Do you ask visitors to remove shoes?

SqueekyMouse

We used to ask everyone to remove their shoes, but watching my 72 year old dad struggle to put his shoes back on when he left (and once he actually brought a shoehorn from his house to assist!) made us reasses!!!

Now we have a rule that pensioners only may leave their shoes on! Thus exepting our parents and DH's Grandma as it's not nice for them to bend down to remove their shoes and put them on again. However the muddy footed children always remove their shoes without even being asked, their parents have trained them well!

jackyann

Ellejmorgan wrote: »

Yes for two reasons firstly my baby is 7 months and crawling so have to keep it clean for her, also I have laminate and it chips very easily..

Even asked the health visitor to take her's off, people understand though....

As an recently retired HV, we debated this on & off. We are often asked to remove shoes in Muslim homes (like most religious / cultural observance, some are more strict than others), with other people it is the kind of courtesy being debated here. Blue covers did work well if necessary (though as I got older & creakier, balancing to put them on got more difficult!) Being old-fashioned, I would prefer the provision of a couple of decent door mats to clean soles on.
Elle - I am as certain as I can be on the internet that you were not about to attack or threaten your HV (!) But I have been in houses with dangerous weapons on display and I have been threatened, so I always wanted my shoes firmly on my feet!!!

aneres

Being born in the 70's I probably crawled around on a lot of manky carpets and I don't think I contracted any diseases.

I wouldn't ask people to take their shoes off if they came to my house and I do hate having to take my shoes off in other peoples, although I would do if that's what they asked.

thorsoak

Unless you have a bench or seat for me to sit on, so that I can sit and unlace my shoes and take them off - and put them back on again, I'm afraid I'm not staggering around trying to take them off!

In Japan where it is customary to remove shoes, there is a bench at the front door, where people can sit to remove outdoor shoes. It would be considered rude to go into a house with outdoor shoes on - but it is also considered rude if there is no bench for people to sit on to take them off!

lisawood78

I do not ask visitors to remove shoes and tell them they do not need to if asked. I have 3 giant breed dogs, they can't take their feet off and i'm sure their feet are as dirty if not more so than peoples shoes.

I do clean my carpets regularly

System

Do you ask visitors to remove shoes?

I wouldnt dream of asking!

Stephb1986_2

We ask workmen to put overshoes on and most visitors know to take their shoes off in the hall way we have a cream colored carpet.

Also how do you know that that visitor hasn't just stood in dog pee and walked it into your carpet?? Are you comfortable walking around your house barefoot unsure whether you have dog pee on your carpet??

rollnchips

pollypenny wrote: »

My feet are always cold - I would have to have slippers.

Surely it's unfriendly if not rube to ask people to take their shoes off if you don't provide alternative footwear. You'd have to have disposable ones, too.

Get over yourself.

There house, there rules and funny enough quite a large number of people don't wear shoes around the house therefore any guests that do are the ones being "rude" .

Moneybot

A general rule of thumb in England is that it's a class thing

working class shoes on unless wearing a nice pair of slippers and puffing on a pipe.

middle class shoes off because that's what posh people do.

upper class shoes on unless you want the boy to clean them for you.

Oh and what is it with white or cream carpet? It's like salad spinner just why?

Mayflower10cat

Having lived in a town for most of my life, I never even pondered this question! I didn't ask anyone to take their shoes off, as far as I recall. It was only when we relocated to a rural (read, often muddy!) village that we realised visitors would stop and take their shoes off in the hall/porch no matter that we'd said, 'Oh don't worry just come in!' It seemed to be the norm that people took their shoes off before they entered your home. I do it now too, instinctively! I'd rather pause and take my (probably mucky) shoes off even if my host insists I needn't, than trample in oblivious.