Are your floors more important than your house guests?

A lot of the people who come over to my house on a regular basis are pretty good at removing their shoes without prompting. However if they are not going to do it and if they are not that dirty, it is really not all that much of a concern. However nine times out of ten, there are going to be a lot of people who come by these parts who take off the shoes at the door. Its not a big deal, unless they are caked with mud or snow, which I think its fair to state that it should be common sense to remove them. But I'm not about to twist anyone's arm. Its a matter of choice.

Now, I will admit that the majority of the people that I know never wear anything on their feet when they are in their homes. However, I've only been in people's houses a couple of times that will require that you remove your shoes when you enter the home. Both of these families were Japanese families and I understand it because it is a part of their culture. However, they also did have slippers that guests could wear at their house if they didn't like to have bare feet. As for my house, I normally have bare feet in the house, but I am not going to require my guests to remove their shoes.

I don't worry about the floors over the guests either. I think that would make a guest a little uncomfortable to have to take their shoes off when they visit. It would me. I would do it out of respect..but I would feel like I was intruding I think. Now if it was a white carpet or something like that..oh yes..they wouldn't even have to ask.

You are so right about this one. I know people that their carpet must be the most valuable thing in their life. What ever happen to make yourself at home??? I'm like you. I take my shoes off at home because after a long day in shoes, barefoot is so much better. Guests are guests. If we place too many restrictions on them, why would they ever want to be guests again??

If it is horribly slushy or rainy, I do ask that they take their shoes off, mostly because all the water makes the hardwood floors slippery and therefore slightly dangerous. The rest of the time i do not care. They are easy to clean, and we are vacuuming and swiffering almost every day to combat the dog hair. I personally like being barefoot, i tend to walk upstairs in my own house and take my shoes off up there and get changed if i am coming home from work.

Hello mindym, for me shoes are not that important i think the guests are more important its up to them if they take off their shoes while entering or not but i think most of the people understand it does it even i do it when i go to someone's house.

Anyone who comes in my house just takes off their shoes on their own... it's sort of a polite gesture here. You never have to ask them to do it unless they really are clueless or not very polite. I always take my shoes off when i go in someone else's house, so I kinda expect anyone who comes in my house to do it. Even so, i don't think my floor is more important than guests. You can always clean it up, right?

hello mindym, I asks my guests to take off their shoes because my living room has rugs on it. I guess they won't mind it at all (i just hope so) at least i asks them politely. Same when i go to other's house,I always took off my shoes without them asking me to take it off. have a good day

Yes I have heard people who do this and have visited some homes where we are specifically told to remove shoes. If I am not asked where ever I go that is the first thing too that I do is ask, should I remove them. At my home I do not require and or request anyone do this as I am as you that I, if anything is on the floor later I will clean up. I would be scared to ask anyone to remove theirs and actually I have been asked if they should remove them and I always say no. Some will anyways. I wear slippers all the time at home and the only time I had anyone remove their shoes would be the kids and it was a rule. Simply because they lived at home and would track in loads of mud.

Its not that my floors are more important than my guest its that shoes walk everywhere. Floors can be cleaned, but carpets are harder. I prefer my guest to remove their shoes. what if they stepped in something and didnt know it and now its tracked on my floor or carpets? I have two kids and two dogs enough stuf gets tracked in. I find it more respectful when the guest remove their shoes or ask. I want ppl to be comfortable in my house and I feel having shoes on dosent really allow you to do so. I take my shoes off when going into someones home. I mainly started this after my daughter was born. My kids play on the floor and your shoes have more than dirt on them that you can see. Call me crazy, I just want to help to keep my family healthy and house clean.

In my house, we don't mind people coming in and walking in the living room or kitchen or anywhere with their shoes on, as long as it is downstairs. But upstairs, each and everyone will have to go barefoot. No shoes or slippers. We just prefer it that way because we do not like dirt and trash getting in our bedrooms. The same rule goes for eating. All eating can be done in the dining area and anywhere downstairs. But not upstairs and more particularly in the bedrooms. This is so because we don't want any crumbs or food particles left in our sleeping areas. I think the guests do not mind this. For one, they respect the rules of the owners of the house. Plus, leaving your footwear outside the house can also be a cultural thing. It continues to be practiced in such highly-industrialized countries like Japan. It is part of their culture. To them, stepping inside someone's home with their shoes on is a sign of disrespect. I traveled there as an exchange student. And when I went on a tour in one of the prestigious and private schools there, I was also made to take off my shoes before entering the school premises, and instead, put on special slippers.

Sometimes my floor speak for itself.., and I don't lead as an example by being the first one to remove my shoes- common sense matters here. If they remove their shoes before they enter in my house, its well and good... if they don't then its fine with me, infact I won'f force them or even utter a word about shoes or floor in our general conversation...

I would prefer it if people took off their shoes. I hate having to to vacuum up the crap they drag in. That's just me though. I hope to have a house with wooden or tiled floors in the future so I can alleviate that problem. I never take off my shoes if the people have wood or tile, but if it's carpet, I'll usually ask. A great way to tell if they're okay with it or not is if they're wearing shoes :P

I think this is related to the culture of the country concerned. In my country, usually someone will remove the footwear continues to be used when visiting, it would seem impolite. Because it will polite the house that we visit. Hoe ever, if the homeowner permit, then it's okay if we still wear shoes. Happy MyLotting to All! :D

It is not a common habit where I live for people to ask or take off their shoes when entering someone else's home. My family and I have slippers that we use at home but it mostly for comfort, most of my friends and family are the same. Taking off of shoes, unless they are very muddy or wet as happens in winter - I have some spare slippers for when friends come over so they can dry their feet, is very uncommon. It could be that having tiled instead of hardwood floors, and having mats instead of carpets, makes cleaning easier. Though I used to have wall to wall carpeting in the whole house, in the winter months I placed a runner mat to prevent humidity from soaking in to the carpets, all the people that came over never took their shoes off if they did not want to.

We don't wear shoes in the house and we ask our guests to take their shoes off as well.it was something i grew up with. We all take our shoes off in the entrance hall and change into slippers. Not only is it cleaner, especially when there are kids playing on the carpets it also much comfier. Regular visitors haveva pair a slippers here that they can wear when they visit. We do always try and warn people in advance that we are a shoes house so they can bring slippers or thicks socks with them if they choose. Of course when we visit we always at the very least offer to take our shoes off. I remember as a kid my mother always took a bag with the families slippers in it when we visited friends and family. It's a nice gesture and I do it with my own family.

At our previous residence, I always request guests to take their shoes off because we are barefoot when inside the house, actually it's a condo. The floor is made of tiles and we just kept it clean because we lie down on it and step on it barefoot.

I do not believe it means your floor are more important plus you should not have to ask them to they should do it out of respect if they have nasty dirty shoes on. Have a Blessed Day

I think when you go to the guest would normally take your shoes at the door. But it depends on the people around you and also how they behaved. I personally to me no one ever took my shoes because when I guest they just sit on the shelf and leave them there. But I think this is a respect for the guests. You come as my guest to try this method because I loved it. Thanks for the interesting discussion. Have a nice day!