Why You Should Not Wear Shoes Inside

Let’s begin with the number one reason—bacteria and its effects. A recent study by the University of Arizona demonstrated that the average shoe is crawling with over 400,000 units of bacteria on the outside and thousands of units on the inside. While we know that some bacteria are beneficial for us, such as probiotic organisms that help us digest, most of the bacteria that get tracked in on our shoes are definitely not good. In fact, it can make us very sick, and it gets even worse. When we delve into exactly what that bacteria are, we discover something even more disturbing. We’ll let Charles Gerba, the leading environmental microbiologist at UOA that conducted the study, sum it up for you: “It seems like we step in a lot more poop than I thought.” 

Yes, that’s right. It’s fecal matter. Poop, in various forms, was found on an astounding 96% of those shoes after being worn for just two weeks. This includes both human and animal waste, such as from pets and bird droppings. Apparently, fecal matter is everywhere, even when you cannot visibly see it—from the flooring at work to the walkways, sidewalks, lawns, and other surfaces we typically traverse during an ordinary day. Gerba went on to say, “Our study also indicated that bacteria can be tracked by shoes over a long distance into your home or personal space after the shoes were contaminated with bacteria.” Just how long can fecal bacteria live, you might be wondering? It can survive for months outside of our bodies, especially when it is being fed by the other various forms of dirt and debris that we typically walk in.

Look in your closet, folks. Your favorite loafers, those fancy, high-heeled pumps, your way-too-expensive sneakers? They are likely filthier than a truck-stop toilet on a busy Saturday night. Furthermore, just like those truckers, that bacteria get around. Its only goal is to propagate, grow, and contaminate. So, if you wore those shoes inside the house, the bacteria have been spread. According to that study, when a shoe comes into contact with a floor surface, the transfer rate is 90% to 99%.

When we are talking about fecal matter, we are actually talking about coliform and E. coli. Coliform may cause fever, upset stomach, cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, and urinary tract infections. E. coli, meanwhile, does that and more. It produces a poisonous toxin called Shiga, which may be life-threatening in some cases, causing kidney failure, bleeding, meningitis, confusion, and seizures.

There are also other types of bacteria found on shoes that can make you ill. Klebsiella causes pneumonia. Serratia ficaria causes respiratory infections. Clostridium difficile causes severe diarrhea, colitis and may interfere with certain antibiotics. In addition to these contaminants, your shoes may also bring in other materials that have a detrimental effect on your health, including pesticides, chemicals, toxins, and allergens like mold, pollen, and other fungi.

Of course, there are other noteworthy reasons why many people have a policy of leaving their shoes at the door. In addition to germs and pathogens hitching a ride on your shoes, there’s also the mess. Dirt, grime, and debris can make a real mess of your floors that can be difficult to keep up with. Most people would prefer not to be constantly sweeping, vacuuming, scrubbing, and mopping. It is much easier to keep your home clean, especially your floors, when you do not wear shoes in the house. And finally, there’s the destruction that shoes can sometimes do to our floors—scratches, scrapes, dings, and scuffs can take their toll, and rugs and carpets are just as susceptible to damage.

So, going back to our leading question—should you wear shoes inside your house? We hope the answer is clear now. It’s a crappy idea, and we truly mean that literally. Start taking those shoes off at the door. Wash, spray, or otherwise decontaminate your shoes as best you can, and be diligent and consistent about it. Enforce it with family members as well as the people who enter your home.

Lastly, you may have concerns about what germs and harmful substances are already lurking in your home (and rightly so). Your best bet to handle that is a professional cleaning service that will clean and disinfect the probable surfaces that bacteria has come into contact with. If you need a great cleaning service in or around Harrisburg, give Hammond Cleaning Solutions a call.