Your House: Shoes on or Off?? (carpet, toilet, vs, remove)

[tet tea]

We prefer shoes off due to all the snow, salt, grit and heaven knows what else that would get tracked into my clean home. We even had people come through the garage but all that mess was still underfoot. I just ask guests politely if they wouldn't mind removing their shoes. Most times my friends and family just automatically take them off.

[dogmom]

We have never lived in snow or mud, but we have had plenty of grass, dirt, etc...I guess if it was really nasty outside I might hope they would kick their shoes off, but the way I look at it, if I have to ask company to remove their shoes, well, I've got the wrong floorcoverings. We don't know anyone who has ever requested shoes off, either. What can I say, west coasters!

[westindian]

Originally Posted by Prettygyrl777

This is funny but I'm facing a bit of a dilemma..... My first visitors are coming to see me in my new place and I'm not sure if I should use the 'shoes off' or 'shoes on' rules with them. I have very light tan carpeting and white rugs in certain areas. Besides that, I LOVE to just lounge on the floor so I never walk around with shoes on. I have indoor slippers or something comfy like that to wear.

How do you (politely) enforce that rule? Should I just hold my breath during the visit and then vacuum like a mad woman after they leave? I'm always prepared to take my shoes off when I visit someones home but some people are put out by that and are kind of icked out at the thought of it. I don't want to put anyone on the spot, either.

How would you handle this?

It is shoes off in my house. I keep a very clean house. The last thing I need is dirty shoe prints on my carpet or wood flooring.

I let people know when they come in to take their shoes off. When I visit the home of another person, I automatically remove my shoes our of respect.

[Robhu]

I want people to feel as at home in my house as they do in their own home.
If their home policy is no shoes, and they carry that over to my house, thats ok. (As long as their little piggys dont stink)
If they wear their shoes in their house, they can wear them in mine.
I do expect some common courtesy about trudging in snow, or mud after a rain.
We have never had a "shoes off" policy in our house. And with 6 kids, needless to say, we spent some time keeping the floors clean.
All the kids are grown and have left the nest. One of my daughter-in-laws insist on the no shoe policy anytime in her house. That kind of irks me.
Our house is to live in. Not to worship.
It isn't **** and span in every nook and cranny.
But I am not ashamed to let anyone come in the door, no matter how uppity they might be about cleanlyness.

[dogmom]

I agree...if someone doesn't like that my house has a little dirt on the floor or some dog hair around, then they probably should not come over...that's just how it is no matter how hard we try to keep clean! I don't want someone putting on my headstone...gosh she kept a clean house...

[Obrero]

We are a shoes off house. When my kids were babies I used them as the excuse, "the baby crawls on the floor". As I have grown older, bought more expensive stuff and care less about what people think, I just tell people to take 'em off. I mean really, it's a little sille that someone would feel put out or unwelcome because they have to "gasp" take their shoes off.

[NickMan7]

I'll throw my opinions in as they pertain to "shoes off" and the off-topic "smoke-in-the-house" comparison.

First off, I would NEVER require someone to take their shoes off in my home. As other posters have stated, we installed heavy-traffic, high-impact flooring to enable handling many guests at any given time. We, unlike many people, enjoy having instantaneous get-togethers and backyard barbecues. Since this is most frequently done during summer months, guests commonly meander around the house and out on the back patio (and in the yard). I would never require they remove their shoes each time they want to come in the house to use the restroom, then put them back on to go get the pop they forgot in the backyard and then take them off again to come in to sit on the couch. Some people don't wear sandals and some people don't like them, believe it or not, so requiring the removal of one's shoes in our home will NEVER be a rule. To me, it's proposterous to ask that of 20 or more guests. If people are concerned about how good their home looks for their guests, I would find a giant basket of assorted shoes, socks, slippers, etc. EXTRAORDINARILY visually unappealing! How tacky. Perhaps I'm in the minority because I prefer people come over to spend time with us, not abide by a rule book we've placed at our entry. Our mindset falls more in showing our guests a fantastic time than telling them that "this is how we do it; like it or don't, I really don't care". That kind of attitude repulses me.

Bad weather is a given and it seems assumed you remove your shoes. I've never had a guest not remove their shoes if it's raining or snowing outside. If the shoes were not removed, we've got flooring that can handle it and I will clean behind them so we don't consistently walk on a wet or muddy floor (so it takes 5 minutes, so what).

I've never been required to remove my shoes in anyone else's home, but if it was required, I'd remove them for that visit. I'd be hard-pressed to return.

Regarding smoking, my partner and I both smoke (in our home, as well), but would never think of smoking in a non-smoker's house. It is not even on the same realm as walking with shoes in the house, so the comparison is obsolete. When other people visit, whether they can smell the smoke or not, they've never openly admitted being uncomfortable by it and have never said "no" when invited over. We are courteous hosts and often step outside to smoke when entertaining non-smoking guests. We take our guests into consideration and let them come over and be as comfortable as possible. If it means we have to step outside for a smoke (even though it's our own home), we invited the guests for a reason (uhhh, because they're our friends/family?!?!) and would more than likely enjoy having them come again. If it means we stop thinking about our own needs for a few hours of fabulous entertaining, then I'd be happy to side-step some of my own habits to allow the guests the freedom to do whatever they'd like.

I suppose if someone walked in and started peeing on our wall or ripped our stair railing out for no reason, we may post a sign at the door that reads something like "Please do not use our family room as a urine receptacle. The powder room on the main level is located on the northwest side of the home, opposite the study".. or .. "If, at any time or for any reason, you feel as though personal violent rage resides within you, please direct said rage on the weeds overgrowing the side yard."

"Please feel free to wear your shoes in our home. We're more concerned about your attitude."

[zanna vaida]

Well and enough said, folks about shoes, no shoes, and home. Time to move on...
What did we all learned?
I stick to my rule, "My home has my policies and rules." However, I enjoy observing human behavior. Sometimes just watch people what, when, where, and why they take or not take their shoes off. Then, do the same in their homes. Watch ho they'll act. Otherwise, to each is own.
Keep writing. It sounds like a very interesting personal essay or viewpoint article.

[Prettygyrl777]

Who would have thought this topic would stir so much discussion LOL. How about the next thread be titled "toilet seat- up or down" ?

[JFRRACING]

Originally Posted by Prettygyrl777

Who would have thought this topic would stir so much discussion LOL. How about the next thread be titled "toilet seat- up or down" ?

that would be awsome, go for it.