Yay or Nay to shoes in the house? Exploring the effects shoes have on your floors
Posted by Aaron Schaalma
Shoes taken off in the back hall.[/caption]
Less Debris Tracked Inside
We wear our shoes almost everywhere we go, so you can imagine all of the types of dirt and debris that stick to our shoes. From grass clippings after mowing the grass or weed trimming, to dirt from working in the garden or flower beds, or maybe even that piece of gum that you stepped on in the parking lot. You wouldn’t normally bring dirt in from outside and sprinkle it over your floors, but that is essentially what happens over time when you wear your shoes indoors. This dirt and debris can then end up on your hardwood floors or in your carpet and contribute to dirt and dust allergies.
Less Germs
Where have your shoes gone lately? Just think about that one…. I know my shoes have been all over wisconsin lately. Wearing shoes inside your house not only tracks dirt inside but also tracks all those nasty germs inside your house too! Best practice is to leave both outside.
Your House will Stay Cleaner
Just imagine how much less you’ll have to clean your house if there are no shoes worn in your house tracking in all that dirt from outside. No more muddy shoe prints tracked in from your most recent hike, small rocks stuck in your shoes from your daily walk or run, or sand from the trip you took to the beach. This will cut down on the amount of time you have to spend sweeping, swiffering and cleaning up your wood floors.
Less Wear and Tear on your Wood Floors
Removing your shoes will also help your wood floors last much longer because there won't be as much grit tracked into the house. When you wear shoes on your floors you essentially have a hard surface verses a hard surface with the dirt and debris in between. This causes the dirt to be ground into your floors damaging the finish and reducing the life expectancy of your floors.
If you are still on the fence about whether or not to wear shoes in the house, here's a great article about why you should ban wearing shoes in your house….read more. We hope these few reasons and article have helped you decide if you’re going to say yay or nay to shoes in your house. I know for me and my wife we won’t be wearing shoes in our house any time soon!
