Is Your Home A No Shoe Zone?

In some countries and cultures it is customary to remove your shoes before entering a home. In some places, like Japan or Canada, taking off your shoes before entering the home is requisite and polite. However, here in the United States, some folks might find it rude to be required to take off their shoes. Concerns about their unruly/unhygienic/ungroomed feet or socks or being cold, etc. are all reasons why people may not want to take of their dirty, nasty shoes. Some people even see the request to remove their shoes as pretentious.

Regardless of what your feelings are about shoe etiquette, the fact remains that shoes track in a lot of dirt and other contaminants. It seems like a no-brainer, but just in case y’all need empirical evidence, there are plenty of reports published online like this one that prove how much dangerous bacteria and harmful toxins are brought into homes by shoes and pet paws. One such study concludes:

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“The professional cleaning industry estimates that we track 85% of the dirt in our homes in from the outside on our shoes or paws of pets. In a recent warning about lead exposure, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) specifically recommends that shoes remain outside the house. According to a report called The Door Mat Study, lead-contaminated soil from the outside causes almost all the lead dust inside homes. It notes that wiping shoes on a mat and removing them at the door cuts lead dust by 60 percent. The study explains that limiting the amount of dust and track-in may also help reduce exposure to lawn and garden pesticides, wood smoke and industrial toxins, mutagens, dust mites, and allergens.”

Here at the Purple Fig, we encourage everyone to adopt a No Shoe Policy in your homes, and wipe off your pets’ feet as much as possible. Of course, it’s easier to set rules for your family, but it’s alright to set rules for your guests as well. Here are some ideas:

• To make it more comfortable for your guests we recommend something called a “Nice Zone”. Right at the inside of your front door, have a mat with a polite and/or humorous sign that says something like “Please Remove Shoes” or “Please remove your shoes and don’t take a better pair when you leave.” This sets the immediate expectation, and shows that this policy is universal to everyone in your home without you having to make a big deal about it right away.
• Offer your guests clean socks, slippers or even plastic shoe covers if they do not feel comfortable taking off their shoes. 
• Place a bench or chair next to the designated shoe-drop zone so that it’s easy on people to remove/put back on their shoes. 

For pets, there are friendly pet wipes available at your local pet supply store to wipe off their paws at the door after a walk. This helps prevent your pets from tracking in the same kinds of crud your shoes are capable of. 

Join the movement. Live cleaner. Live better. Remove your shoes inside the home, and make your home a No Shoe Zone!