An article on the topic:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Consumer/story?id=5177409&page=1
I also feel comfortable in shoes. I take old running shoes that are no longer effective for running and give them a thorough wash. I take a sharpie and mark them as “Indoor” so I don’t confuse myself. I wear them exclusively indoors and change out of them when going outside.
In HI, most folks do take shoes off indoors. It keeps floors MUCH cleaner. We take them off nearly always, even at hotel rooms out of habit.
We are a no shoes house and its not a cultural thing for us. Some of it is for comfort (I dislike shoes), some for cleanliness. All the kids’ friends were trained to take their shoes off at the door - most would anyway as I think its a fairly common thing to do, if not the kids just asked them to do so. We don’t make or suggest that adult guests take their shoes off. Guests are welcome to wear their shoes in our house. Older people especially can have issues getting shoes on and off.
It does make a huge difference in how clean our hardwood floors and rugs stay.
My instinct is to go shoeless in hotel rooms, but I am reluctant to do it because I know that most people are walking around with shoes on. When I go on vacation, I always pack slippers. It’s my way of contributing to cleanliness while also keeping my own feet clean.
It occurs to me that I sound like a germophobe or neat freak which is the furthest thing from the truth. My messy house is evidence of my less than stellar housekeeping skills. I think the dog poo incident has scarred me just like the time a kid peed in the ball pit. Now I tell everyone who will listen to not let their kids play in ball pits because who knows how many times kids have peed in them with no clean up afterwards.
We are like @doschicos in that we ask kids to take off their shoes but wouldn’t ask adults for the reasons she mentioned.
Like @comeonpeeps, I always bring slippers to hotel rooms because I don’t want my feet to touch the floor/carpet. I also take a thick pair of socks when I am wearing ballet flats or loafers without socks to fly. I just can’t stand the thought of standing barefoot at the security checkpoint. Ick.
Yes on the security checkpoint! I can’t believe the number of people taking off their sandals, standing in line barefoot, and going through security. Ick and Double Ick!
Don’t get me started on the whole shoes off thing at airport security. Other countries don’t make their travelers do this.
Global entry and pre check flyers can keep footwear on! It’s a very nice perk. Also can leave liquids in the quart bag in your carryon thru X-ray. It helps!
What will the shoe contamination result in? Are you afraid of getting ill?
I never ever go barefoot. My parents cautioned me about getting parasites through the soles of my feet when I was really young. Since I remember getting wormed as a 3 year old, along with the new kittens, I took it pretty seriously.
@wellspring - if you’re asking why people want shoes off at the door it’s to prevent dirt mostly. Dirt can and will include dog poop, lead that is in soil, pollen, etc. Especially if you have a lot of carpet and especially if you have a baby or toddler around you want to keep that stuff out.
No, I’m not afraid of getting ill. And though it may sound like it, I’m not obsessed with having a contaminant free home. I see it as a logical/common sense issue. Why track unnecessary dirt and filth into your home when you don’t have to?
Fly into NZ and you have to declare if your shoes have been on a farm! They are very serious about biohazard risks since theirs is a unique biosystem.
momofdragons - ducks are the best pets ever. I raised two when I was a teenager in my parents back yard. They was no law against it. The neighbors hated it. They need water otherwise they cannot eat, and the water makes it smelly. Yes, they keep the bugs down, and yes, they quack extremely loudly especially in the fall. They get fat and cannot fly. I would never raise ducks to “set them free”. They would be too dependent on getting fed. My family always comments that I love ducks too much as I always notice them. But really, they are the best. But not in a backyard in an HOA. Go visit them at the park. And when you get a farm with a pond - buy many ducklings. I will visit you!
Shoes inside? I love going barefoot and do at every opportunity. I take my shoes off when coming in my home, my husband and kids do as well but there is no rule. We rarely have houseguests but when we did we didn’t say a word and he started taking his shoes off and adding them to the shoe pile by the kitchen. I also lived in Hawaii for a year and it was easy to go shoeless for me inside other people’s houses, made perfect sense. But it is warm there. But I despise it at airports and make sure to wear something with socks so I can at least have socks on. I go barefoot at hotels too - even in the hall. You do know that they clean the rooms between guests?
To the best of my knowledge, no one in my extended family has gotten anything nasty from going barefoot in all the many hotel rooms we’ve been in. We are barefoot in nearly all homes in HI–people mostly are shocked if you aren’t.
When I travel to friends, I do what they do. If they remove shoes, we do. If not, we keep footwear on!
I love bare-footing, the feel of good grass underfoot. Just don’t do it outside so much now that I’m older and wiser. Overall, there’s only so much I can worry about. (Had a friend who was a microbiologist she sure had tales.) There was an old thread about the 5 second rule- now I know that’s a big myth.
If some of you duck lovers were here, I’d open this flue and you could put the duck out the window.
I am really hoping it’s a duck.
This is the one day I was really hoping for drop-in company, someone who could deal with this. They could keep their boots on to do so. I’ve just been sort of guarding the room with the fire poker. Just in case.
Call the local wildlife rescue folks?
I live in the middle of nowhere. There are no local wildlife rescue folks. There is a game warden/official of some sort. I understand he is a real hard a$$. He might fine me for having game in my possession out of season. I don’t think it is duck season, but I haven’t looked.
update: the state website (from Aug) says to call an 800 number to find out the dates for duck season.
mainly around here we just shoot the animals the wildlife rescue folks would take away if it were a subdivision. I can not shoot something up my chimney that I can’t see. That would be too dangerous. Also, if it’s a duck, I really don’t want to kill it. If it’s a raccoon or squirrel… that’s another story. But I really don’t think it is. Also, I’m not shooting in my house. That’s why God gave us fireplace pokers.
A friend got a $300-or-so ticket when arriving in NZ for a small clod of dirt in his hiking boots.
No, do not buy ducks. They are filthy and poop constantly - they make chickens look like Felix Unger.