Do you take your shoes off? (China: wood floors, for sale, real estate)

[CaroleF]

My students, who are all international, wonder why Americans don't take off their shoes when they enter a home, because most of them do. I said it is because we don't want to get our feet dirty. They said they take theirs off because they don't want to get their house dirty--so cleanliness is the same reason for all of us, just cleanliness of different things.

So that set me thinking, is that really why we don't take our shoes off and do more people than I realize take their shoes off? And if you do take them off, would you take them off when viewing a home for sale?

[chris_ut]

I picked this up after living in Asia and now I find it rather disgusting when I visit friends houses and they have all carpet and everyone wears their shoes in the house all the time.

[rbchamps2]

My house my rules, a home is meant to be lived in.

[Poltracker]

We do in my house, but I respect other folks practices in their own house. I usually have "indoor" shoes and outdoor shoes.

[zhugeliang1]

I picked this up after living in Asia and now I find it rather disgusting when I visit friends houses and they have all carpet and everyone wears their shoes in the house all the time.

Same here, I was in China and they do this also.

[texas7]

You know those wear patterns you get in heavy walk areas on your carpet? Won't happen if you don't wear shoes. And when you wear shoes in your house - you are basically using your entire carpet as a doormat and tracking in everything you have walked with those shoes (and for those with allergies - even more outdoor allergens).

[SteveArmy]

This is one of the reasons I do my own basic electrical, plumbing, cabling, hooking up the alarm etc. we hate technicians with dirty boots. everyone else has to remove their shoes.
shoe soles may also have some rocks that would damage wood floors

[Texas2010]

I've grown up in Minnesota, and was taught it was rude to wear shoes inside the home. At our home we never wear our shoes past the foyer, I think it's incredibly gross (hundreds of thousands of microorganisms) but do know a lot of people who wear them in their house, ALL the time. I understand it being your "home" and your living space, but get a nasty intestinal bug one time from c-dificile, and you'll never wear shoes again inside your house

Also being in Real Estate, it IRKS me when I see the home shows on tv where all the people wear their filthy shoes inside the houses...

[studiobtm]

Originally Posted by chris_ut

I picked this up after living in Asia and now I find it rather disgusting when I visit friends houses and they have all carpet and everyone wears their shoes in the house all the time.

Ditto.

[elnina]

Absolutely! I take off my shoes. I have a very light colored carpet and nice rugs. I don't want all the outside dirt in my home. I have inside shoes (slippers) just by the door.
When I have people come to visit, I ask them to use door mat, but I do not expect then to walk around with their socks. No one will get dirty feet in my house!
When I visit other people house I make sure my shoes are clean, but when I see very clean floors I will take off my shoes without being asked to do so ( some people do not like the dirt, but think that asking to take the shoes off could sound rude). No problem with that.
I do the same when viewing house for sale. I appreciate someone’s effort to keep the home clean. Don't see that very often, though.