Hi everyone, all the best for 2011!! Hope you're all spending the new year's eve somewhere nice.... whether it's in the comfort of your own house or out partying. :)

I wanted to start a topic about your "house habits", because since moving from continental Europe I've noticed some differences. In Europe it's pretty normal for guests (and house owners) to strictly take their shoes off and put their slippers on as soon as they enter the house..... don't know, just a habit I guess. Anyway, when I moved to London I noticed that everybody just walks in. I understand estate agents and viewers (when I was selling), but I do not understand others. It might be that I'm too obsessed with being clean ..... though I'm definitely not as particular as some people.... but I do have a small baby crawling around everywhere. I always clean my dog's paws when we come from a walk and I just can't imagine bringing all the germs, dog, cat and human urine to my home :(. Imagine all of the people spitting and stuff they bring from all the public transport.
I have wood downstairs, but upstairs it's all cream carpets (and YES I've had people walking straight up with their shoes on as well!!!). Well anyway, I decided to make it strict and have a "no shoes policy", no exceptions (well maybe workers in the house, which is natural). I bought a load of guest slippers and hung them in the porch lol. Hope that will do the trick! ;)

I won't come over and visit you then Ory!  :)  :)

Shoes on, definitely! The traditional English belief is that socks and stockings are underwear (they're still sold next to the lingerie) and one doesn't wander around the house in one's underwear!

When you're going to a formal party at someone's house you always dress up, and that includes shoes. To be expected to remove those, making a long dress a dangerous trip hazard, would be unthinkable.

Also, I have a 'difficult' foot, and can only walk without pain in certain shoes. It would be painful for me to wear other footwear (I can't walk barefoot, for example) and I certainly wouldn't wear anyone else's slippers!

Yes when I moved to England from Sweden I thought it extremely rude of guests to just walk in wearing their shoes -at home we'd take them off, always. But now having a house full of dogs and cats, I'd recommend any visitors to absolutely NOT remove them -and visiting family has to keep slippers here! In fact forget slippers, Crocs are better as they wipe clean!! (Having just had a litter of 9 pups the floors haven't been very safe here!!)

When you're going to a formal party at someone's house you always dress up, and that includes shoes. To be expected to remove those, making a long dress a dangerous trip hazard, would be unthinkable.

When you go to a party in Sweden you always bring your party shoes in a bag -nice shoes are never worn outdoors unless it's summer, no rain, not walking on grass etc, they are kept clean for indoors. Especially in winter when of course you want thick boots outdoors.

In school it was always explained that it was extremely unhygienic to keep shoes on indoors as it made for sweaty feet and athlete's foot, so if you didn't remove your shoes you'd get detention for sure.

Always shoes off in the hall Ory.  I have hard floors with rugs downstairs - all clean and I like them that way. :) 
If visitors don't respect my home then they don't get invited back! ;) :)
My daughter was bought up that way and there's always a pile of shoes in her hall too! :)

If I go into a house I always take my shoes off or ask UNLESS it is a mad doggy house like mine. In my house people wear wellies if they like we have slate flooring or wood and the dogs are everywhere so safest with shoes on.

>was extremely unhygienic to keep shoes on indoors as it made for sweaty feet and athlete's foot,

So shoes are removed to spread the spores all over the floor?

Would the disabled - amputees, for example - also be expected to remove their footwear? If not, why not?

It's all about equal rights these days isn't it? :) :)

Yes, ours is a 'wellies' house too, but on the other hand Ory, it is your house...so you make the rules!!  :)

Normal in UK to wear shoes especially as a visitor.

Most people would be surprised/offended if asked to remove their shoes, and what would they be supposed to wear, footwear worn by someone else who might have fungal infection, athletes foot or smelly feet?

I used to visit Poland every year in childhood and most people had parquet flooring and rugs and it was the norm to take off shoes, but coming from UK I found it strange in someone Else's home (though happy to put on a spare set of mules at my Gran's) but thought it naff to put on someone Else's, and would stay barefoot, or in socks.

Oh yes in Poland children took slippers to school to wear indoors.

>Most people would be surprised/offended if asked to remove their shoes, and what would they be supposed to wear, footwear worn by someone else who might have fungal infection, athletes foot or smelly feet?

Exactly. Yuck, yuck, yuck!

>Oh yes in Poland children took slippers to school to wear indoors.

We were supposed to have a pair of leather indoor shoes to change into, but after the first year (when everyone obeys all the rules!) that tended to slide!

The house we lived in for 25 years - most of my married life - we always removed our shoes and left them in the porch (front or back). I never made a fuss about visitors doing the same, but they often noticed the shoes and then took theirs off :) It was partcularly useful when the children walked the dogs, as it avoided anything on their shoes being walked into the house (they were better at removing shoes than checking the soles). I often take my shoes off when vsiting friends and neighbours. I certainly would always check my shoes before walking in :)

In 1966 when I started secondary school, we had to have outdoor and indoor shoes at school. I remember several friends having a 'please remove your shoes' rule at their homes too - so it's not such a new idea here :) :)

It's your house, Ory, so do as you please - you certainly wouldn't offend me :) Seems like common sense not to walk dirty shoes through a house :)

Daisy

I never made a fuss about visitors doing the same, but they often noticed the shoes and then took theirs off
That's exactly what happens here Daisy.  They see the shoes in the hall and respectfully do the same. :)

It wouldn't cross my mind to bring dirt on my shoes into someone elses' home. :(  Although I can think of one dog house where my dirt would have been cleaner than the floor!! :) :)

So shoes are removed to spread the spores all over the floor?

Would the disabled - amputees, for example - also be expected to remove their footwear? If not, why not?

No, you put indoor shoes on in school of course. And yes, of course everyone removes their shoes -like I said, it would be terribly rude not to -dragging in dirt to people's homes, doctor's surgeries, dentists, anything like that. I'm sure the disabled would get help -cannot say I know any amputees so can't answer that. :) Only place you'd keep them on would be in shops really, shows, museums, cinema, that sort of thing.When you go to the doctor or dentist you can put covers over your shoes instead if you want but must not walk in with shoes on. Needless to say, Swedish hospitals are much cleaner the UK ones without a lot of disease spreading.

> The traditional English belief is that socks and stockings are underwear

Never heard of that one in this sense :)

> When you're going to a formal party at someone's house you always dress up, and that includes shoes

I'd ask anyone wearing high heels to remove them before walking on my wood floors (as was very commonly done when stilettos  were fashionable) :)

> Seems like common sense not to walk dirty shoes through a house :-)
>
>

That is what doormats are for, for a thorough wiping. LOL

> That is what doormats are for, for a thorough wiping

Maybe on a dry day - but around here there are no pavements and the roads are covered in mud from the sugar beet lorries/tractors - no mat gets shoes clean enough here :) Went to my next door neighbours' for coffee the other day and our shoes were filthy by the time we got there. There is no way we would walk into an elderly couples bungalow with our shoes on so we all took them off :)

Daisy

i think obviously muddy shoes is a bit of another matter.

>> The traditional English belief is that socks and stockings are underwear
>Never heard of that one in this sense

Really? I'm surprised. It's on a par with going to Tescos in your pyjamas!

Generally amputees change legs rather than shoes. 

Should they be fortunate enough to have extras.

Karen

The traditional English belief is that socks and stockings are underwear
I've no problem with the vicar seeing me in my socks but bra and knickers??  No comparason! :(
I think I live in a different world. :)

Probably. :-)

> It's on a par with going to Tescos in your pyjamas!

Really ????? I learn something new every day :) :) LOL :)

Daisy

> I think I live in a different world

Me too :) Just have to take pride now walking my mud into houses knowing that I'm now doing the correct thing :) :) :) LOL

Daisy

Manners maketh Man Daisy! :)

> If I go into a house I always take my shoes off or ask UNLESS it is a mad doggy house like mine. In my house people wear wellies if they like we have slate flooring or wood and the dogs are everywhere so safest with shoes on.

My house is like that too.  Given the dirt the dogs bring in, the hair they shed and because it all sits on top of the wood and slate floors I tell people not to take their shoes off.  TBH removing shoes for the sake of being clean would only be of use if the dogs paws and undercarriage were washed every time they went for a walk or into the garden. 

Life is too short, wear your shoes and I can clean the floors later!

We were all bought up to take our shoes off in the hall of any house we went into unless told differently and everyone i know does the same, i would be most peed off in anyone walked their filthy shoes through my house.

>Just have to take pride now walking my mud into houses knowing that I'm now doing the correct thing

Not if your parents had taught you to wipe your feet on the doormat that would correctly be provided for that very purpose. LOL!

even with a very good dorrmat i still dont feel that would get your feet very clean, however for those that dont like to take shoes off and say workmen i have covers that slip over the shoe.

I don't mind taking my shoes off in my parents house. However, I would feel naked if asked to take my shoes off in front of people I wasn't overly familiar with LOL

I think of being barefoot (or socked!) as being quite an intimate state to see me in! I know that probably sounds ridiculous to some.

> I think of being barefoot (or socked!) as being quite an intimate state to see me in! I know that probably sounds ridiculous to some.

No, but it made me smile!

> Not if your parents had taught you to wipe your feet on the doormat

? I don't think that I will bother answerng that ........

My parents would give me a telling off if they caught me without shoes on

I think we can safely say that generally guests (as opposed to family members) do not generally take their shoes off when going into people's homes, unless encased in muck, and certainly not in any public place except some religious buildings of other than Christian faiths.

I think we can safely say that generally guests (as opposed to family members) do not generally take their shoes off when going into people's homes, unless encased in muck, and certainly not in any public place except some religious buildings of other than Christian faiths.
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Aye thats pretty much how i see it, but i would always ask just incase lol

> Life is too short, wear your shoes and I can clean the floors later!

Think I'll pop round your house with Oldilocks then!  :-)  :-)  :-)

I think that I would abide by the "rules" in someone elses house but I wouldn't dream of asking them to take their shoes off in my house, if they offered and I had just had new carpet then maybe.

I think some people with children are too fasitdious today, if they don't get exposed to germs then how will they build up any immunity. Moderation in all things, I am not made house proud and we have survived ( I think!!)

Until recent years (having succumbed to cold feet) I rarely wore shoes or socks around the house and when visiting will always take wet or dirty shoes off before entering anyones house. Smelly feet, athlete's foot, I would deal with as any other case of hygiene. The dogs, get their feet wiped or stay in the utility room until dry. Yes it's a doggy house (with BH's it couldn't be anything else) but I'm far more forgiving to the dogs than to visitors who seem to think it's OK to come in with dirty wet shoes or just as bad a filthy wet coat.

No shoes in the house in the Asian countries I have visited. All must be left at the door - which can sometimes be amusing during gatherings if people have similar footwear! (Can be made into a joke too, when someone accused me of stealing a buddhist priest's flip flops after a home ceremony in a village in Thailand ... turned out to be their private joke about western women having big feet).

In many Asian countries there is generally true muck in the streets = open sewers, cow poo etc. Shoes left outside the house before going in; no carpets just concrete or tiled.... or in India it's polished cow manure clay floors (you would be surprised at how attractive, smooth and durable that can be).

But they are also countries where it's not very cold.... I was interested to see Marianne's Swedish take on it. Seems we in the UK are in the middle then... not so much snow & ice ,which of course does demand footwear is left at the door (as we found the last few weeks in the UK.... lol). I personally detest carpets and the maintenance they demand plus the fact they do suck up everything that's walked into them. Having lived in rented houses most of my life, they are my bugbear, as they are the easiest thing for a landlord to catch you out on, even if you don't have pets.

I'd rather have laminate - I can cover it to save my dog's legs.... cover all of it in cheap carpet if I like!!!  replace if needed. I'm not in the bracket that could rent a place with underfloor heating, so anything more durable isn't going to happen.

Shoes and socks straight off when I get home! Shoes off, socks kept on when visiting :-)

> the dogs are everywhere so safest with shoes on.

Yep, it's best to keep shoes ON when in my house, there is always a fresh puddle of slobber somewhere that hasn't been noticed (but you're guarenteed to find it with a shoeless foot!) or your toes will be squashed by the Mastiff :-D

I have laminate flooring, easy enough to clean up and considering the amount of mud the dog keeps walking through the house constantly (in addition to the slobber), I couldn't dare ask a visitor to remove thier shoes!

Personally, I'd rather not wear shoes in my house (I have spurs on my heels & find it's more comfy bare-foot), but I prefer to keep my shoes on in other peoples houses as the shoes are always chosen to match the outfit so I feel silly without them on - like I'm not completley dressed. I would of course take them off if asked.

ETA, wouldn't dream of walking into somebodies home with muddy/snowy shoes that couldn't be cleaned with a vigorous shuffle on the doormat though.

Went to the vets this afternoon for some vaccinations (cat).(Or rather, I went last year LOL.) All I did was walk out our door and into the car, then out of the car in the vet's car park. My boots got muddy enough for them to not be clean at all even after a thorough wiping on the vets doormat and in fact I felt bad about making the doormat dirty and often do, as so many people have fancy ones with pictures and/or text on.

As an aside, there was a lady in the vets with a lovely older GSD pup. She must have recently got it because it wasn't fully vaccinated yet. So she carried it in (think almost fully grown size wise!!) and carried it out, but put it on the floor in the vet's. Both the receptionist and hubby and I shook our heads in surprise after she'd left -where was the sense in that? Surely there is more likely to be germs INSIDE the vet's waiting room than outside it!

I hate going into houses where you have to take your shoes off.  The only time I do take mine off is if they are muddy, wouldn't dare walk through anyones house with muddy shoes.

Saying that i have always walked around at home barefoot.  Never knew that wearing socks etc around a house was like wearing your underwear before I have to say.

I think it could me more of an 'older generation' issue... and possibly a class thing ... We never accepted visitors to the house without being fully dressed, this included proper shoes.  Not even slippers were acceptable when you had visitors... I do think more care was taken years ago in how we dressed.  AT school we were required to change from outdoor shoes to indoor shoes or plimsoles

Also, years ago, rarely did a woman wear trousers and sock, it was always skirt and tights/stockings. so definately not practical to not wear shoes.

I change my footwear on average 10times a day, and keep two pairs of shoes in the car. 1 pair walking boots, and 1 pair dress boots, a practice I picked up from my stepmother, who always "dressed to her shoes"

To be fair, everyone has their own feelings and opinions on certain subjects, but dress protocol has long been forgotten

In my house, with my dogs, you are much safer keeping your shoes/boots on :-P

probably comes partly from living on a farm but at home always shoes off, (of course most of the time was spent in wellies so couldn't be worn indoors, shoes are only for going out)  ditto if visiting family. If I was going to someone else's house that I was less comfortable with it would be shoes on unless asked or obvious. I think the main reason for me is that most people at home put there feet up on something when they're sitting and I cant stand shoes curled p on my sofa. yuck! doesn't matter how much you wipe if you've been walking around streets there's going to be traces of allsorts of skank on your feet.
Also the first thing I always do after coming indoors/home is go and wash my hands, am I the only one? and if you saw my house you'd know how un-fussy I am about dog filth and general clutter! 

We grew up leaving shoes on when visiting, of course there was a doormat and we had to wipe our feet. I was quite taken aback when selling our house in London how many people took their shoes off when viewing our house, quite frankly I would rather they wiped their feet and left the shoes on than have all these strangers with sweaty socks walking all over my house!! If someone comes to stay they usually bring slippers to put on though.

We have a bit of both really I suppose, we all wear slippers or just socks/tights/bare feet in the house and close family/friends will automatically remove shoes when they come, again feet curled up on sofa's armchairs etc is common practice from friends and family in our house.

But when we have guests, Birthdays, Christmas, New year parties, barbies or any sort of gathering particularly if dressed up then it is not even thought of for anyone to not be wearing shoes. I would never ask anyone to remove shoes I would feel I was being rude, even a distant friend of my husbands arrived on a motorbike one year, walked in with his boots on and trailed a little oil on my cream carpet I am house proud so was mortified, one of the reasons why laminate and wood made an appearance.

But, you can always clean up mess, making someone feel uncomfortable that they are wearing shoes is far harder to deal with.

In England it is often seen as a class thing.

Those wealthy enough not to care about the value of an expensive thing like a carpet of oriental rug didnt mind..... but those, to whom a carpet constituted a large capital outlay, would try to make it last.

A bit like the stereotypical American 'trailer trash' with plastic covers on their sofa.

I suppose like many traditions, it's what your parents did.

LOL this is an interesting topic.... never thought I'd get so many answers. I noticed that sometimes it's not so just cultural thing, but rather personal. :) Thanks for all the input!

Someone mentioned it being a question of class. I don't believe it is in my case at all. I couldn't care less about my rugs or wooden flooring lol, it's just that I can't be bothered cleaning after every person that enters my personal space. That is why I provide disposable visitor's slippers, which means that I would never ever force anyone to walk around with their socks on.... yuck, that's rather unhygienic anyway! I think most of my fellow Slovenians share my thoughts. Go to our prime minister's house and he'll make you take off your shoes ;) (and our streets are much cleaner than those in London ... in fact every time I go home I feel like I could eat off of the street lol).
As for my child's immune system... I think he'll be just fine, he is after all growing up with a dog ;). I would not however want him to be crawling around Tescos and putting his hands in his mouth (have seen it before).
Someone else mentioned formal long dress parties. Back home we usually don't have such parties in people's homes. We only wear clothes like that when going to opera, ballet, classical music concerts, political/office parties or media events. House parties are usually informal and only meant for intimate friends or family and people normally wear jeans with a nice top (I heard one foreigner working in Slovenia once say "it takes forever for a Slovenian person to invite you to his home, it's like they don't want to share the intimacy with everyone .... funny considering that it is a nation where nearly 50% of people visit nudist beaches at least once in their life).

Thanks again for all of your thoughts, I find it very informative :) .... I respect every one of them and I am always very observant when visiting other people's homes. If I see them walking around in shoes, I'd keep mine on for sure.