell the tale!

We're going round to friends' this evening & will be removing our shoes in the hall as that's what they like. We always take our slippers as they themselves will be wearing theirs. We don't have that rule unless people are joining us in the front room as it has a cream carpet. Your house, your rules - don't feel awkward, just keep telling him & maybe provide some slippers or flip flops. My parents used to have a wall -hanging in the porch with assorted sizes of light slippers in it.

You can't help how you tick and it would go against grain to alter nothing wrong with keeping carpets clean! Quite expensive to have cleaned. Best ask with humour I'd say just keep it light or have those shoe protectors at hand even offer to put over if they struggle. It's like anything it's how you say it and smile 😊 friend has card up in her porch this is a clean carpet zone 😊

Yes good idea. Those white waffle light slippers!!! And wear slippers yourself obvs. It's quite rude really not to respect, a guy was here doing jobs I didn't mind downstairs as I've laminate but his big boots were about to head upstairs so I asked politely to use the cover things I had there. He looked shocked and laughed. He said ' I clean carpets too ' 😂😂 cheek. They were 6 months old

Agreed, I lived in Sweden for a few years and people always removed outdoor shoes, even in places offices and schools.

I prefer people to remove their shoes and will happily supply them with shoe covers if they prefer not to. The colour of the carpet is irrelevant because if something is trodden into the carpet it doesn't magically disappear because I can't see it.
The reason workman don't take their boots off is because if they injured a foot while repairing your loo or whatever it would invalidate their insurance.

I’d offer the offending article shoe protectors when opening the door for that visitor.

I've got a doormat outside and inside each door. I've never needed to ask anyone to remove shoes or boots. It's really an insult.

I'm with you. Most of our friends and neighbours take their shoes off entering someone's home as we do

I have friends who have a basket of slippers for guests in all different sizes. I don't like being without either shoes or slippers as I'm diabetic and have been told never to go barefoot, so it's a problem in the summer if I'm in sandals, less so in winter as I have socks on but still quite uncomfortable. Thankfully I'm rarely asked to remove my shoes but perhaps I should get some shoe protectors just in case.
We once went to view a house and were told to remove our shoes on arrival. They had thick shag pile carpet everywhere so it wasn't to uncomfortable except in the kitchen and utility rooms but I'd never been asked to remove my shoes before. We didn't buy that house though.

As I don’t wear socks or tights most of the year I definitely wouldn’t want to have to take my shoes off!

It's a relatively recent habit to remove shoes when entering someone elses home, I think all down to the light coloured furnishings when they became fasionable. I never ask a tradesperson to take their footwear off, but most do have protectors. I don't even ask visitors or friends either but most do almost automatically. I have carpeting in the hall.

^ I have a friend who likes shoes removed but her floors are so dirty I don't like putting my socks on them, let alone bare feet!^

That made me laugh 😅

I don't ask anyone to remove their shoes, but do like them to be wiped on the mat outside. I've never been asked to take my shoes off by anyone. If I go away to stay with people I take my slippers but not to visit for an hour. To be honest I don't think MrA would go back to somewhere he had to keep taking his boots off - he finds it very difficult to bend these days as his hip has deteriorated so much and taking his shoes and boots off takes him a while.

eazybee

Do you remove your shoes when you walk on a cinema or theatre carpet?
When you enter a carpeted corridor in offices or public buildings?
When you enter an hotel or hospital?
When you enter a shop?
Why are public spaces different?

I think you have gone down the wrong route with this , total stupidly to even say these things !

I think its something we should all do more. Where my sons family live in Singapore its expected to remove shoes as a matter of cleanliness. If you think of what we probably tread in with our shoes on a daily basis do we want that on the floors of our homes?

It's your house and your house rules .

We weren't allowed to wear outdoor shoes indoors .
We would just slip them off and wear slippers .
Perhaps , slipper socks could be provided for guests .

Guests wore their outdoor shoes in my mother's house and the day afterwards the carpets would be shampooed and disinfected .

eazybee they are different because they are public I'd say.

We always changed our shoes - even at school. I had indoor shoes and outdoor shoes. Indoor ones were slip-ons and part of our school uniform!

At home as a child I had indoor shoes and slippers.
I have indoor shoes and slippers still.
My children and their families bring slippers with them if they know they will be here any length of time.

That said, I would never ask workmen/women to take off their boots. This is part of their PPE. I would cover any carpets (if they needed to be on them) with the slightly sticky cling filmy stuff you can get for decorating - or, if it's my lovely 😍 sitting room carpet I'd use my correx board! 🤣

Sometimes it's a cultural imperative. My Turkish in laws would be hugely offended by a guest coming in with shoes on. For some reason, in our house, DH and mine, people we visit (not the in laws) expect us to remove our shoes in their houses, but never ever remove theirs in ours 🤣🤔. Maybe because we have dogs, or are usually chilled, I really don't know. It has sometimes annoyed me to have their muddy DMs worn in our house...

I think all guests, family, visitors asked to remove their shoes upon arrival will be put off by the request and will feel uncomfortable - especially if they don’t know beforehand.

Personally, I think it’s kind of quirky to ask visitors to do this. I have never in my whole life encountered a request like that. If you are immune-compromised, had a recent transplant, or are undergoing cancer or other medical treatment then it’s a totally legitimate request.

Maybe when extending your invitations you’d better let people know that this will be expected right off the bat - and, give them the option of removing shoes, or change into their own slippers, or say you will provide shoe covers.

But not saying anything beforehand may be a turn-off. Better stock up on shoe protectors!

I wouldn’t want people walking with shoes on my new carpets. On the other hand when once asked by someone to remove my shoes when I entered their home I had a job as my arthritis was particularly bad that week and I was struggling and cursing under my breath!

I see that the "remove shoes" concept is a 'thing' in some countries, and someone said "here in the SE" which I presume means USA, as when I visit folk (inc relatives) in the South-east of England, it's not a 'thing' there, and wasn't when I was growing up.

Having worked in many offices, it's certainly not been a fad in them, and frankly it seems bonkers in ordinary homes too, why else do people have mats on the outer step, and inside the front door?

Like Hyancinth Bouquet did someone say? Well, she was funny, but regarded as bonkers by neighbours, relatives and visitors.

I was brought up no shoes in the house even when my grandparents had lino before they could have edge to edge carpets but had rugs. So used to taking shoes off and slippers on. I got slated when this topic was on a thread like this. As I said my brother's dog was welcome but my brother always wipes her paws . But they are a no shoe family as well and her paws get wiped at their home. Tradesmen always where over shoe covers. When I visit family or friends always take my slippers and leave my shoes inside the door.

When I sold my old house made it a rule anyone viewing my house left their shoes in the porch . They knew this before they viewed. But a lot said they didn't wear shoes in the house.

We all have rules for our homes. And drinks are always put on coaters . But I don't know anyone that doesn't have not shoes inside and use coaters.