Gross Reasons You Shouldn’t Wear Shoes in The House

5/24/2016 (Permalink)

Shoes off for a cleaner carpet

How many times have you walked through your house with your shoes on? Hundreds of times? Thousands? If so, there are some good reasons why you might want to consider taking off your shoes.

Bacteria.

Some bacteria are good for us, some harmful. A study conducted at the University of Arizona examined germs on shoes and found an average of 421,000 bacteria on the outside of shoes, with nine different strains of bacteria. Some of the harmful strains found on shoes included Escherichia coli, otherwise known as E coli, which can give you intestinal infections, diarrhea and in rare cases, meningitis; Klebsiella pneumoniae, which can cause urinary tract infections; and Serratia ficaria, which can cause respiratory infections.

“We walk through things like bird droppings, dog waste and germs on public restroom floors, all of which are sources for E coli,” says Kelly Reynolds, Ph.D., a microbiologist and professor at University of Arizona. “The unique thing about the shoe environment is that other things you walk on like leaves and debris, can serve as food for the bacteria and help them grow.” That means potentially harmful bacteria can survive on your shoes for days or even weeks, Dr. Reynolds says. And that bacteria can be tracked onto your floors and carpets. It’s even worse if you think about resting your shoes on a piece of furniture, or on your bed. Gross! 

Toxins.

Another potential concern: toxins. A study by the Battelle Memorial institute, a nonprofit research group found that toxins from treating your lawn can easily be tracked into the house, and a study from Baylor University found that people who live near asphalt roads sealed with coal tar have an increased risk of cancer from toxins. The toxins, they found, settled inside the house as dust particles. Those particles can be brought in on your shoes. 

“Think about rain water in the street,” says Dr. Reynolds. It can have gasoline in it and chemicals, and those get on your shoes and can be brought into your home.” But, she cautions, the exposure to toxins would be long-term, and you would most likely have to be exposed many times over the course of your life in order to get sick. 

 Dirt.

“Dirt isn’t harmful on its own,” says Dr. Reynolds, but you probably want to keep it at a minimum, especially if you have children who play on the floor. “Kids often put their hands in their mouths, or have toys on the floor and put them in their mouths,” she says. One more plus to keeping your shoes at the door: It can cut down on how often you have to clean. 

Wear and tear

More dirt and grit on hard floors means more wear on their surface; more dirt and muck on carpets means more cleaning and scrubbing. All of this mechanical action on your flooring means more wear and tear, meaning the sooner you’ll need to replace said floor coverings. Kicking off your shoes means spending less money on your floor and ultimately, less flooring in the landfill. Also, although the wear and tear on shoes themselves is relatively minimal when inside, it's still wear and tear.

Getting You Carpet Clean

Wondering what to do after hearing the effects of wearing your shoes inside? Consider getting your carpet professionally cleaned. Even the highest-quality carpet and upholstery can show soiling over time. Protect your investment by calling us to clean and maintain your carpet and upholstery. The SERVPRO System offers a number of cleaning options to match any type of upholstery or carpet.

Need Carpet or Upholstery Cleaning?
Call Today – (636) 583-5200

 
Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/why-you-shouldnt-wear-shoes-in-house_us_55a11558e4b0a47ac15caad1
http://www.treehugger.com/green-home/6-reasons-remove-your-shoes-inside.html