Shoes Transmit Disease, Leave Them by the Door
Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist and professor at the University of Arizona, joined forces with shoemaker Rockport to study what types of microorganisms are transported by footwear. Ten people were given a brand new pair of shoes to use for two weeks before having them tested for bacteria.
After two weeks, more than 420,000 units of bacteria were found on the outside of the test shoes. Of that bacteria, 27% were deadly E. Coli virus. Also detected was Klebsiella pneumonia, which can cause pneumonia and wound and bloodstream infections and Serratia ficaria, which can lead to infection of the respiratory tract.
“The common occurrence (96 percent) of coliform and E. coli bacteria on the outside of the shoes indicates frequent contact with fecal material, which most likely originates from floors in public restrooms or contact with animal fecal material outdoors,” said Gerba. “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.”
Even more disturbing to moms of little ones - 90 to 99% of bacteria found on the exterior of the shoes was transmitted to hard tile and carpet.
Any germs picked up by bare feet, knees and hands will then be transported to the crib at naptime.
To help keep these germs at bay, simply remove your shoes and leave them by the door when you get home. Frequent vacuuming and mopping will also help. The study also found simply washing the shoes eliminated more than 90% of germs.
If you aren’t comfortable asking your babysitter or guest to walk around in their bare feet or socks, there are many cute house slippers on the market (and several organic versions) that won’t leave anyone feeling awkward.
Photo credit: Creative Commons License, A.K. Photography on Flickr
Ewwwww…shoes in the house. I never understand how people can do that, gross gross gross.
And now they reason to leave them by the door!
i’ve also read that removing shoes can eliminate about 80% of dirt in the house! who loves house cleaning? i don’t
We have had a “no shoes in the house” rule for years, and I swear all my visitors and family members thought we were crazy. I think I need to forward this post to all of them so they can understand why we do it. And leaving them at the door really saves on having to have the carpet cleaned since there’s no tracking of mud, dirt (or E. Coli). Just the thought of E. Coli being tracked into my daughter’s bed at naptime would be enough to make me a convert.
Yes, the report was an eye opener for me. We usually go sans shoes, but the thought of those germs in his crib made me shudder. Feel free to forward the post!
I’ve always had the no shoes in the house rule. Think of what you step in and can carry into your home. Fecal matter, spit, oil. Now, imagine your children laying around on the floor/carpet. It’s disgusting. I keep a small basket by my garage door with socks or footies for my guests to put on.
We take off shoes at the door. Visitors notice the shoes at the door and generally follow the cue. We have trays set at the door to set shoes on. I have been wanting to have slippers there for guests. Now I have a reason to do more shopping! I will think of it as stimulating the economy!
I love the idea of a rack by the door. We line ours up and it can get a little messy.
Slippers are a great idea!
I agree 100%. My family is Italian and we grew up removing our shoes when coming into our home and going to others. When I met my husband I his step-children I started them on removing their shoes when they come into the house since it was a newly build one. I also ask the childrens friends and my in-laws to do the same. At first I felt uncomfortable since they were not use to it and at times for new visitors I still feel uncomfortable but we now have 5 month old twins and they will be crawling soon and I do not want the dirt from the outside to get into their mouths. When my husbands ex stops by to drop off/pickup my step-kids, she is so rude and does not remove them, I just don’t understand some people. Also my husband does admit that the carpets and floors stay looking newer. I do like the idea of a box of socks by the door. I had an Asian co-worker bring me back some slippers from Taiwan for the same purpose which I keep in the closet by the front door but Men may feel awkward putting them on. How do you feel about asking ALL your guests to remove their shoes when your having a party? I’m still nervous about doing that.
Totally agree. Take those shoes off!
I have an whole blog about this. You might want to take a look.