Remember when you were a kid, and your mom would tell you to take your shoes off at the door? Because she didn’t want you tracking mud and dirt all through the house. Well, there are more important reason not to. According to research from the University of Arizona. We walk through things like dog waste, bird droppings and germs on public restroom floors!
- 1 Dirt No one wants dirty floors. The less dirt there is, the less often you will need to break out the vacuum, mop or broom.
- 2 Germs Did you know there are possibly over 420,000 bacteria living outside and inside of your shoes? (study from the University of Arizona) What kind exactly? Pneumonia, diarrhea, and e-coli for a few. (stated in an article from the CDC) So when you walk through the house, you bring these in. And the scary thing is, they will live longer in your carpet!! These researchers found that up 90-99% of these germs are transferred into our homes from our shoes.
- 3 Toxins Not only do you pick up germs, but toxins as well. A Baylor University study showed that people who lived near roads that are seal coated with tar have an increased risk of cancer from toxins picked up on the shoes. Other toxins found are pesticides, fertilizers, weed killer, gasoline, and antifreeze. By walking through your house, you leave these to settle and release into the air we breathe! Causing anything from skin rashes to gastrointestinal ailments! You can help this by washing your shoes.
- 4 Damage to floors Your shoes can destroy your flooring and carpet. Especially if you ware heels. Since they leave imprints on the floor, and create snags in your carpets. Any shoe can stain your carpet. Thus causing extra cleaning steps, And eventually having to replace carpeting much sooner.
- 5 Respect Removing your shoes when entering someone else’s home, is considered to be a sign of respect.
Did you know – Removing your shoes can be emotionally relaxing too? That’s because taking off your shoes can signal the transition from outside to the relaxing haven of your home.
- 6 Noise pollution If you live in an apartment, you know your neighbors hear everything! Including the clomping of your shoes as you walk across the floor. And if you live in an upstairs apartment, you know how annoying that sound can be when your trying to relax.
- 7 Healthy feet When you take off your shoes, your feet can breath. They also have a free range of movement. Using your feet to feel the floor allows you to improve muscle strength in your feel.
- 8 Damaged shoes Its not just your floor that suffers. So do your shoes. Even if its just minimal, it still exists. So unless you have a medical reason to ware your shoes, do yourself a favor and your wallet. And pull them off!
- 9 Organization. If you or your kids are always scrambling to find shoes. Or do you constantly misplace shoes? Keep them by your front door, it will help save time.
- 10 Comfort Who doesn’t love kicking your shoes off at the end of the day?
Tip- If you hate being barefoot, then keep a pair of socks or slippers by the door.
THE SOLUTION: The University of Arizona researchers found that by washing shoes with detergent reduces the presence of bacteria by 90% In addition you should clean your floors and carpet using a disinfecting cleaner such as steam. But experts say… The best solution is to leave your shoes at the door as much as possible.