Why Should Outdoor Shoes Not Be Worn Inside?

Wearing shoes in the house is viewed differently between households. Some people always wear shoes in the house, while others request for everyone to remove their shoes before entering. While there isn’t a “right” or “wrong” preference, there are health benefits to taking off outdoor shoes before entering a home, especially if your home has carpets and upholstery. As a carpet cleaner, we recommend taking your shoes off to keep your carpets cleaner for longer, but there are other benefits, too.

Cleanliness

It was already mentioned that taking off your shoes helps keep your carpets clean, but there are many things on your shoes that you are keeping your carpets clean from. Between the dirt, dust, pesticides, and various insects that get stuck on your shoes, there is a lot that can transfer to your carpets. These can stain and damage carpets from the dirt rubbing the carpet fibers and breaking them down. With the dirt, allergens can also get in carpets, making it worse for asthma and allergy sufferers. 

Less Bacteria

The outdoors are a great place for many things to grow, including bacteria. The bottoms of your shoes can hold bacterias like E. coli, C. diff, and staph that can lead to infections and sickness. According to The New York Times, a study done in 2008 showed how E. coli can build up on the outside of your shoes and track into your home. For those with weak immune systems, young children, or pets, this can be dangerous to their health. 

It’s Not Just Dirt

USA Today also covered the 2008 study, but USA Today covered more, citing that there was more than just dirt on shoes. In the study, ten participants wore new shoes for two weeks before giving them back to the researchers. Around 96% of the shoes had fecal bacteria from outdoor animals and public restrooms. However, the most concerning part was that this bacteria transferred to clean surfaces 90% to 99% of the time. Leaving outdoor shoes on in your home will get many different kinds of harmful bacteria, including fecal bacteria. 

If you notice your carpets are dirty or you want to change your habits to have cleaner carpets, give us a call! We are happy to clean out the harmful bacteria in your carpets and upholstery to give you a fresh, clean home.