Why you absolutely need to stop wearing shoes inside your house

[Constance]

This is an article that rang true to me. I was always aware that tracking shoes through the house was not ideal but this article really brought it on home! It really made my stomach turn...
http://healthywildandfree.com/this-is-why-you-absolutely-need-to-stop-wearing-shoes-in-your-house/?c=fbg#sthash.NI5YnfH5.Jyc4hB9i.dpbs

[Ewan]

It is interesting, but.. What about cultures that don't wear shoes, or people who are happy to walk around their own land barefoot, or don't wash their feet after a trip to the beach and have stood on sidewalks pavements. I've also seen babies with shoes in their mouth in their ongoing exploration of the universe.

[Marikins]

Years ago I read about a couple of doctors who treated leprosy. Their daughter got leprosy starting with hands and knees from crawling on the floor. They had unknowingly tracked in the germs into their home on their shoes.
I went to a green living house exhibit in a museum in Washington, DC and the docent said that worse than germs is tracking in heavy metals from exhaust. They said never wear street shoes in the house.
I understand it is customary in many countries to remove shoes at the door.

[GrnEggsNHam]

If you have a fully functioning immune system you don't need to fret over the everyday bacterium.

[sunpaw]

I change my shoes when I come home. Before I put them on to leave - I check if I can just leave (not walking around).
Next when coming home is washing my hands.

I also change into cloths I mostly or only wear at home. When I go outside I change again.

I do it to keep it separated - not only because of 'stuff' but regarding energy/vibe..

[Jesse]

In a school lecture about antibiotic resistant Staph we saw pictures of hospital units both before and after disinfection. The still dirty areas in the after photos showed up pink and the floors despite multiple cleanings were almost entirely one solid sheet of it. The worst place to put anything ever in a hospital is on the floor yet time after time visitors come in and the first thing many do is set things on the floor – purses, children, gifts.. Then they go home and take most everything they set down in the hospital along with whatever is on the bottom of their shoes into their homes and track it all over their carpets.

Contrast that to hospital and nursing home employees, many of whom before they even walk into their homes take off their shoes then once inside immediately ditch the uniform, put it directly into either the laundry or washer. Then before getting involved with anything else immediatly go and take a shower. Even though with a healthy immune system it’s not that big an issue, and even though I know a certain amount of exposure to germs, viruses is actually good for people, especially babies as that’s how they develop immunity, still… it creeps me out. However I don’t worry a lot about leprosy I think we’re much more likely to get it from a sick armadillo than our home carpets.

National Institute of Allergies and infectious Diseases - http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/leprosy/understanding/pages/whatis.aspx

World Health Organizations Leprosy FAQ - http://www.who.int/lep/transmission/en/

American Leprosy Missions FAQ - http://www.leprosy.org/leprosy-faqs/

[Lunesoleil]

This is an article that rang true to me. I was always aware that tracking shoes through the house was not ideal but this article really brought it on home!
It's a good habit to take, I've been doing this for a long time.
So when I'm at home, I can't stand keeping my shoes on for long.
Thanks for this topic, it's important to take care of our thoughts and also take care of the health of our feet

[Le Chat]

I'd never even considered the 'dangers' of wearing shoes around the home.
I've always taken my shoes off after entering my house, and if it's a warm day gone barefoot. In the colder months, though, I wear slippers.

[Karen (Geophyz)]

I don't wear shoes in the house. I never have. But I also go barefoot quite a bit outside when the weather permits. I wash my feet before I come in. I have a shoe removal area so if someone comes to visit they can take off their shoes before coming in. It is kind of automatic like washing my hands.