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Taking shoes off before you come inside your house

(247 Posts)
nanna8 Sat 17-Apr-21 09:30:30

One of my sons in law insists that everyone removes their shoes before entering his house. I think it is quite unfriendly, personally but he is very insistent. We have never done this, even when we used to have a light coloured carpet in the hallway. It is not a religious thing or anything like that and he has polished wooden floors so it can be quite cold underfoot.
Just wondering if others do the same. This sil is from the UK originally, the others are all Aussies so maybe it is a cultural thing these days ?

Greeneyedgirl Sat 17-Apr-21 09:34:45

We routinely do it. Don’t embarrass guests by asking them to remove shoes, unless they are wearing stilettos (wood floors) but the wider family do so. It saves a trail of muddy footprints and worse having to be cleaned up.

Grannybags Sat 17-Apr-21 09:35:10

We take our own shoes off when we enter our house but would never ask visitors to, even family

I wouldn't want to make people feel unwelcome

silverlining48 Sat 17-Apr-21 09:36:22

We are in the uk and always remove shoes indoors and most guests did/do the same.
I think it’s only polite because outdoor shoes have trodden on all sorts of dirt and worse. It’s Very common in Europe and many people have a box of slippers for their guests .

Poppyred Sat 17-Apr-21 09:36:48

We always take ours off. But never ask anyone else to do it.

GrannyGravy13 Sat 17-Apr-21 09:38:57

I have always taken my shoes off when entering my home or anyone else’s. Our AC and GC do the same as do the majority of our extended family and friends.

FlexibleFriend Sat 17-Apr-21 09:40:46

Yep everyone including me has to either take shoes off or wear those blue over shoe things which I have many in the porch.

henetha Sat 17-Apr-21 09:41:30

I always swop shoes/slippers in the porch but don't expect others to do the same. I have been to relatives houses in the past where they like you to slip your shoes off. But they've got posher carpets than me.

silverlining48 Sat 17-Apr-21 09:41:55

To clarify, other than one couple who don’t , everyone else just takes their shoes off without being asked.

Susiewong65 Sat 17-Apr-21 09:42:34

I would never insist that people take their shoes off as they come into my house as I think that’s quite rude really although we do remove them ourselves because we pop our slippers on.

If our guests remove their shoes then I am most appreciative.

Older people, especially, find it difficult to get their shoes on and off and I would never want someone to feel uncomfortable in our house.

Maybe you could take a pair of slippers with you to wear in their house, he sounds a bit prissy to honest with you.

Peasblossom Sat 17-Apr-21 09:42:41

I’d always take my shoes off. Family always take their shoes off. Most of my friends do too. But I wouldn’t ask a guest to do it if they didn’t offer.

Grandma70s Sat 17-Apr-21 09:45:07

I was quite old before I came across this. We always just wiped our feet thoroughly on the doormat, unless the shoes were very muddy in which case I suppose we would have removed them. I was quite shocked when first asked to remove my shoes. It strikes me as one of those prissy little ‘genteel’ things.

Kim19 Sat 17-Apr-21 09:46:37

Always discard shoes immediately on arrival in hallway. Slippers are there at the ready. Confess to finding it a faff with lace-ups originally but is now second nature. Just perch a the foot of the stairs. Wouldn't ever expect anyone else to do this (but always hope). Don't know the reason. Certainly love my carpets but not more than people. Cleaning them is just the price that has to be paid I guess.

Lollin Sat 17-Apr-21 09:47:08

We take ours off and appreciate it when visitors and family do the same. Apart from those who cannot do it very easily I secretly hate it when someone does not, as my mind is like the “kills 99% of bacteria dead” adverts - all I can see is the possible dirt that people have stepped in like spit or dog poo that while picked up must have left traces as the area wasn’t cleaned and so you don’t know what has been spread about.

mumofmadboys Sat 17-Apr-21 09:51:37

As a family of seven we have always removed shoes at the door. I am lazy and try to minimise cleaning! I dont ask guests to but am grateful when they do.

dragonfly46 Sat 17-Apr-21 09:51:43

We don't nor do we expect other people to.
We do in my son's house though as he insists and we take slippers. He also has wooden floors.

Grannynannywanny Sat 17-Apr-21 09:53:38

My daughter and Sil and family have a rack in their hall and remove their shoes there. They’ve done it since their first baby was crawling and it just became routine. Their babies are teenagers now and they kick off their shoes in the hall. They don’t always make it to the rack!

I automatically remove mine at their house but they wouldn’t embarrass visitors by suggesting it.

BlueSky Sat 17-Apr-21 10:03:38

Always do always have done and so do family and anybody else, no need to ask them. The exception being tradesmen for obvious reasons.

Redhead56 Sat 17-Apr-21 10:05:19

It’s something I have always done taking shoes off in the house but I don’t insist that visitors do. But we did have a cousin who visited weekly pre COVID I actually bought him slippers. Simply because he was a hiker he walked everywhere and walked through the woods to get to our house. I wasn’t being rude just practical after he had brought a load of horse muck into our living room.

Aveline Sat 17-Apr-21 10:09:37

This was never done in any house I've ever lived it. It seems quite a new thing to me. We have a door mat and hoover! I'd consider it very rude to ask people to remove their shoes.

25Avalon Sat 17-Apr-21 10:09:55

When visiting family I always take a pair of slippers with me so I don’t wear outdoor shoes indoors any more than I would at home. With other people I always ask and take my shoes off if they say so out of consideration as a visitor/guest in their home.

Most workmen take their shoes off before coming in without being asked or put on a pair of those blue plastic bag like overshoes.

LauraNorder Sat 17-Apr-21 10:10:30

We always take our outdoor shoes off when we come indoors and put slippers on.
I always take my shoes off as I enter others homes but Orlin doesn’t (smelly feet issues). He does wipe his feet though and obviously we wouldn’t turn up anywhere in muddy boots.
Most people I know do likewise but I would never ask any visitor to do so.
I think it’s just a sign of respect for other people to protect their flooring.

hulahoop Sat 17-Apr-21 10:12:40

We all do it I take slippers when I visit family it's just normal to us ,ac,and grandchildren.

Katyj Sat 17-Apr-21 10:26:36

I couldn’t imagine walking on anybody’s floor with outdoor shoes, just think of all that bacteria ?. All our family and friends are the same as us so fortunately so I’ve never needed to ask.

nanna8 Sat 17-Apr-21 10:27:34

Interesting. I don’t know anyone else here who does it but we do tend to have pretty dry weather and not much mud so maybe that is a factor. We have a doormat which I use but no one else does! Sigh. All our downstairs areas are polished boards and rugs but the bedrooms upstairs are all carpeted. The stairs are carpeted and I was going to get rid of that carpet until I fell down a couple of years back and decided the carpet made for a softer fall!